Survey reveals public attitudes about fiscal concerns.

• Position: Brief article

Residents of five states--Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, and New York--tend to think their elected leaders are wasting money and could deliver services more efficiently, rather than that state government is too big, according to "Facing Facts: Public Attitudes and Fiscal Realities in Five Stressed States," a paper from the Pew Center on the States and the Public Policy Institute of California. According to a survey, residents would prefer to tax others (wealthy individuals, corporations, and smokers, drinkers, and gamblers), but they are willing to increase their own taxes to pay for the things they consider most important. Residents indicated that are tired of lawmakers passing the costs down to future generations. Finally, they said state government could operate more effectively, and they want fiscal reforms and a better return on tax dollars.

In all five locations, a majority of respondents expect bad...