December 03, 2015(KSL.com) - There’s no easy solution to increasing voter turnout in Utah, according to a new report by the Utah Foundation. The decline over the past two decades “cannot be pinned to any one cause,” the report titled “Voting in Utah” concluded, noting also that factors such as a lack of competitive races cannot easily be addressed. “There’s only so much policymakers can do. They can’t mandate who’s going to run,” said Mallory Bateman, a research analyst … Continued
December 02, 2015(KUER) - Voter turnout in Utah has been on the decline for more than a decade. A new study from the Utah Foundation that takes a look at why that might be happening. Why don’t more Utahns vote? It’s complicated, according to Mallory Bateman, a research analyst at the Utah Foundation and one of the report’s authors. “The partisan nature of our races. The number of competitive races that exist. And, just kind of the whole caucus … Continued
December 02, 2015(St. George Spectrum) - Utah’s decades-long decline in voter participation has been helped by recent efforts to make it easier for residents to cast their ballots, especially in areas where by-mail ballots have become the standard, according to a new report analyzing the results of November’s municipal elections. Voter turnout in the 70 cities and towns that used vote-by-mail this year saw an average increase in turnout of 39 percent when compared to the last off-year municipal election in … Continued
December 02, 2015(Salt Lake Tribune) - Utah cities and counties that voted by mail this year increased voter turnout by an average of 52 percent, a new study says. That is welcome news because turnout has plummeted in recent decades, including setting a record low in 2014, when only 28.8 percent of the state’s voting-age population participated in the general election, according to the Utah Foundation. It released a report Wednesday looking at some of the reasons for low voter turnout … Continued
December 02, 2015(Deseret News) - There’s no easy solution to increasing voter turnout in Utah, according to a new report by the Utah Foundation. The decline over the past two decades “cannot be pinned to any one cause,” the report titled “Voting in Utah” concluded, noting also that factors such as a lack of competitive races cannot easily be addressed. “There’s only so much policy makers can do. They can’t mandate who’s going to run,” said Mallory Bateman, a research … Continued
November 30, 2015(Fox 13 News) - It’s not a refrain likely to make anyone tap their toes, because yellow air days signal the beginning of Utah’s dreaded valley inversions, where everything our cars, industries, fireplaces, and furnaces burn stays trapped close to the ground, ready to enter our lungs . . . Shaun Teigen, researcher with the Utah Foundation was in studio on Monday to talk about what people can do to help prevent pollution.
November 17, 2015(St. George Spectrum) - Five years of job growth and wages that have finally started ticking upward have Utah ranked as having among the hottest job markets in the U.S., but residents still aren’t feeling all that great about the types of jobs available. Residents rated a lack of good jobs as their largest concern among all quality-of-life issues in a new report released this week by the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan think-tank based in Salt Lake City. Utahns … Continued
November 17, 2015(Daily Herald) - The technology boom is reverberating with a cause and effect throughout Utah County in apartment, condominium and single-family home construction. By 2050, three cities — Eagle Mountain, Lehi and Saratoga Springs — are projected to outpace the rest of the county with more than 400,000 residents, nearly one-third of the projected total county population. “Obviously the area is growing fast, so we have a lot of work to do,” said Cameron Boyle, Lehi public relations. … Continued
November 16, 2015(KUTV) - Utah is known for its religious culture and the great outdoors, it’s also slowly becoming known for bad air, traffic and even crime. Monday The Utah Foundation, a not-for-profit, released its latest Quality of Life survey. Overall there isn’t a big change in the last two years, or even the last four years, but the change was in a direction, researchers did not expect. The quality of life index is down a point and a … Continued
November 16, 2015(St. George Spectrum) - SALT LAKE CITY – Utah residents say that their quality of life hasn’t gotten much better in recent years even though the state economy has been steadily improving, according to a new report released Monday by the Utah Foundation. The state has some of the country’s lowest unemployment rates, but people are concerned about the quality of those jobs and availability of affordable housing, the report found. Schools and air quality are also high on … Continued
November 16, 2015(Daily Herald/Associated Press) - Utah residents say that their quality of life hasn’t gotten much better in recent years even though the state economy has been steadily improving, according to a new report released Monday by the Utah Foundation. The state has some of the country’s lowest unemployment rates, but people are concerned about the quality of those jobs and availability of affordable housing, the report found. Schools and air quality are also high on the list of concerns. … Continued
November 16, 2015(Deseret News) - Utahns overall rate themselves as having a high quality of life, yet this year that score has remained stagnant — and even slightly decreased — in spite of a thriving economy. Dragging the state’s ratings down are several top priorities that Utahns name as areas that need improvement: public schools, job availability, transportation and air quality. “I figured we’ve got one of the best economies in the nation, so things have got to be getting … Continued
November 16, 2015(KUER) - A new report from the non-profit Utah Foundation shows that despite an improving economy, Utahns feel their quality of life is about the same is it was two years ago. The Utah Foundation’s biennial report on Quality of Life asks Utahns to rank the quality and importance of 20 different aspects of their lives that might affect their happiness. “It’s not whether we are happy per se. And it’s not whether we are healthy per … Continued
November 16, 2015(Salt Lake Tribune) - Utahns report that their quality of life has remained stable over the past four years, in spite of an improving economy. Results published by the nonprofit Utah Foundation also show a remarkable consistency since 2011 in the level of concern state residents show for hot-button political and social issues such as air and water quality, public schools, affordable housing and employment. The Quality of Life Index published Monday held steady for 2015 at 76.9 out … Continued
November 16, 2015(KSL.com) - Utahns overall rate themselves as having a high quality of life, but they view several top priorities — public schools, job availability and air quality — as areas that need improvement. In its third biennial Utah Quality of Life Index, the Utah Foundation reports that Utahns are slightly less satisfied with life than they were in 2013, down more than one point, projecting 76.9 out of a possible 100 points. The score is an average … Continued
November 16, 2015(Utah Public Radio) - The amount of student debt across the country adds up to almost 1.3 trillion dollars. As a comparison, that is almost how much US currency is in circulation today. Last Thursday students across the country gathered on college campuses for the Million Student March, calling for free tuition at public universities, cancellation of all student debt, and implementation of a $15 minimum hourly wage for university employees. Today on the program we speak with attendants … Continued
November 10, 2015(Law360) - The groups argued that the earmarks are unfunded and have effectively been diverted from education and social services. Christopher Collard, a research analyst at the Utah Foundation, said the foundation has not staked a position on the issue but the commission’s move shows that it values “accountability and transparency” in budgeting. “It will also be interesting to see whether this recommendation has any effect on Utah’s largest earmark, a constitutional earmark dedicating all of Utah’s … Continued
November 05, 2015(KUER) - Kennecott is laying off 65 salaried workers from support services. 40 employees will be moved into alternate roles and 74 open positions will not be filled. Company spokesperson Kyle Bennett says there are lingering impacts from the massive landslide that occurred in 2013 at the Bingham Canyon Mine. Two years later, workers are still removing debris from the site . . . According to the Utah Foundation, the state’s exports are dominated by the precious … Continued
October 27, 2015(UtahPolicy.com) - Utah seniors want to age in place at home. Staying in their own homes is also more cost-effective than entering residential facilities. But a new study from Utah Foundation shows many of the programs they depend on are inadequately funded. Without these programs, the risk increases that seniors will need to enter expensive full-time care facilities. As a fiscal matter, it is more expensive to subsidize these facilities than to fund services to help seniors … Continued
October 28, 2015(KUTV) - The amount of senior citizens in Utah is increasing quickly, according to the state, it’s so fast we are not prepared for that growth. In a study done by the research organization “Utah Foundation” it’s predicted that by the year 2030 Utah’s senior population will make up 13 percent of Utah. State officials say, people are just living longer, which is a positive yet overwhelming reality to keep up with. “The senior population of Utah … Continued
October 26, 2015(The Spectrum) - Instead of heading into nursing homes or other residential facilities, seniors prefer staying at home as they age, and research indicates the rest of society should want the same thing — it saves taxpayers the huge expense of assisted living. But as Utah’s population grows older and more baby boomers move into retirement, the state is facing a massive challenge in offering the types of services seniors need to stay homebound, according to research released … Continued
October 26, 2015(Salt Lake Tribune) - Utah’s senior population is on the rise and predicted to make up 13 percent of the population by 2030, according to a report released today by the Utah Foundation. “There’s currently no statewide plan to address this growing population,” said Utah Foundation research analyst and author of the report Melissa Proctor. She said that was one of the most “striking” findings of the study, which she and her team conducted upon the request of Mountainland … Continued
October 21, 2015(City Weekly) - Reports say Google Fiber is coming to Salt Lake City. But that’s only one notch in Utah’s connectivity belt. A recent Utah Foundation report said 96 percent of Utah households have access to broadband services, making the state “one of the top states in the nation for broadband availability.” The report, “21st Century Infrastructure: How Broadband Internet Has Shaped and Is Shaping Utah,” cites public investment in systems like UTOPIA (oops, the Salt Lake City … Continued
October 19, 2015(BroadbandBreakfast.com) - Utah has been leading the nation in many areas of broadband internet access and its proliferation, according to a report released on Wednesday by the non-profit Utah Foundation. “Utah’s history of investing early and its collaboration among many public and private entities has helped develop an infrastructure that can support the local business climate, including Utah’s expanding tech sector which is heavily reliant on high-capacity networks,” reads the report, by Shawn Teigen, Christopher Collard and … Continued
