Written by: Christopher Collard
Explore the state and local tax burden of residents across the United States. Hover over markers for more information about levels, rankings and year-over-year changes of the tax burden. Click and drag to move around or zoom in on states on the eastern coast for a better view. Early 2015 you might have seen news coverage from several outlets on a Utah Foundation report which showed that in 2012, Utah had its lowest tax burden … Continued
Written by: Dan Bammes
Utah Foundation Research Analyst Christopher Collard joined KSL’s Doug Wright on Wednesday, April 6th to talk about the Utah Priorities Project candidate survey. This second report in the 2016 Utah Priorities Project looks at the answers given by seven candidates for governor to a set of questions about issues of concern to Utah voters. The questions are essentially the same as those posed to voters in the first report, which identified the top ten issues … Continued
Written by: Dan Bammes
The Utah Foundation Board of Trustees determined the issue of transportation funding was the top research finding of the year in our published reports. Highway safety is a related issue, and the question of using mobile phones while driving was ranked eighth among the top ten. Transportation Funding The Utah Foundation research report The Roads Less Traveled: Survey Analysis and Research Regarding Utah’s Local Roads included a survey of local government officials from … Continued
Written by: Dan Bammes
In this post, we’ll look at four of 2015’s top ten research findings identified by the Utah Foundation Board of Trustees. Quality of Life Two items from the biennial Utah Foundation Quality of Life Index made the list: 7. The Utah Foundation Quality of Life index decreased primarily due to quality decreases in traffic conditions, safety and security from crime and having family nearby. 9. Non-Wasatch Front respondents and respondents with … Continued
Written by: Christopher Collard
Census Import/Export Data The US Census recently made its import/export data free to the public. In the past it was only available with a subscription. You now only need to create an account to access the data – which is only a bit annoying. In commemoration of the liberation of the import/export data, Utah Foundation is posting this brief overview of what’s available and what you can do with it. Unlike the Census’s Fact Finder, … Continued
Written by: Dan Bammes
Utah, as it turns out, has better high-speed internet access than most other states. A new report from Utah Foundation says government action has had a role to play in that — from local initiatives such as Utopia and iProvo to statewide systems such as the Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN). While some of the local initiatives have had a rocky start, they’ve also helped to set the standard for the expansion of private … Continued
Written by: Christopher Collard
Last October there was some buzz created by 24/7 Wall St ranking Utah as the number one worst state for women. The gender wage gap, or the difference in pay between an equally skilled, equally experienced man and woman was one factor used in the ranking. Estimating the pay gap is somewhat difficult. Numerous factors determine wages such as, skills, education, experience, and others. Using U.S. Census data we attempt to deconstruct the gender wage … Continued
Written by: Christopher Collard
Does Student Debt Slow Utah Millennials Down? The ballooning amount of student debt is startling. Across the country, it adds up to almost 1.3 trillion dollars in total. As a comparison, that is almost how much US currency is in circulation today. Moreover, the majority of that debt is carried by a demographic (22-26 year olds) that needs its borrowing power. A lot of research has shown that a high level of student debt slows … Continued
Written by: Dan Bammes
A center-pivot sprinkler system irrigates alfalfa near Snowville, Utah A pdf version of this post including end notes is available here. Once again this summer, all of us in Utah will be urged to “Slow the Flow” and use less water for washing, brushing and flushing. Not a bad idea – but the water we use in and around our homes represents only a small share of the total water use in our … Continued
Written by: Dan Bammes
Those who attended Utah Foundation’s Across the Spectrum event on April 2nd got a different kind of legislative wrapup, including a discussion of the most important thing the legislature didn’t do – act on Governor Gary Herbert’s proposal to provide health care to Utahns who don’t qualify for Medicaid or for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Healthy Utah was passed in the Utah Senate, but had so little support among Republicans in the House … Continued