December 7, 2011

About 41 percent of California voters think pension benefits received by public employees are too generous, with Republicans overwhelmingly viewing the retirement benefits as over-the-top, but independent and Democratic voters more supportive of the current system, according to a Field Poll released today.

The survey also found majority support for Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to raise the retirement age for new government workers and set limits on public employee benefits.

The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters last month and found that the number of Californians who view government employee pensions as too generous has grown over the past two years, from 32 percent in 2009 to the current 41 percent. However, the poll also found that a majority of both Democrats and independent voters view the current benefits as about right or not generous enough - and that 49 percent of all voters feel that way.

"The way the wind is blowing, more people think there are abuses out there, and that pensions are more generous than they should be," said Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo. "It is a contentious issue and will be a sticky one for politicians and the Legislature to address."

How voters view the issue depends largely on their party affiliation and whether they have a union member in their household. While 58 percent of Republicans see public pension benefits as too lavish, just 34 percent of Democrats and independent voters agree and only 27 percent of those with a union member in their home think public workers receive too much. About 20 percent of California households include a union member, DiCamillo said.

"The issue really does rile Republicans - I think it has to do with their view of limited government," he said. "Independents have very similar views to Democrats on this issue, which is an interesting finding, because sometimes independents can give you a sense of the direction of the public."

The poll showed strong support for Brown's proposed changes to public pensions, which were introduced by the Democratic governor in October. Brown's plan calls for raising the retirement age for most new employees from 55 to 67, for workers to increase contributions toward their benefits and for a "hybrid" pension model that would combine traditional pensions with a 401(k)-style plan.

If passed, the proposed law would also require that all public workers pay as much into their retirement savings as the government does.

According to the Field Poll, 51 percent of registered voters think Brown's proposal strikes the right balance, including 43 percent of Republicans. Just 23 percent of GOP voters surveyed said the governor's plan doesn't go far enough.

"A majority (55 percent) of Democrats and independents tend to think this is striking the right balance, and don't view it as too extreme - and even a plurality of Republicans think he is striking the right balance," DiCamillo said. "I'd say he's positioned himself pretty well on this contentious issue."

A strong majority - 64 percent - also believe that reforms to pensions should affect both current and former employees. That trend holds regardless of party or union affiliation, though state and federal law have prevented governments from unilaterally changing benefits for current workers in the past.

Overall, said DiCamillo, the poll indicates that state leaders will need to be cautious in pushing reforms.

"To me it's a contentious, partisan issue, and not one where there is an easy mandate to champion a cause that everybody will follow," he said.

The poll was conducted among random registered voters by telephone between Nov. 15 and 27, and has an error rate of plus or minus 4.4 percent.