Utah Thrives (Podcast of Utah Foundation)
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Utah Thrives: Education Outcomes

Written by: Dan Bammes

You might think, because Utah spends less per student in our public schools than any other state, that the results our students achieve in the classroom would also be low compared to states that spend more. But that’s not true. A new research report from Utah Foundation looks at measures of education outcomes, from standardized tests to graduation rates. It shows Utah students are doing as well or better than their counterparts in both the … Continued

Utah Thrives: Mine Reclamation

Written by: Dan Bammes

Mining was a driving force in America’s frontier legacy. A century and a half ago, prospectors and miners began pouring into the Mountain states from Montana to Arizona, in search of wealth or at least a living. As a result, the landscape is peppered with old mines they left behind. And while they’re a fascinating part of the history of the West, abandoned mines can pose a present-day challenge. In this edition of Utah Thrives, … Continued

Utah Thrives: Community Growth

Written by: Dan Bammes

Utah Foundation hosted a panel discussion on the challenges posed by Utah’s rapid population growth, issues explored in the research report Building a Better Beehive: Land Use Decision Making, Fiscal Sustainability and Quality of Life in Utah. The panelists included: Andrew Gruber, Wasatch Front Regional Council Robert Grow, Envision Utah Beth Holbrook, Utah Transit Authority Bryson Garbett, Garbett Homes Cameron Diehl, Utah League of Cities and Towns In this edition of Utah Thrives, we’ll hear … Continued

Utah Thrives: Robert Putnam

Written by: Dan Bammes

Harvard political science professor Robert Putnam talks with Dan Bammes and Utah Foundation President Peter Reichard about the idea of social capital — the central idea of his groundbreaking book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. He also talks about his more recent book, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis, that looks at the growing gap between wealthy American families and others who’ve found education and social mobility much harder to … Continued

Utah Thrives: Teacher Pay

Written by: Dan Bammes

Why should a young person in Utah make the career decision to become a teacher? Why do potential teachers often choose another line of work? And how do Utah’s pay scales for teachers compare to other Mountain states and the nation? In this edition of Utah Thrives, we’ll talk about the new Utah Foundation report Apples to Apples: How Teacher Pay in Utah Stacks up to the Competition. We’ll hear from Utah Foundation President Peter … Continued

Utah Thrives – The Future of Taxation in Utah

Written by: Dan Bammes

The 2019 legislative session ended without a significant restructuring of Utah’s sales tax system. There’s agreement on the general goals – broadening the base of goods and services subject to the sales tax – but the clock ran out on the session before the details could be negotiated. State Senator Luz Escamilla, a Democrat, and Representative Robert Spendlove, a Republican, presented their thoughts on where the process is going now when they spoke to the … Continued

Utah Thrives – Tax Modernization

Written by: Dan Bammes

What did Utah’s governor mean when he told the Legislature that tax modernization is his top priority for this session? What’s not modern about our tax system — specifically, sales taxes? In this edition of Utah Thrives, we’ll hear what the governor had to say on the subject as well as from Research Analyst Christopher Collard, the author of Utah Foundation’s award-winning studies on sales, property and income taxes in Utah. And we’ll hear from … Continued

Utah Thrives: Drug Rehab — In Jail and Out

Written by: Dan Bammes

Going to jail for a drug-related crime might not seem like an opportunity for the person who’s incarcerated. But while they’re locked up in Utah’s prisons and jails, inmates addicted to drugs might find treatment programs that could help them escape the addiction. A research report from Utah Foundation shows those programs vary widely from state prisons to county jails, but for those who get help, the likelihood of going back to jail is reduced … Continued

Utah Thrives: Utah’s State Budget and Board Chair Elizabeth Hitch

Written by: Dan Bammes

The most important job for Utah’s state legislature as it prepares to go into its general session is to pass a balanced state budget. The governor provides legislators with a budget outline in December, and the day it was released, Utah Foundation hosted a breakfast with special guests Kristen Cox, the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, along with Phil Dean, the office’s Budget Director and Chief Economist. We’ll hear some … Continued

Utah Thrives: 2018 Election and Utah Politics

Written by: Dan Bammes

Utah has just completed a remarkable midterm election, with high levels of voter participation. Some hotly contested candidate races and strong interest in several ballot initiatives helped to drive that high turnout. We’ll hear from Justin Lee, the elections chief in the office of Utah’s lieutenant governor. Brigham Young University’s Adam Brown, Associate Professor of Political Science, was the featured speaker at Utah Foundation’s annual luncheon in October. We’ll hear his thoughts on what makes … Continued