Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bounce in the polls after his State of the State speech last month has disappeared, according to a survey released Thursday by the Public Policy Institute of California.
The PPIC survey found that 35 percent of the 2,003 California residents polled approved of the way Schwarzenegger is handling his job as governor, down from 40 percent in January and about the same as the 33 percent favorability rating he received last October.
President George W. Bush fared just as poorly, with 36 percent of California residents saying they approved of the way he is handling his job as president.
In other findings, the survey of environmental issues found that 64 percent of respondents opposed more oil drilling off the California coast. Bush supports allowing drilling more than 100 miles off the coastline.
The survey also found that 61 percent of respondents who live near the state’s southern coast said they believe beach pollution is a big problem.