AS RATINGS PLUNGE, ARNOLD ADMITS PART IN STALEMATE.

Byline: David M. Drucker Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - Responding to plummeting job-approval ratings, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday shared blame for the lack of cooperation among California lawmakers, but indicated a willingness to compromise on his reform agenda and budget priorities.

A somewhat subdued Schwarzenegger - facing reporters as a Field Poll showed his job-approval rating diving to 37 percent among registered voters - said Californians clearly want Democrats and Republicans to stop bickering and compromise on a plan for the 2005-06 budget as well as the initiatives the governor has placed on the Nov. 8 ballot.

``I feel that there is an agreement to be had,'' Schwarzenegger said during a Capitol news conference. ``We can resolve this, and then we can go together to the special election - Democrats and Republicans alike - and also that we can solve this budget.

``It's all about the will. Do we have the will to represent the people of California?''

But the Republican governor remained adamant that the Democrats' counteroffer to his $115.7 billion budget plan spends too much one-time money on permanent programs that the state might not be able to afford in ensuing years and offers nothing in terms of a compromise on his special-election agenda.

``The counterproposal from the Democrats in the Legislature ... returns to the irresponsible ways (of) the past. Their budget would have the government spend beyond its means,'' Schwarzenegger said. ``I guarantee you that all of us in this building can share blame. All of us, including myself. (The poll numbers) are very clear messages that we must work together. It's the best for the people of California. They feel good when things work well, when people work together.''

The Field Poll showed Schwarzenegger's job-approval rating among all adults plunging 9 percentage points, to 31 percent - with 58 percent disapproving - down from a previous low of 40 percent in a Public Policy Institute of California poll last month.

The Field Poll was conducted last week after the governor's move to call the Nov. 8 special election.

Even among Republicans, Schwarzenegger's approval ratings dropped 18 percentage points, from 84 percent to 66 percent, with 23 percent disapproving.

Among registered voters overall, 37 percent approve of the governor while 53 percent disapprove - 15 percentage points better than the recalled former Democratic governor, Gray Davis, who at his lowest level in August 2003 hit 22 percent.

Dan Schnur, a GOP political consultant, said Republican voters' opinions have been significantly affected by negative TV and radio ads - paid for by a cadre of labor unions. He speculated that Schwarzenegger's ratings among Republicans would have actually been worse had he not called the Nov. 8 election.

``Voters like to see their political leaders cooperate - for a lot of reasons,'' Schnur said. ``One of those reasons is that they can feel assured from all sides that the right decisions are being made. It's harder to figure things out when you're hearing different things from different people.''

Democrats said the poll, which showed just 26 percent of all adults approved of the Legislature's job performance, proves that voters want both sides to work together.

The poll also showed 37 percent of registered voters approved of Schwarzenegger's decision to hold a special election - but that number declined to 28 percent when respondents were told the cost could range from $45 million to $80 million.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuez, D-Los Angeles, said he hopes to reach a compromise with the governor on the three measures he placed on the Nov. 8 ballot - including overhauls of the budget process, teacher-tenure rules and how legislative and congressional districts are drawn - even though Democrats tend to disagree with them philosophically.

``Polling numbers aside, we want to move this state forward; polling numbers aside, we care about the future of California,'' Nuez said. ``Polling numbers aside, we want to work in a bipartisan basis to find common ground with this governor, whether he's at 75 percent or whether he's at ... 37 percent.''

The survey was conducted over a seven-day period ending Sunday. It was drawn from interviews with 954 California adults that included 711 registered voters. It has a sampling error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

David M. Drucker, [phone]

david.drucker(at)dailybulletin.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, chart

Photo:

(color) no caption (Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger)

Chart:

FALLING APPROVAL

SOURCE: The Field Poll

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