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September 2018 Summary of Select Trends
Click on the source in (parenthesis) to visit the full article DEMOGRAPHICS More than half of US households are considered middle class. This month, Pew Research Center released a calculator for adults to determine what class they fall in within their metro area and compared to other adults in the US similar to their education level, age, race or ethnicity, and marital status. It may not help you solve any problems in your locales, but this cool tool is something to share with your community. (Pew) TECHNOLOGY Can your cellphone location data be used against you in a court of law? There are three technology privacy cases coming before the Massachusetts Supreme Court this month that will help to clarify the answer to this question. With cellphones being used in the US for over 20 years, the lag on this kind of legislation perplexes many involved. (Axios) TRANSPORTATION Two Southern cities have very different crossroads facing their transportation infrastructure. Atlanta is unearthing failed legislation from the 90s and putting a 21st century spin and new name on it. Nashville grapples with a gigantic metro area that expands beyond the city center, and no one can agree how to make public transit work in the city-county unified government. (Governing) HEALTHCARE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, the largest health insurer in the state, announced it will no longer cover the highly-addictive painkiller OxyContin, beginning next year. Instead, the insurer will cover two alternative medications that are more expensive. This move is in direct response to the opioid epidemic consuming the US and an attempt to decrease the value of painkillers on the black market. (Tennessean) WORKPLACE Nearly half of households don’t earn enough to cover basic needs. Declining union membership, low inflation, and the possibility that the workplace of the “future” is already here are some possible theories. (SHRM) Additionally, a typical low-income worker today makes 99 percent what the same worker made over 40 years ago, when adjusted to today’s dollars. (SHRM) POLITICS Less than three months away from the midterm elections in November, Democrats are more politically active than Republicans. “Politically active” refers to respondents contacting an elected official, contributing money to a campaign, or working for or attending political events or meetings. But both sides agree that it “really matters” which party wins control of Congress. (Pew) PUBLIC SAFETY Last month Nebraska administered an execution using the painkiller fentanyl, which is at the center of the deadly opioid epidemic. The first-time move is only one example of some states exploring execution methods new and old in an effort to continue to carry out the death penalty in their state. A few other states from the past few years have followed this trend, such as Alabama approving nitrogen gas in March 2018, and Utah reviving use of a firing squad in 2015. (Governing) WORKPLACE As companies race to top the $1T mark today, the US worker is becoming more vocal about sharing in the profits they help a company earn. In light of the nation’s celebration of Labor Day, hotel workers in nearly a dozen states walked out in a nationwide demonstration at seven Marriott-run hotels in cities across the US last week. Thousands protested in Hawaii demanding a bigger share of the state’s sky-high tourism revenue - $17B in the 2017 alone. (Boston Globe) |
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Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations affordably engage communities through high-quality surveys, dynamic population segmentation, focus groups and work groups that use instant audience feedback technology. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help organizations thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].
Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations affordably engage communities through high-quality surveys, dynamic population segmentation, focus groups and work groups that use instant audience feedback technology. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help organizations thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].