"Hartford Courant" says the Conn Gov is in the Toilet.
Rowland's Ratings In The Basement
Among The Worst In Poll's 10-Year History
By ELIZABETH HAMILTON And DAVID LIGHTMAN
Courant Staff Writers
May 1 2003
In the decade that Quinnipiac University has been polling in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, only one politician has had a job approval rating lower than Gov. John G. Rowland - Democrat Robert Torricelli, the disgraced, former U.S. senator from New Jersey.
The news for Rowland didn't get any better Wednesday, despite his recent public image campaign.
For the first time in his eight-year tenure, a majority of voters polled by Quinnipiac last month said they don't believe the governor is honest or trustworthy. And although a majority polled said Rowland has strong leadership abilities, 55 percent also said they don't believe the governor cares about their needs and problems.
Rowland's overall approval rating has not changed since it hit its lowest mark ever in March, when a mere 33 percent of voters said he's doing a good job.
Although the poll shows that a big part of Rowland's problems are related to the weak economy and public perception of how he's handled the state's budget deficit, there are other forces at work.
The widening bid-rigging investigation by federal prosecutors and Rowland's friendship with a contractor involved in the investigation have clearly had an impact.
Fifty-six percent of those polled last month had heard about Rowland's use of vacation homes owned by a contractor who does a substantial amount of business with the state, and 34 percent were very concerned about it. Another 46 percent said it was a minor concern.
When asked if they knew about Rowland's former deputy chief of staff, Lawrence Alibozek, pleading guilty to accepting gold and cash in exchange for steering state contracts, 69 percent said yes. Of this group, 54 percent said the issue was a "major concern."
The governor has also faced recent scrutiny for his use of a Republican Party credit card. The card, issued to Rowland for party-building expenses, has been used by the governor to pay for a slew of expensive dinners near his vacation home in Litchfield County, time at an exclusive inn in New Hampshire and entertainment expenses while he was vacationing in Florida.
"Gov. Rowland's ratings are among the worst numbers for an elected official ever measured in 10 years of Quinnipiac University polls," said the poll's director, Douglas Schwartz. "No governor wants to see these kinds of numbers."
During an interview in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, where he was attending the signing of the Amber Alert bill, Rowland seemed to take in stride his slide in the polls and rejected the suggestion that he has been hurt by scandal within his administration.
"I'm not worried about my ratings," he said. "People know me. I think the public sees [the scandals] as an aberration. People care when it affects their life. They don't care about scandal that much."
Rather, he attributed his continuing slide in the polls to five factors - the economy, his endorsement of budget cuts and tax increases, his decision to lay off state employees right before Christmas and a negative television campaign by state employee unions.
"The first poll that had me at 33 percent was done after the unions spent $300,000 for a huge TV campaign against me," Rowland said. "It was the most devastating campaign I've ever seen. Add that to the negative press and the negative comments about me, and it's no surprise I went to 33 percent."
Then again, he said, laughing, "I've won with 33 percent," referring to the five-way 1994 gubernatorial election when he won with only 36.2 percent of the vote. "I think I'm at the bottom now."
As relaxed as the governor seems, however, there are strong indications he is aware of his credibility problems. Rowland fired or reassigned most of his press office last month and brought in two high-paid, experienced people to run damage control. As a result, Rowland has stepped up his public appearances and announced last week that he is considering a fourth term.
That announcement, which was a complete reversal of his previous statements on the matter, was greeted with surprise in some corners and incredulity in others.
Democratic State Chairman George Jepsen was in the latter corner.
"It confirms what we all feel, which is that there's a high credibility gap here," Jepsen said. "People just don't believe him when he talks. I think Gov. Rowland has a broad governance problem."
Schwartz, a more impartial party, agreed that Rowland has been wounded by his low marks in the polls. The governor is even losing support within his own party, he said.
"He has to be concerned about Republicans because three out of 10 disapprove of the job he's doing," Schwartz said. "This hurts him. It affects his clout."
Republican lawmakers, who have a love-hate relationship with the governor, stood by Rowland publicly Wednesday.
"I don't think that affects his ability to deal with the legislature," said Senate Republican leader Louis DeLuca.
But if a humorous gaffe during the bill signing ceremony Wednesday is any indication, Rowland might have larger problems than he realizes.
As he introduced Rowland in the Rose Garden, President Bush mixed up the governor's credentials - a curious lapse considering the close friendship between the two men.
"I appreciate my friend, the governor of Connecticut, Johnny Rowland, being with us today. Johnny, thank you; thank you for your concerns about the children of the state of Ohio - of Connecticut," Bush said.
Federal investigators are believed to be closely examining a trip taken in 1999 by members of Rowland's administration and the contractor at the center of the bid-rigging investigation. The purpose of the trip was to visit a juvenile correctional facility the state would later copy when it built its own $57 million facility, which meant the contractor got a preview of the state's plans before he bid on the project.
Their destination was Marion, Ohio.
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