Joseph
Vranich is an Executive Coach/Consultant with clients
located throughout the United States. He has been a
guest many times on ABC, BBC, C-SPAN, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox
News, Japan Broadcasting, MSNBC, PBS, NPR, and has
appeared on several hundred local broadcasts. He has
served in executive positions with Fortune 50 companies,
as a "corporate ambassador" to international customers,
and as CEO of an international trade association where
he testified before Congress many times. Moreover, he is
an author and public speaker, has had speaking
engagements throughout the United States and in Europe
and Asia. His speeches have focused on business and
commerce and on federal and state public policies that
injure businesses. The Business Relocation Coach and
Spectrum Location Solutions are Divisions of JV
Executive Consulting, Inc. Email his new address:
Websites and
material mentioned on
today's program:
This Week is all about
Elections. Join us to talk about elections, campaign finance, where
to get good information, issues on the ballot and what the polls are
telling us in CA and across the country.
THE ECONOMIST/YOUGOV
POLL Congress(1,000
surveyed)
Approval ratings for the U.S. Congress in the Economist/YouGov Polls
have been abysmal. During many weeks this year, only 7% or 8% have
expressed approval in Congress's job performance. This week, those
low figures have slipped even more: Congressional approval for the
week is tied for being the lowest that has ever been recorded on
this poll. Just 6% of Americans approve of how Congress is handling
its job, while 69% disapprove.
California voters appear ready to endorse two
statewide initiatives on the June 5 primary election ballot -
Proposition 28 to alter the state's term limits law, and Proposition
29 to boost taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products. In a
statewide survey completed one week before the election, The Field
Poll finds likely voters in support of the passage of Prop. 28 by
twenty-two points - 50% to 28%, with another 22% undecided.
Voters are also backing Prop. 29 but by a
narrower eight-point margin (50% to 42%), with 8% undecided. There
are big partisan, ideological, demographic and regional divisions in
sentiment on Prop. 29. Democrats and voters with no party preference
favor the initiative by two to one margins, while a majority of
Republicans are opposed. Similarly, conservatives oppose the tax
proposal 57% to 32%, while majorities of political moderates and
especially liberals are in support.
GALLUP
American Values and Beliefs(1,024
surveyed)
Americans are more than twice as likely to identify themselves as
conservative rather than liberal on economic issues, 46% to 20%. The
gap is narrower on social issues, but conservatives still outnumber
liberals, 38% to 28%. In the same poll, on Gallup's standard measure
of ideology -- not asked in reference to any set of issues -- 41%
identified themselves as conservatives, 33% as moderates, and 23% as
liberals. Those figures are similar to what Gallup typically finds
when it asks people to identify their ideology.
Economic Confidence Index(3,433
surveyed)
The Gallup Economic Confidence Index held at -16 last week, the
highest the index has reached in the four-plus years of Gallup Daily
tracking in the United States. This is slightly improved over the
-18 readings in the first half of May, and up significantly from -27
at the start of the year. Longer term, the index has fully recovered
from the near-record-low -54 it fell to last summer as a political
battle raged in the U.S. over raising the debt ceiling.
PEW RESEARCH
CENTER/WASHINGTON POST POLL
Gas Prices(1,012
surveyed)
About half of Americans say the price of gasoline has gone down over
the past month. But West Coast residents are much more likely to see
gasoline prices going up, which is consistent with a rise in prices
at the pump in that part of the country. In total, 51% of the public
says that - from what they have seen and heard - the price of
gasoline has gone down over the past month. Seven-in-ten (70%) of
those in West Coast states say the cost of gasoline has gone up at
least a little over the past month; 42% say it has gone up a lot. By
contrast, nearly two-thirds (65%) along the East Coast say the cost
has gone down and most (58% of those in the region) say it has gone
down a little. In both cases, the prevailing perceptions match what
is happening in the market.
SURVEY USA
June 5 Primary Election(1232
actual and likely voters surveyed) With
¼ of primary ballots already cast and 5 days remaining until the
deadline for voting, California Proposition 29, The Tobacco Tax for
Cancer Research Act, may pass narrowly or may not pass, according to
a SurveyUSA poll. Prop 29 is today supported by 42% of primary
voters, opposed by 38%. That leaves 20% of primary voters still
undecided, and how those final votes are cast will determine the
outcome. Among voters who tell SurveyUSA they have already returned
a ballot, Prop 29 leads 52% to 45%. But among those who have not yet
voted but promise to do so by the 06/05/12 deadline - the "late
deciders" - Prop 29 is effectively even, 38% in favor, 36% opposed.
In the top-2 primary for U.S.
Senate, Dianne Feinstein is assured to advance to a general
election, but it remains anyone guess who her opponent will be. 8
Feinstein opponents show up as a blip on the radar screen. 15 other
opponents are not even a blip. Among the blips: Elizabeth Emken and
Dan Hughes each have 4%, Rick Williams and Al Ramirez each have 3%.
In a general election for
President of the United States today, 5 months till election day,
Barack Obama carries California by 21 points, defeating Mitt Romney
57% to 36%.
June 5 Primary Election - San Diego(542
actual and likely voters surveyed) In
a primary election for San Diego Mayor today, 05/31/12, 3 candidates
have the potential to advance to a general election in November, but
only 2 will, according to this latest exclusive SurveyUSA poll
conducted for KGTV-TV. Today, City Council Member Carl DeMaio gets
31%, Congressman Bob Filner gets 28%, State Assemblyman Nathan
Fletcher gets 23%. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released
17 days ago, DeMaio is flat; Filner is up 7; Fletcher is up 2.
San Diego Proposition B, which
would replace pensions with 401(k)-style plans for most newly hired
city employees, passes today with 57% of likely voters certain they
will vote "yes" on the measure, 21% certain they will vote "no." 22%
are not yet certain how they will vote. Compared to SurveyUSA's
previous poll for KGTV-TV, support among independents has risen,
while opposition among Democrats has also increased. Combined, they
produce a slight increase in overall support for the measure.
"Economic uncertainty" remains the number one
concern cited among respondents, however "poor
sales" - the second-biggest challenge for the past
two years - is less of a concern in 2012 with only
12 percent citing sales as a challenge. Healthcare
reform is a growing concern, with 60 percent saying
they believe it will negatively impact their
business, up from 57 percent in 2011 and 55 percent
in 2010. States where small business owners are less
concerned about healthcare reform than the national
average include Washington, Oregon, California and
Illinois.
In California,
cradle of the marijuana movement, a new poll has found a majority of
voters do not support legalization, even as they overwhelmingly back
medicinal use for "patients with terminal and debilitating
conditions." Eighty percent of voters support doctor-recommended use
for severe illness, a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found. But
only 46% of respondents said they support legalization of "general
or recreational use by adults," while 50% oppose it. Those against
using pot were more adamant in their position, with 42% saying they
felt "strongly" about it, compared with 33% for proponents.
About half of
those surveyed said they approved of Brown's job performance - a
finding virtually unchanged from three months ago, before he
announced that the projected budget deficit had leapt from $9.2
billion to $16 billion.
When told of the growing deficit
and the governor's plan to plug it with a combination of spending
cuts and tax increases, 59% of respondents said they would support
the tax hikes. Just 36% said they would vote against the proposal if
it is on the ballot this fall as Brown hopes. However, when voters
heard arguments against the plan - namely, the suggestion that
Sacramento could waste any new money it received from higher taxes
rather than spend it on such services as schools and public safety -
only 50% said they would vote for it. And 42% would oppose it.
Although Mitt Romney has made up
ground nationally since the primary season essentially ended in
April, he has not improved his standing in California against
President Obama. The presidential race has been frozen in polls
dating to last year, with Romney's California support substantially
below Obama's among the vast majority of voter groups. Obama was
winning at least 6 of every 10 women and moderates, and
three-quarters of Latino voters.
For any
questions or suggestions regarding this document, please contact
Jennifer Seghers, Communications Consultant for the Senate
Republican Office of Public Affairs,jennifer.seghers@sen.ca.gov,
651-1766.