Californians See Divide Between Haves and Have-Nots, but Disagree on Fixes

A new statewide poll reports that most Californians believe the state is split into haves and have-nots -- but they don't necessarily think it's government's job to fix income inequality.

Two out of three California residents surveyed in the new Public Policy Institute of California poll say they see two clear economic groups in the state. Clear majorities across regional and demographic groups agree the state is split along economic lines. About two-thirds of Asians, Latinos and whites see a stark have/have not divide in the state; 83 percent of black respondents shared that view.

Forty percent of Californians said they are in the "haves," while 44 percent said they are among the "have-nots."

The poll found that a bare majority, 51 percent of those polled, said that government should do more to make sure Californians have an opportunity to get ahead; 41 percent said all Californians already have that opportunity.

That split over addressing income inequality exposes clear partisan differences among state residents. The survey found 63 percent of Democrats saying government should do more on the issue, compared with 28 percent of Republicans.

PPIC Director Mark Baldassare said the survey's findings show lingering concern among Californians in the wake of the Great Recession.

"Clearly there are concerns about the level of income inequality in this state, the opportunities that exist, and the level of poverty that exists in California today, although we’ve had months now of recovery and gains in jobs," Baldassare said. "What I also found interesting about our poll was that, when it comes to how people view the current economic situation, fewer than half say they expect good economic times in the next 12 months -- so there’s clearly a lot of Californians who feel we are not in good economic times."

The survey also found that water supplies and drought are still residents' top concerns, but jobs and the economy are a close second -- and in the Bay Area, housing is also an area of concern.