Public opinion of Gov. Chris Christie has taken a dive in the aftermath of his first state budget, according to a poll released today. The Rutgers-Eagleton poll found that Christie's favorability rating sank 12 points since February, when 45 percent of residents had a favorable opinion of the governor and 26 percent unfavorable. Now that stands at 33 percent favorable and 37 percent unfavorable, according to the poll.
The survey did not measure Christie's job approval ratings. Another poll, released by Fairleigh Dickinson University last week, found his job approval rating dropped 9 percentage points, to 43 percent, after he introduced his budget in March.
The governor's $29.3 billion budget proposal makes wide-ranging cuts -- including to property tax rebates and school, town and college aid -- while resisting broad-based tax increases. The Rutgers-Eagleton poll said that 43 percent of those who had heard about the budget are very or somewhat pleased with it, while 50 percent are somewhat or very displeased.
“Support for Christie is tied directly to the budget proposal,” said David Redlawsk, director of the poll. “Three weeks after the budget speech, the impact is starting to sink in. The result is a recognition that the proposed budget cuts are going to hurt and a significant decrease in favorable impressions of Christie.”
Christie says the plan may be unpopular, but necessary to correct the state's fiscal course.
"It should've been dealt with years ago. It wasn't," the governor said recently. "You can disagree, but you're never going to be able to say, 'The guy wasn't willing to take a risk. The guy wasn't willing to take a chance on how to fix something.' ...If people don't like it after four years, they can send me home."
The Republican governor and Democrat-controlled Legislature must agree on a balanced budget by June 30.
