Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations

HARTFORD � The state budget crisis is taking its toll on Gov. M. Jodi Rell�s popularity, and also has pushed the state legislature into negative numbers.

A Quinnipiac University poll released today found that 65 percent of those polled approve of Rell�s job performance. That�s a worthy number for most politicians � but an 8-percentage point drop for Rell, and the lowest approval rating for the most popular governor in Connecticut polling history.

A sagging economy, a budget stalemate, and weeks of public criticism by lawmakers and labor unions combined to lower Rell�s rating, which stood as high as 83 percent in January 2005.

Still, with nearly two-thirds of voters approving of her work against 30 percent disapproving and 8 percent undecided, Rell fares much better than governors in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac poll Director Douglas Schwartz said.

Rell, a Republican, scores highest in her own party, with an 81 percent approval rating, and among independent voters, with 70 percent. Among Democrats, 49 percent approve of Rell and 45 percent disapprove.

�She has defied political gravity for five years by almost always topping 70 percent in job approval and enjoying high marks, not only among Republicans and independents, but Democrats as well,� Schwartz added. �The love affair with Democrats in wearing thin, but she�s still in very good shape.�

Though 76 percent of voters say the governor has strong leadership qualities, many are uncertain her policies have helped the state�s economy.

The poll found 53 percent are uncertain or say Rell�s policies have made no difference in the economy, compared with 28 percent who say they�ve helped and 18 percent who say they�ve hurt.

When asked to look down the road, 41 percent are uncertain or are convinced Rell�s policies will make no difference in the economic future, compared with 40 percent who believe they�ll help and 19 percent who believe they�ll hurt.

And though 54 percent approve of Rell�s handling of the state economy in the new poll, that�s down from 68 percent who felt that way in March.

Rell spokesman Rich Harris said today that the governor �always has been proud of, but more importantly gratified by, the support she�s gotten from the people of Connecticut.�

The drop in approval rating, he added, comes �at a time when the governor has had to make some very difficult decisions about how we are going to deal with this disastrous economy.�

Connecticut is now more than three weeks into the new fiscal year without an approved budget, as Rell and the Democrat-controlled legislature remain at odds over how to achieve a balance of tax hikes and spending cuts to overcome a record-setting deficit.

The latest poll found the public�s view of the legislature has fallen into negative numbers, with 39 percent approving of its performance compared with 45 percent who disapprove.

In early May, Quinnipiac found 45 percent of voters approved of legislators� work, with 38 percent disapproving.

�If Rell is down a step or two, the Democrats are tumbling down the stairs,� Schwartz said.

The poll found 88 percent of voters believe the budget stalemate is either a �very serious� or a �somewhat serious� problem.

Senate President Pro Tem Donald E. Williams Jr., D-Brooklyn, who accused Rell of �misleading� voters in February when she proposed a tax-hike-free budget that�s now believed to be as much as $2.8 billion out of balance, said today it�s no surprise voters are frustrated by the budget gridlock.

�The longer this goes on, it affects the approval rating of the governor, the legislature, and everyone involved,� he said. �People want a solution.�

The poll, which surveyed 1,499 voters by telephone from July 16-20, has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.