September 20, 2020 (Wasatch Gazette) - Mike Parsons, Public Affairs Director at Cumulus Media, sat down with Utah Foundation Research Director Shawn Teigen to talk about Utah Priority No. 3: Kindergarten through 12th Grade Education. The conversation was part of the Wasatch Gazette that plays on Sundays on: B98.7 KBER101 K-Bull 93.3 860am Power94.9 Listen to the interview here.
September 18, 2020 (Salt Lake Tribune) - Chris Peterson, the Democratic candidate for Utah governor, says it would be a mistake to view him as a “wild-eyed liberal.” Sure, the University of Utah law professor believes people who are well-off should contribute more to society than those who are less able. But that’s a lesson he learned from the Bible, which teaches that “to whom more is given, a little bit more needs to be expected,” Peterson said Thursday during a gubernatorial … Continued
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September 18, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - I kind of like policy wonks. These are the cerebral people who usually work behind the scenes, exploring and explaining public policy problems, coming up with research, reports and solutions, and trying to make the world a better place. I make a distinction between “pure” policy wonks and the elected officials who are often their bosses. Certainly, many politicians are also policy wonks, but their perspectives are influenced by partisan interests and the need to … Continued
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September 15, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Policy regularly profiles policymakers from across the state. This week we profile Peter Reichard, president of the Utah Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan research organization. Education: Loyola University (BA); Fordham University (MA). Growing up: I grew up in New Orleans in a family with four boys and a girl. I was the second youngest. I loved growing up as part of an army of kids. Our parents taught us to appreciate music, literature, and architecture. … Continued
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September 10, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation has released the third in a series of Utah Priorities Project briefs looking at Utah voters’ top concerns. Kindergarten through 12th grade education ranked third in the summer survey. Concern is partly driven by the economic needs of working parents, health risks and educational challenges. K-12 education was most important for voters with children in school and women
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September 10, 2020 (Salt Lake Tribune) - Imagine no COVID-19. Welcoming a friend with a hug. Yelling in the arena, donning no face mask. This “normal” feels a long way away. But we can get back, with the right people. Who are they? People who uniquely understand health care. Normal has changed. Every issue is a health issue. According to a survey by the Utah Foundation, the top five voter concerns are health care, taxes and spending, K-12 education, jobs and the … Continued
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September 07, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - Utah is fortunate to be served by a number of capable think tanks/policy institutes. Periodically, UtahPolicy.com will pose a question to them on important and timely policy issues. Here’s the first installment with responses from The Gardner Policy Institute, Utah Foundation, Envision Utah and The Sutherland Institute. This Week’s Question: As a result of the twin crises of COVID-19 and its economic damage to Utah, what changes will occur, or should occur, or what trends … Continued
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September 01, 2020 (Rod Arquette Show) - Peter Reichard, President of the Utah Foundation, joins Rod to discuss the foundation’s latest report on voter concerns, which found government spending and taxes are high on that list for Utah voters. Listen at 1:23:48
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August 26, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation releases the second in a series of Utah Priorities Project briefs looking at Utah voters’ top concerns. State Taxes and Government Spending ranked second in July. Concern is driven in part by the economic crisis and a recent attempt at major tax reform.
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August 19, 2020 (Salt Lake Tribune) - One day a guy calls a lawyer and asks how much he charges for a consultation. The lawyer says he’ll answer three questions for $350. “That’s kinda steep, isn’t it?” the guy asks. “Yes,” the lawyer responded. “Now what’s your third question?” All the best lawyer jokes play on pretty much this same theme, that if you ever need a lawyer it’ll cost you. And, like all jokes, there’s an element of truth to it. … Continued
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August 18, 2020 (Standard-Examiner) - Income inequality is on the American mind, with an economic crisis upon us, tensions on the streets, and a growing sense that an increasingly remote elite is controlling an increasingly disproportionate share of the nation’s wealth. Concerns are emanating from right, left and center. One prominent observer is now even arguing that an age of “neo-feudalism” is nigh. Utah Foundation recently explored income inequality in a series of briefs in our “Significant Statistics” series. Our … Continued
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August 16, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation releases the first in a series of Utah Priorities Project briefs looking at Utah voters’ top concerns. Health care (costs and accessibility) ranked first in July 2020, maintaining its top spot since the 2016 Utah Priorities Project. When asked their top priority regarding health care costs, nearly half of voters focused on health insurance costs, possibly because Utahns are more likely than the residents of any other state to have employer-sponsored health insurance. … Continued
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August 07, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - While Provo, Utah, made national news in July as the location of a protest against masks, does it really reflect a majority of Utah voters? Should there be a state mandate for masks? In a Utah Foundation blog post see what Utahns think and how it breaks down along urban/rural and ideological divides. Significant Statistic | How Utahns View the National Masquerade
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August 09, 2020 (Wasatch Gazette) - Mike Parsons, Public Affairs Director at Cumulus Media, sat down with Utah Foundation Research Director Shawn Teigen to talk about What’s on Utah’s Mind: Voter Issues and Concerns in 2020. The conversation was part of the Wasatch Gazette that plays on Sundays on: B98.7 KBER101 K-Bull 93.3 860am Power94.9 Listen to the interview here.
August 04, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - The Utah Foundation has released What’s on Utah’s Mind: Voter Issues and Concerns in 2020. This report – the first release in the 2020 Utah Priorities Project series – outlines voters’ top concerns. The project uses surveys to inform candidates for elected office, elected officials, civic leaders and others on voters’ priorities. It draws from a survey taken before the coronavirus pandemic hit Utah and from a second one taken this summer.
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July 20, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - There has been a sharp decline in government jobs since the pandemic began affecting Utah’s economy in March. From March to May, nearly 20,000 government jobs disappeared – a 7% decline. This is roughly proportional to the decrease in jobs overall – 6%. This contrasts with the previous recession, when jobs overall decreased 6% from 2008 to 2010 while government jobs actually increased by 3% over the same time period.[1] Still, there is a major long-term decline … Continued
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July 17, 2020 (Utah Public Radio) - A new report from public policy researchers finds that over 50% of homeless service providers are facing a variety of challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The report from the Utah Foundation, a non-partisan public policy research group, focuses on Salt Lake County homeless services providers, such as shelters, advocacy groups, and food banks. The report states that providers face a variety of challenges right now.
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July 10, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation releases Keeping Open the Doors of Hope: How the Coronavirus Pandemic is Affecting Homeless Services in Salt Lake County. The report presents findings from a survey of homeless service providers in Salt Lake County exploring the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. It is the first in a series of reports on homelessness.
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July 02, 2020 (KUTV 2) - Beyond the Books asked the non-partisan research center Utah Foundation for their take on the wisdom of a public entity giving up money meant for education to stimulate a local economy. “One strong criticism of incentives in general,” says Utah Foundation’s Christopher Collard, “is that the government is getting involved in the private market and is essentially trying to pick a winner.”
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June 18, 2020 (Standard-Examiner) - According to a 2019 report from the Utah Foundation, state and local tax incentives are often seen as controversial. Critics view them as public subsidies that distort true economic growth and cause local governments to (at least for a time) forgo tax revenue. Proponents see certain tax credits as a necessary tool to spur development when the private sector can’t. The nonpartisan, nonprofit public policy research firm says post-performance tax incentives carry less risk for … Continued
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June 13, 2020 (Deseret News) - Most Utahns who wind up in court for civil matters like debt collection, eviction and employment issues do so with no attorney, a new report finds. The recent analysis from the nonprofit Utah Foundation also says more than 2 in 3 low-income Utahns don’t think they could afford to hire a lawyer if they needed one. The figures illustrate a shortage of low-cost or free legal help in the Beehive State that creates an uneven … Continued
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June 11, 2020 (Salt Lake Tribune) - COVID-19 continues to have far-reaching impacts on Salt Lake County’s homeless population and the providers who serve them, according to new data presented Wednesday to the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness. About 16% of organizations surveyed as part of a service gap analysis conducted by the Utah Foundation, a research and analysis firm, say they have reduced services to this vulnerable population during the pandemic, while 2% percent say they’ve temporarily shut down.
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June 10, 2020 (Deseret News) - Any major economic crisis has a tabula rasa effect, with businesses, investors and individuals pausing to consider big changes. Some will roll out a map of the United States to seek greener pastures. Some of them will decide to place their chips on Utah. Many current Utah residents will just double down. That makes sense, because this state is among the safest of bets. Here are 10 reasons why.
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June 01, 2020 (Heavy) - Voting during a coronavirus pandemic has become a major issue as states grapple with the current pandemic and the potential of a second wave of coronavirus outbreaks in the fall when the presidential election is set to take place.
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June 01, 2020 (UtahPolicy.com) - Utah housing building permits decreased from 3,070 in March to 2,089 in April, a 32% decrease. Interestingly, this came just after a March in which the greater Salt Lake City area (MSA) saw the highest number of housing permits in decades, and perhaps ever – over 1,500. The next month, they plummeted: April saw a decrease to just over 800.
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