IVN's Deeper Look At Hispanic/Latino Issues

Hope you had a festive Cinco de Mayo!

This week at Independent Voter Network, we will take a deeper look at economic and political issues specifically concerning Hispanics/Latinos this election cycle. How are candidates reaching out to this integral demographic? What issues and concerns are most important for Latinos at the polls? How are changing demographics in America changing the face of our leadership? Check back this week for answers to these questions, fresh content and lively debate.

Also see:

"The Importance of the Latino Vote in Upcoming Elections"

"Elections 2012: Where's the Immigration Reform Debate?"

One Month Until California Open Primaries

There are 29 days until the June 5th Primary Election in California. Every voter will have the ability to vote for their preferred candidate regardless of party preference. For more information check out endpartisanship.org

Our Online Voter Survey is set for May 14th-May 22nd. Independent and partisan voters alike, come and make your voice heard! Look out for your unique voter code in the mail. Results will be released May 23rd.

Have you researched the ballot measures appearing on every June ballot? Join the discussion at IVN on Proposition 28 and Proposition 29. Do you support them? Support one? Oppose both? Make your case and Speak for Yourself!

Candidates and campaigns are all in full swing. Indiana, North Carolina and West Virginia all host primary elections on Tuesday. Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana and the most senior member of the Republican Party in the Senate is facing an uphill battle for reelection. He trails tea party-backed Richard Mourdock and, among other things, has been accused of being "too moderate and too willing to work with Democrats," according to CNN.

Ron Paul drew crowds in San Diego late last week and the California Republican Party Chairman went on a statewide tour.

Stay with IVN as we continue election coverage and highlight races pertinent to independent voters, both in California and nationwide.

April Job Numbers Disappoint

April employment figures came in on Friday, showing 115,000 jobs created. The numbers were disappointing for most economists and analysts. The Washington Post's Brad Plumer examines the apparent slowdown of job growth, "If we keep adding 206,000 jobs per month, then it will take eight years and six months to reach what is considered full employment (somewhere between 4 and 6 percent)."

Looking forward, new figures for consumer confidence and the April U.S. Producer Price index are slated for release this coming Friday.

Election Focus On Europe

Economic woes (last week was particularly bad for Wall Street) and decisive elections seen as referendums on austerity policies have drawn attention to Europe this month. Nicolas Sarkozy was officially defeated today by Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande. During his victory speech, Hollande declared austerity as a policy for economic recovery is "not inevitable". At the same time, Chancellor Angela Merkel saw her party, Christian Democrats (CDU), lose integral footing in the northern Schleswig-Holstein region of Germany.

In Greece, the two established political parties that make up the current coalition government failed to garner a majority of votes. The left-leaning PASOK, who won 44% of the vote in 2010, is projected at just 13.7%. Instead, fringe political groups took larger slices of the electorate, signalling the malcontent of Greeks with their current political leadership and economic condition. With stronger-than-usual showings were the far-left coalition Syriza, far-right Golden Dawn party, right-wing nationalist Independent Greek party and the Communist Party. More than likely, a new coalition government will have to be formed.

It is yet to be seen what effect these election results have on global finances but watch for when markets open on Monday in the United States. More information may arise from a gathering in Florence this week for the State of the Union Conference and another in London for the Bellweather Europe Conference, to examine the future of the European Union. Certainly, Sunday's results will be a topic for discussion. On Friday, the European Commission will also publish their spring forecast for 2012-2013.