Welcome to the Spokane Community Indicators e-Newsletter - Issue # 33
INDICATORS IN THE NEWS
How much is Washington State taxing and spending?
Curious to know how much the state is spending on college education? Parks? Public health and safety? State and local governments have responded to the demand for transparency by posting more and more information online; however, people with a strong background in internet research were the only ones able to find that information - until now.
A day in the life of Americans - This is how America runs
Curious to know how much the state is spending on college education? Parks? Public health and safety? State and local governments have responded to the demand for transparency by posting more and more information online; however, people with a strong background in internet research were the only ones able to find...
Incarceration rates for each U.S. state compared to other countries
Crime statistics, by nature, can be a little fuzzy, since they are based on crimes that law enforcement know about. To "know" of a crime, the crime needs to receive an official response from law enforcement. In the minimum, law enforcement must acknowledge it having occurred to officially count in crime statistics.
INDICATORS IN ACTION
Firearm-related death rate in Spokane County higher than state
More guns, fewer guns, smart guns, or no guns - everyone has an opinion on the gun debate - everyone, that is, except the Trends project. The pure fact of the matter is all weapons are engineered and manufactured with the ability to cause injury and kill - if someone chooses to or needs to use them in such a way.
With recent high-profile school shootings in Parkland, Florida, Houston, Texas, the mass murder from gunfire in Las Vegas...
Suspensions of special education students decreasing
Over the last decade or more, the efficacy of zero-tolerance policies have come under fire. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), zero-tolerance policies in public school systems, "which mandate that schools severely punish disruptive students regardless of the infraction or its rationale, can actually increase bad behavior and also lead to higher dropout rates."
Looking back at the last 10-years of...
Local taxes - are we paying too much, not enough, or our fair share?
With all the construction now taking place around Spokane it's hard not to see tax dollars in action. Public projects are highly visible but certainly not comprehensive signs of government work, raising the question: What is our tax burden relative to the local governments around the state? Are we paying the "right amount" to government agencies?
That may be a loaded question with a multitude of answers dependent on your...
5-Questions with: Karen Stratton - Spokane City Council Member, District 3
Q: As a Spokane City Council member, what your top priorities now and for 2019?
A: Public Safety
- Hire more police officers on the streets and in our neighborhoods via possible Public Safety Bond
- Hire additional firefighters and support equipment upgrades via possible Public Safety Bond
- Continue funding Spokane County Regional Criminal Justice Commission
- Increase financial support to Community Oriented Policing Program – 5% over the next 2-years
- Increase financial support to the Office of Police Ombudsman for police/citizen oversight and use of force dashboard technology
- Expand Community Court operations
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