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ARCHIVE
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State Spending, Healthcare, Ethics
December 21, 2006
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Transportation, Water, Energy
November 29, 2006
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CPPA Events
October 11, 2006
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Energy
August 30, 2006
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Sports Economy
July 26, 2006
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Elections
June 30, 2006
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Health Care
May 8, 2006
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Taxes / Revenue Forecast
March 29, 2006
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Water Policy
February 28, 2006
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Special Legislative Edition
February 23, 2006
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[MORE]
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The Challenges Created by Growth
from the 2007 Economic Report to the Governor
by W. David Patton, Sara McCormick, Holly Hilton, Melinda Frandsen, CPPA
Utah is facing unprecedented population growth. On October 19, 2006, the Center for Public Policy & Administration and the Utah Intergovernmental Roundtable, a coalition of representatives from multiple levels of government interested in public policy issues that cut across different levels of government, convened experts to discuss the challenges of growth in five areas: population, education, transportation, water, and infrastructure. Actions taken now to address growth in these and other critical areas will have significant implications for long-term quality of life in Utah.
[FULL STORY]
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Who Earns Minimum Wage in Utah?
by W. David Patton, PhD, CPPA, Angela Stefaniak, MPA, CPPA
An important question in the debate over the minimum wage is who is earning minimum wage? If, as some assume, nearly all minimum wage earners are teenagers working at fast-food restaurants, then increasing the minimum wage will only inflate the price of a combo meal. If this situation is the case then an increase in the minimum wage could mean the loss of jobs for some employees when profits are squeezed by increasing costs of labor. On the other hand, if those earning minimum wage include a significant number of heads of households including single parents, then the level of the minimum wage rate could be vitally important to someone trying to survive on one or more minimum wage jobs. This study seeks to answer the question of who earns minimum wage in Utah by utilizing national Census data, Community Population Survey (CPS) data, Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS) data and original survey research of Utah’s businesses. Click here for the report.
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Utah Charter School Study
by Andrea K. Rorrer, PhD, Director, Utah Education Policy Center
Charles Hausman, PhD, University of Kentucky
Cori Groth, PhD, Senior Policy Associate, Utah Education Policy Center
The first charter school was established in Minnesota in 1991. Currently there are 3,400 charter schools in 40 states, including Utah. As the number of charter schools has expanded across the nation, questions are being raised about their purpose, how they are authorized and governed, and why parents choose charter schools. This fall, the Utah Education Policy Center (UEPC) at the University of Utah completed a study of charter schools in Utah for the Utah State Legislature.
[FULL STORY]
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Summary of Some Key Issues from the 2006 Legislative Interim Sessions
by Janice Houston, CPPA Senior Policy Analyst
In setting his policy agenda for 2006, Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. chose to prioritize education, economic development and water policy as areas around which his administration would focus energy and resources. During the interim session, the legislature has worked hard in these areas to research existing law and policy as well as setting new agendas for the 2007 session. This article will detail highlights from the interim including two reports released to the Legislature and two key pieces of legislation slated to be discussed during the upcoming session.
[FULL STORY]
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Issues to Watch: 2007 Utah Legislature
by Jennifer Robinson, MPA and Tricia Jack, CPPA
The Center for Public Policy and Administration’s “Issues to Watch” reports on several key areas of legislation for the 2007 General Session. Lawmakers have a $1.6 billion surplus to spend this session due to high revenues. Debate on how to spend this money will likely be centered primarily around increasing spending on education and cutting taxes. Other important issues, including transportation and health care, will also be at the center of legislative debate.
[FULL STORY]
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Who Cares?
by Ken Embley, CPPA
The answer to the question “Who cares?” naturally begs another question—about what? In this case, the “about what” is—who cares about your organization mission, vision and values?
I know I am getting cynical in my old age but I must admit to my own frustration when I get a call from a well-intended manager who wants help writing or revising mission, vision and values statements because some higher-ranking manager is insisting. Faced with the managers plea for help, I usually say “yes” when what I really want to say is “Not only no but heck no!” The reason why my answer should be “no” is because writing statements for the sake of having statements leads me to believe that the real answer to the question “Who cares?” is—nobody cares!
[FULL STORY]
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