Voters in Connecticut like Gov. Dannel Malloy as a person but disapprove of the job he is doing leading the state, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.
Quinnipiac University conducted a poll and 44 percent disapproved of the job Malloy is doing as governor, 38 percent approved and 18 percent were undecided.
The state budget and how Malloy is handling it are major factors in the way voters feel and 43 percent are "dissatisfied" with the new budget and 16 percent are "angry" about the budget, according to the poll released on Wednesday.
Most people -- 67 percent – said taxes should be higher on those with higher incomes.
When the last poll on Malloy was released on March 9, the disapproval rating was 40 percent.
"Gov. Dannel Malloy should be doing better in a blue state like Connecticut, but he gets only a 52 percent approval rating among his base of Democrats," Quinnipiac University Poll Director, Douglas Schwartz, said.
"His low approval rating is a reflection of how voters feel about his budget. Many voters are dissatisfied and some even say they are angry. They think the budget relies too much on tax increases and not enough on spending cuts. They also think the middle class is paying more than its fair share while those with higher incomes aren't paying their fair share."
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Malloy is not the only governor with low approval ratings. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is the exception.
"Gov. Malloy might be jealous of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's high 61 percent job approval rating, but Cuomo is the exception. Malloy can take some solace from the fact that other new governors who also are dealing with big budget deficits have similar low job approval ratings," Dr. Schwartz added.
Voters also feel public employee wages and benefits are too high, with 46 percent saying they are too high and 39 percent saying wages and benefits are about right.
