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Gov. Brown Ratchets Up Prop. 30 Campaign As Support Slips

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – California Gov. Jerry Brown is intensifying his campaign to pass Proposition 30, which has fallen below 50 percent support for the first time according to the latest statewide poll.

In an interview Brown held with KCBS on Thursday, Prop. 30 was among several topics the governor touched on. The governor said he is in a real dogfight, taking the latest poll numbers seriously.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, 48 percent of California voters support Proposition 30, while 44 percent oppose.

KCBS' Doug Sovern Reports:

"This is a very close election. I have my work cut out for me," Brown said. "But at the end of the day, the people of California will decide, will $6-7 billion stay with the fabulously wealthy, the top one percent or will it go into our schools, our community colleges and the University of California? It's a stark choice."

The governor's measure would temporarily raise income taxes on those earning over $250,000 a year and increase the sales tax by a quarter-cent.

If Proposition 30 fails, $6 billion in trigger cuts automatically take effect. Brown insists he will not sign any legislation alternative to those deep cuts in education.

"If they vote no, the day after the election, the legal processes are automatically invoked and the money will come out," said Brown.

The entire 30-minute interview with Gov. Brown will air on KCBS In Depth at 8:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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