Growth

Utah Foundation wins top awards for policy research

Written by: Dan Bammes

The Governmental Research Association, the national organization for public policy research professionals, has recognized Utah Foundation’s work with two of its top awards. The selections were announced August 1st at GRA’s national conference in Detroit. The three-part Utah Health Cost Series was honored with the Most Distinguished Research award. Utah voters put health care at the top of their list of priorities during 2016’s Utah Priorities Project, with their concern focused mainly on the cost … Continued

Utah Thrives: Farming in Utah’s Urban Counties

Written by: Dan Bammes

For several generations now, the most profitable crop grown on farmland in Utah’s urban counties has been new houses. Farmland has been disappearing and with it the lifestyle that was once a big part of Utah’s culture. But through the years, farming has survived and adapted, sometimes taking advantage of that urban growth. In this edition of Utah Thrives, we’ll hear about the agricultural protection status that farmers in Wasatch Front communities are able to … Continued

The Utah Health Cost Series — Video

Written by: Sam Brucker

Utah Foundation’s three-part Utah Health Cost Series is summarized here in this short video:     You can find all three installments of the report here.

Utah Thrives — The Future of Transportation

Written by: Dan Bammes

What if the public transit system worked more like Uber? What if we could keep the air cleaner in Utah’s national parks by driving electric cars? And how would our society change if our cars were better at driving than we are? Those are among the questions explored by a panel of experts at a recent Utah Foundation event on the Future of Transportation in Utah. We’ll hear from David Christensen, Executive Director of USU’s … Continued

How will imminent changes in transportation alter our lives?

Written by: Peter Reichard

Karl Benz loved bicycles. So when he invented the first production automobile in 1885, he combined his knowledge of bicycle and motor technology with a desire to create a “horseless carriage.” The vehicle had its flaws, crashing during its demonstration period. He further refined his invention, still thinking he was just creating a bicycle-inspired alternative to the horse and buggy. He had no idea he was reaching into a Promethean fire that would change the … Continued

Utah Thrives – Income Tax Changes

Written by: Dan Bammes

It was called the Jones-Mascaro bill, after Democratic State Representative Pat Jones and Republican Representative Steve Mascaro. The idea was to limit the income tax break that large families were getting under Utah law. Over a dozen years, the legislature rejected the idea time after time. But now, thanks to the tax reform enacted by Congress and the response of the Utah legislature to those changes, a policy similar to Jones-Mascaro is in place – … Continued

Utah Thrives – Making Landfills Last

Written by: Dan Bammes

Once a week, we haul that big trash bin out to the street, waiting for a trucks to come along and empty it. Where the stuff we don’t want or can’t use anymore goes doesn’t really concern us – out of sight, out of mind. But managing that never-ending stream of waste coming from our homes is a big concern for the jurisdictions we live in. And they’re getting more sophisticated as time goes by … Continued

Sorting out Utah’s public school spending puzzle

Written by: Peter Reichard

Among the qualities that define Utahns is a devotion to family – the latter of which is manifest in our average household size and the share of our population under 18, both the largest in the U.S. Another quality is Utahns’ strong sense of civic pride. So it’s not surprising that when people are reminded that our K-12 education spending per pupil is the lowest in the nation, a lot of folks get up in … Continued

What’s Utah Doing Right?

Written by: Peter Reichard

Scanning the indicators for economically successful states, any objective observer would need to pause on Utah. As Utah Foundation recently outlined in part of the 2018 Economic Report to the Governor, the state stacks up very favorably in national and regional comparisons. Looking at 2013 through 2016, the most recent three-year period with complete data, Utah Foundation found that our state ranked second in the nation for GDP growth, with an eye-opening annual growth rate … Continued

Remember Utah’s Indispensable Coal Counties

Written by: Dan Bammes

During a presidential race in the not-too-distant past, one candidate campaigned successfully on his outreach to blue-collar voters, whom he called “the forgotten Americans.” There was a time when blue-collar types were far from forgotten. The most popular TV character was “Happy Days’” the Fonz – an auto mechanic. His circle of friends included Laverne and Shirley – factory workers. Archie Bunker, meanwhile, was a loading dock foreman. James Evans of “Good Times” was a … Continued