QUINNIPIAC, CONNECTICUT - Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell's job approval rating has shrunk to its lowest level ever, 39 - 53 percent negative, and voters see him as most responsible for the state's budget mess.

Voters also reject 63 - 33 percent the Governor's call to raise the state income tax temporarily to balance the budget, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

A total of 90 percent of Pennsylvania voters think the inability of the Governor and State Legislature to come up with a budget by the June 30 deadline is a "very serious" or "somewhat serious" problem, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.

State Attorney General Tom Corbett has the best name recognition among Republican contenders in the 2010 Governor's race, while there is no clear leader in the Democratic field.

Rendell is most to blame for the budget stalemate, 30 percent of voters say, while 17 percent blame the Republicans in the Legislature; 11 percent blame the Democrats and 28 percent blame everyone equally. Pennsylvania voters disapprove 57 - 27 percent of the job the State Legislature is doing, close to the all time worst score of 60 - 26 percent October 5, 2005.

The 63 - 33 percent opposition to Rendell's proposal to hike the state income tax from 3.07 percent to 3.57 percent for three years gets a 47 - 48 percent split from Democrats, with 81 - 17 percent opposition from Republicans and 58 - 37 opposition from independent voters. If taxes must be raised, voters say 62 - 24 percent raise the sales tax, not the income levy.

Asked if they would be willing to pay more taxes to protect certain specific state spending, a majority said they would in order to protect healthcare and public schools from cuts, but not to stave off an up to $1, 280 jump in state college tuition, or to avoid layoff of state workers.

A total of 57 percent of Pennsylvania voters are "somewhat dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied" with the way things are going in the state today, the highest dissatisfaction rate ever.

In the race to succeed Rendell, who is not able to seek a third term as Governor, Corbett leads the Republican field with 38 percent while U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach gets 15 percent and former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan gets 9 percent.

Republicans give Corbett a 47 - 3 percent favorability with 48 percent who don't know enough about him to form an opinion. For Gerlach, 74 percent of Republicans don't know enough about him to form an opinion. Meehan's "don't know enough" is at 82 percent.

The three Democratic candidates, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, State Auditor Jack Wagner and businessman Tom Knox, are statistically even among Democrats. Onorato and Wagner each get 16 percent, with Knox at 13 percent and 54 percent undecided. The "don't know enough" factor among Democrats ranges from 69 percent to 82 percent.



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