72% of California’s voters support Schwarzenegger’s healthcare plan

Is the California GOP out of touch with the state’s voters? The survey says…yes. A “poll by the Public Policy Institute of California taken Sept. 4-11, shows nearly 70 percent of Californians believe that the state’s health care system needs major changes – and the issue ranks only behind immigration as a key concern of state voters,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Here are a few more excerpts from the Chronicle article:

Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed favor Schwarzenegger’s proposal, which would require health care insurance costs to be shared by employers, providers and individuals.”

Mark Baldassare, the institute’s executive director, said the poll reflects a dark mood among voters, the result of bad news about housing, stock markets and a state budget battle.

The poll showed that nearly half of California’s residents say they are closely following the efforts by the governor and Legislature to make significant changes in the health care system – and more than half had either seen or heard of the Michael Moore documentary, “Sicko,” which explores the condition of the system.

It seems to me that the 70% figure MUST include at least some Republicans. Perhaps quite a few. Yet most CA GOP legislators and party leaders are slamming Schwarzenegger for trying to put together a state health care plan.

Schwarzenegger’s plan departs from the plan being advanced by California Democratic legislators, “The governor advocates a plan that would require all residents have health insurance – with funding provided by a 4 percent payroll tax as well as a revenue tax paid by doctors and hospitals, with other costs shared among health care providers, individuals and employers.”

“Democratic legislative leaders Assembly Speaker Fabian N