Experts Expound

Regardless of what happens in the race for governor, do you think the public
will approve a massive investment in California’s infrastructure? Or will
support for these propositions dwindle by Election Day?

I think support will dwindle. Voters are reading the massive voter guide,
tallying up the costs and trying to wade through massive ads on TV. They are
tired of sorting and feeling uninformed. When that happens, they vote no.

The bond measures will lose unless Arnold and the Dems campaign together
pretty much nonstop for them between now and Election Day. And it’s still
uphill at this point.

All of the special interests that will benefit from the money in these bonds
will finance a healthy campaign to try and pass them. But given that the
voters rejected a solitary library-bond measure in June, they just might
turn down $40 billion in proposed borrowing.

It will be a mixed result. I’d be very surprised if all the bonds passed,
although Arnold is feeling cocky and planning to focus on them for the final
two weeks.

Depends on how much campaigning there is for them.

They pass with an average of 53 percent.

Voters want more freeways, and understand we need to make the investment,
but think government should tighten its belt and pay instead of higher taxes
and bonds.

Once voters look at the whole package and start doing math, it’s tough to
see anything other than possibly the education bond left standing by
November 8.

The people from whom we sought opinions: Andrew Acosta, A.G. Block, Roy
Behr, Don Wilcox, Jon Fleischman, Evan Goldberg, Deborah Gonzalez, Dan
Schnur, Jason Kinney, Tom Kise, Karen Hanretty, Kevin Spillane, Michael
Houston, Adam Mendelsohn, Matt Ross, Sam Delson, Mike Madrid, Morgan
Crinklaw, Dave Lesher, Richard Zeiger, Mike Madrid, Margita Thompson, Ken
Gibson, Ralph Simoni, Bob Hertzberg, Scott Baugh, Steve Maviglio, Tony Quinn, Peter DeMarco, Adam Probolsky, Barbara O’Connor, Jack Pitney.