Field Poll: Californians willing to tax wealthy

After years of austere state budgets and frustration among Democratic lawmakers who have tried unsuccessfully to increase taxes, a new poll shows the majority of voters are ready to raise the wealthiest Californians' income taxes.

A Field Poll released today contains mostly good news for the various groups that want voters to approve tax increases this fall. The strongest support is for the so-called millionaires tax, which would increase state income taxes for people who make more than $1 million a year.

Gov. Jerry Brown's tax plan also had majority support, according to the independent survey, with 58 percent of likely voters inclined to vote for the measure.

The governor's plan would increase the state sales tax by half a cent and raise income taxes for the state's highest earners for five years. The measure would raise about $35 billion before the taxes expire.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/24/MNHI1NBHLN.DTL

sfgate also has a poll about which tax plan the reader favors. 42% responded "none", 22% the unions' millionaire tax, and 28% Jerry Brown's on millionaires and sales tax.

see also the Down With Tyranny blog "When You Voted For Jerry Brown, Were You Under The Impression You Were Voting For A Democrat?"