May 15, 2023(Yahoo News) - Seeing inflation at nearly 5% for April was not great. But had it been 2%, that could have been even worse for some Utahns. It is all about the math. Speaking of math, if you dine out, you have probably felt the increase in restaurant prices. This is in part because overall food prices are up by 20% since the pandemic began. I have certainly felt it. My family went out for a congratulatory lunch … Continued
May 10, 2023(Salt Lake Tribune) - …The “Missing Middle” House size in Utah has increased since World War II. Before then, home construction included many more townhomes, duplexes, fourplexes, and row homes. This more affordable “middle housing” culture provided ownership opportunities and the ability to generate personal wealth for more people. The majority of Utah’s housing inventory consists of single family homes and apartment buildings, but not much is being constructed in this “middle” range. Homes in the “missing middle” are … Continued
April 27, 2023(Deseret News) - …The so-called “truth in taxation” law, for one thing, keeps local governments from capturing more revenue than they did the previous year, with the exception of an allowance for natural growth. Any increase must be declared a tax hike, resulting in a public hearing. This has been a powerful leash on local government spending. A 2018 study by the Utah Foundation concluded that this law has kept the line on property taxes despite soaring home … Continued
April 17, 2023(The Daily Universe) - …Invest in Utah’s Future is a coalition comprised of Utahns from across the state who strive to focus public attention on various issues relating to Utah’s future. In a January news release, Invest in Utah’s Future “called on the Utah Legislature to prioritize addressing Utah’s long and growing list of unmet needs over permanent tax cuts that undermine our long-term capacity to invest in Utah’s future.” Citing the Utah Foundation’s 2020 report which reported Utah’s … Continued
March 30, 2023(Salt Lake Tribune) - According to a study recently conducted by the newly announced health reform group Common Sense Health Care for Utah, $28 billion will be spent on health care in Utah this year. Health care spending in Utah is growing fast, doubling every decade, a rate faster than that of all but one other state. The Utah Foundation has for years consistently found that Utahns rate health care costs at the top of their list of concerns. … Continued
March 30, 2023(KUER) - …Uniquely Utah One way Utah stands apart from the rest of the country is the educational expectations families have for their children, said Shawn Teigen, president of The Utah Foundation. One big motivating factor is if the parents themselves received a bachelor’s degree. “If your parents have a bachelor’s degree, you’re more likely to do well in school,” Teigen said. “You’re more likely to graduate from school and you’re more likely to go on … Continued
March 29, 2023(PV Magazine) - …According to the Utah Foundation, the IPP modernization effort has contributed to an annual financial contribution of $866 million to the state of Utah, providing 4,600 non-farm jobs and $222 million in wages to contracted workers. The IPA has paid approximately $700 million in direct tax payments to Utah and Utah communities…
March 22, 2023(Salt Lake Tribune) - Let’s talk recessions. Very generally, recessions are periods of economic decline. Americans saw a decline in gross domestic product during the first half of 2022, but that turned around by the second half of the year. Nonetheless, many people are still talking about a recession. This is due in part to the efforts of the Federal Reserve to slow – or even reverse – growth to rein in still-elevated inflation figures. Further, some suggest that … Continued
February 28, 2023(Salt Lake Tribune) - Think about the last time you went hiking in Utah. Did you lose yourself in the beauty of this great state, hearing only the sounds of nature? Or did you get stressed while hunting for a place to park your car and then end up passing scores of other hikers, bikers and dogs along the trail? Think about the last time you were enjoying an urban hike – along the Legacy Parkway Trail, the Jordan … Continued
February 23, 2023(Salt Lake Tribune) - …There was, however, one pesky problem in asking “What matters to [Utah’s] young people?” Larsen found only one poll in the past decade that broke out concerns by age, and the youngest group surveyed in that Utah Foundation study were millennials. Noting the absence of Generation Z’s voice – or those born from 1997 onward – Larsen located three other surveys, but they were national polls and included many respondents in their thirties and forties…
February 15, 2023(Richfield Reaper) - In a decade’s time, from 2008 to 2018, health insurance premiums rose 40% and deductibles for health insurance rose 74% according to the Utah Foundation, making Utahns’ out-of-pocket expenses the eighth highest in the United States….
February 09, 2023(KPCW) - …A 2020 Utah Foundation study named health care costs as the number one concern for Utahns. Jarvis said the group’s goal is to change health care in Utah…
February 09, 2023(Standard-Examiner) - …Overhead amounts to 20%-30% of health care costs in the U.S. system compared to just 4% in some countries. Utah Foundation research, meantime, shows that the cost of insurance premiums rose 40% between 2008 and 2018, he said, while at the same time deductibles on insurance policies increased 74%. “Because of these rapidly rising costs, the Utah Foundation estimated that 429,000 Utahns were unable to get the care they needed in 2018 because they simply … Continued
February 07, 2023(Salt Lake Tribune) - In August 2020, the Utah Foundation noted that during the decade from 2008 to 2018, health insurance premiums rose 40% and deductibles for health insurance rose 74%, together making Utahns’ out-of-pocket expenses the eighth highest in the United States. Because of these rapidly rising costs, an estimated 429,000 Utahns were unable to get the health care they needed in 2018 — because they could not afford it…
January 28, 2023(Salt Lake Tribune) - I thought Gov. Spencer Cox’s State of the State address last week was a good speech… …There was only one study or poll that I could find in the last decade that explicitly sought to understand the issues that matter to certain age demographics in Utah. That came in the Utah Foundation’s report “What’s on Utah’s Mind: Voter Issues and Concerns in 2020.” Utah Foundation’s polling on what matters to Utahns by generation. (https://www.utahfoundation.org/uploads/rr778.pdf) … Continued
January 19, 2023(Deseret News) - …At 34.7%, Utah ranks 14th in the nation for individuals with a bachelor’s or higher degree. The Utah Foundation reported in July 2022 that “Utah is in the top third of states when it comes to four-year degree attainment” and second in the Mountain States region for adults over 25 with bachelor’s degrees. Education is a Utah superpower, positively impacting our vibrant economy, quality of life, social capital and economic mobility of Utahns. It is … Continued
January 12, 2023(News Wise) - The Economic Report presents three visible economic scenarios for the coming year: Scenario 1: Continuing Growth – Inflation recedes, interest rate hikes stabilize, historically high financial reserves and low debt levels prop up consumer spending, employers work to retain employees considering recent hiring challenges, and international geopolitical and supply chain challenges stabilize, combining to create 2023 real GDP growth in the 2% to 4% range (similar to 2022 Q3 and Q4). Scenario 2: Shallow Recession … Continued
December 16, 2023(Utah Policy) - Today, the Utah Foundation released The 2022 Utah Misery Index: A Glimpse into the Fiscal Measures of Happiness. The report uses an index of financial “misery” to compare Utah to neighboring states, the U.S., and the world. Among the findings of the study: The U.S. misery index spiked during the first pandemic year and again in 2022, but those are nowhere near previous peaks. When comparing levels of misery as determined by Hanke’s Misery Index, Utah … Continued
December 14, 2022(City Weekly) - OK, OK, we get it. Utah is growing, and it’s not just because of the babies. Utah now counts more than 3.4 million residents—61,000 more just in the past year, according to a report from the Kem C. Gardner Institute. Utah and the rest of the nation have seen housing costs soar and people being displaced as development takes place amid a desperation that defies good planning. So, it’s good news that elected officials and … Continued
November 29, 2022(Deseret News) - Negative perceptions are hurting police staffing. How can we get young Americans to support police? “Andy Griffith Show” reruns. “Kojak” on prime time. “Columbo.” “Starsky & Hutch.” Once upon a time, you could turn on the TV and find that the cops were almost always good guys. Crockett and Tubbs occasionally discovered that an officer was involved with the drug trade, but the “Miami Vice” duo stayed above the fray and took the bad … Continued
November 15, 2022(Utah Policy) - Today, the Chair of the Utah Foundation Board of Trustees, Art Turner, announces that Shawn Teigen has been appointed as the president of the organization. Teigen brings a wealth of experience to the position, from entrepreneur to Peace Corps volunteer to researcher at the Utah Foundation. He’s been focusing on public policy for the past 15 years, including as the Utah Foundation’s Research Director since 2014 and Vice President since 2017. Teigen also teaches a … Continued
October 24, 2022(Deseret News) - When we think of growth, we often picture developers buying an old farm or ranch and building a subdivision. We picture a growing civilizational footprint, turning what was once green into something gray. But Utah can look within the existing footprint for opportunities to grow. That means identifying sites within developed areas that are vacant or underutilized. Development of these sites is known as “infill.” Multiple factors are now converging in Utah to make infill … Continued
October 23, 2022(Utah Policy) - Few people talk about building codes, let alone building energy codes. Let’s face it, things like window efficiency and air ducts are not spicy topics. Talking about a set of regulations that governs the construction of our homes and commercial buildings will not get you invited to parties. But it’s a shame. After all, Utah is the fastest growing state in the nation, and with this growth comes a frenzy of new construction. Energy codes are exactly the kind … Continued
October 11, 2022(Utah Policy) - Today, the Utah Foundation releases Filling in the Blanks: How Utah Communities Can Deploy Infill Development to Advance Quality of Life. The report addresses infill – the development of vacant or underutilized land within existing communities. It examines trends, the potential benefits of additional infill, obstacles standing in the way, and policy options to support infill development. Among the findings of the study: Multiple factors are now converging in Utah to make infill more imperative, including rapid … Continued
September 21, 2022(abc4) - Utah was just named one of America’s happiest states but according to the Utah Foundation, the state’s overall well-being may very well be on the decline. A recent study from WalletHub found that Utah is the fourth happiest state in the nation, averaging a score of 62.41, placing it just below Hawaii (66.31), Maryland (62.60) and Minnesota (62.43). While the study gives Utah flying colors in happiness, leading the nation in positive work and community … Continued
