Finding Trends

Finding trends in local government

I. State and local

1. What’s the population of Whitman County? 41,664
2. Percent white? 86.6%
3. Percent with bachelor’s degree?44.0%
4. Median household income? 36,538
5. Persons below poverty? 26.7%

II. Drilling down into Census data: Housing

1. Find the annual construction costs for building permits for Pullman from 2004 to 2008. Report it for each individual year.

2004: 21,793,767
2005: 40,062,508
2006: 34,549,367
2007: 31,922,839
2008: 14,007,013

2. What’s the most current construction cost for 2009? (Obviously the annual report isn’t yet available so look for the most recent month.)

2009 - Until August 2009: 7,170,166

3. Write a lede based on this information.

The total amount of money spent on construction in Pullman during 2008 was more than half of what it was in 2007, this number has been declining since 2005 according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the current construction costs for 2009 seem to be fitting the trend.


III. Federal grants and insurance

1. How much did Whitman County farmers receive in Crop Insurance?

134,236,720

2. How much did Whitman County receive in grants?

122,982,596

3. Name three of the grants.

10.001 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH-BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH 1,379,278
10.025 PLANT AND ANIMAL DISEASE, PEST CONTROL AND ANIMAL CARE 482,743
10.028 WILDLIFE SERVICES 30,000



IV. Health Care in Whitman County


1. Which two counties have the highest percent of uninsured people?

San Juan County, Washington - 30.0%
Whitman County, Washington – 29.2%

2. What’s the percentage in Whitman County?
29.2%

V. Population

Is Whitman County’s population growing? Let’s look at population trends.

1. Type “Whitman County population” into Google Uncle Sam. Which federal or state agency comes up first in the Google list?

2007 Data Book – Office of Financial Management Whitman County

a. What’s the total population change in Whitman County from 2000 to 2007, according to OFM?

1,960
b. What’s the natural increase?

1,324
c. Explain the difference between “total change” and “natural change.”

Natural change is the difference between the amounts of births compared to deaths. Total change includes this and the amount of people who migrate to Whitman County.

4. Go back to the Google search results for ‘Whitman County population.”

5. Choose the second result, which should take you to Whitman County page.

6. Under General Information, click on “Whitman County Overview from the Choose Washington website.” (Should be Web site, right?)

7. Under “County Data,” click on Population.

a. Based on this projection, how many people will live in Whitman County in 2025?

2025 - 46,786


Spokane City Council Agenda

2.What’s the number of the ordinance that would create a new alcohol-impact area?
ORD C34475

7. What will the ordinance do? Write a lede based on the City Council’s approval of this ordinance.

The Spokane City Council approved an ordinance that restricts alcohol sales in the downtown and east central parts of Spokane.
Whitman County Agenda

1. The Web site www.whitmancounty.org provides the agendas and minutes for the meeting of the county’s commissioners. Navigate to the commissioners’ page.
a. According to the agenda, what meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m.?

2:00 p.m. – Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee meeting.

a. How many confirmed cases in Whitman County?

Whitman County has 4 confirmed H1N1 cases.
b. How many doses of vaccine will be available in Washington state?

Washington state is slated to receive 600,000 doses.

c. How many in Whitman County?

Whitman County will receive approximately 360 doses.

d. What is Dr. Moody’s suggestion on how to distribute?

Dr. Moody feels we
should wait to distribute the vaccine until there is enough injectable vaccine to offer to the majority of residents. Public Health is considering using community buildings in various locations after school and on weekends to administer the vaccines to high-risk residents first followed by clinics. These 360 doses must also be shared with local providers.

e. Write a lede based on this information.

Whitman County will receive about 360 of the 600,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine that will be available in Washington State, and experts believe we should wait to distribute them until enough are available to vaccinate the majority of the population.