Survey: Michiganders Sour On Economy, Snyder
EAST LANSING (WWJ) - A new Michigan State University survey shows that Michigan residents appear to be souring on the economy, and Governor Rick Snyder.
MSU researchers go into the field quarterly, asking voters a series of questions about how things were going economically. Economics Professor Charles Ballard, who directed the survey, talked with WWJ Newsradio 950 about his latest findings.
"The one that came down the most was the one where was asked people, how do you think you're gonna be a year from now? And, in our previous survey, 60 percent said they thought they were going to be better off a year from now, and, in this one, only 47 percent," he said.
"That's not a bad number, but it is a fall back from where we'd been," said Ballard.
In addition, 46.7 percent of residents rated their financial situation as good or excellent, down from about 49 percent in the previous survey. Those saying they were better off financially than one year before also fell slightly, from 30 percent to 28.6 percent in the current survey.
Gov. Snyder's approval rating fell to 31.5 percent in the spring/summer survey, which was completed in July. This compares with a 44.5 percent favorable rating in the previous survey, taken in March.
"Gov. Snyder succeeded in getting most of his priorities through the Legislature, but that has not translated into strong public approval," said Ballard. "Snyder's budget provided a tax cut for businesses, but it also involved tax increases for retirees, as well as substantial spending reductions. Moreover, the economy appears to have hit a flat spot."
While Snyder's approval ratings fell, President Barack Obama's stabilized. Obama received favorable ratings from 70.7 percent of the survey respondents when he came to office in 2009, but his ratings fell steadily during his first year in office. In the most recent survey, however, Obama received a favorable rating from 44.5 percent, which is identical to his rating in the previous survey.
The telephone survey of 947 residents has a margin of error of 3.2 percent.
