Public Info

I. State and local

Using the online resource www.census.gov, answer the following questions:
1. What’s the population of Washington state?



a. What's the percent change since 2000?
b. Go back to the main page. Now look at 'Washington' under the 'Area Profile with QuickFacts.'

1. In terms of percent increase, which has grown faster in the past decade -- Washington or the U.S.?
Washington
2. What's the median household income in Washington as of 2008?
$58, 081
3. What's the national median income?
$52,089
4. Let's look at ethnicity: Identify one way in which Washington's population differs from the U.S. population.
The percent of people who identify as black in Wash. is about 4 percent, while nationally it is almost 13 percent.
2. Now look at Whitman County.
a. What's the population?
42,689
b. What was the percent increase from 2000 to 2009?
4.8 %
c. In 2000, what percent of the population had a bachelor’s degree? What was the percent statewide?
Whitman: 44 percent, statewide: 28 percent
d. Median household income?


e. Persons below poverty in 2008?
Whitman: 23 percent. Statewide: 11 percent

3. Let's go deeper. Near the top of the page, click on 'Browse data sets for Whitman County.' You'll find a slew of entry points into the U.S. Census Bureau database. This is a great area if you're interested in finding a particular fact (how much federal $ came into the county last year), as well as if you're just browsing, looking for a little light reading.Click on the 'Building Permits 2009.'
a. Find the annual total construction costs for building permits for Pullman from 2004 to 2009. Report it for each individual year.

b. Write a lede based on the trend you see in this information.
The amount of money spent on building permits in Pullman has decreased in half in the last five years.

c. Let's explore other public data online. Type "google public data" into your search engine. Click on "explore the data," and then Unemployment in the U.S.

1. Click on "By State," and then "Unemployment Rate." What's the current U.S. unemployment rate?
14,140,000
2. List the month and year for the highest national unemployment rate in the last 60 years.
Jan. 1983, 125,07,000
3. Now limit the data for Washington state. What's the current state unemployment rate? Has the unemployment rate increased or decreased since January 2010?
Current unemployment rate has increased by 80 percent.


4. This is application is part of Google Labs. As such, it has some quirks. Click on the "+" sign next to Washington to open up more options, then click on Counties, and Whitman County. What's the most recent unemployment rate? What was the rate in August 2000?





Note: If the data doesn't appear, click "clear selections" at the bottom of the page.



5. Now find your home county, even if it's not in Washington state (provided it is in the U.S.!) What's the current unemployment rate in your home county?

















d. Let's explore some of the data here on campus by checking in with the Washington Center for Real Estate Research (http://www.wcrer.wsu.edu/). Click on the 2010 Q2 housing report.



1. What's the percent change in the number of building permits issued during the past year? What does that tell us about the housing situation in Whitman County?





2. What was the median resale home price? How much did it change in the past year? How much did prices decline statewide?



3. Write a lede based on one of these pieces of information.

















4. Return to the Census homepage (http://www.census.gov/). The Census is spewing out data this year. Let's look at the most recent reports. Under "Newsroom," click on "Releases."





1. Click on the Oct. 22 tip sheet. Scroll down to the Recently Released data. Click on the American Community Survey.





2. Scroll down the page and click on the food stamp program. What's the percent increase in food stamp use from 2008 to 2009 in Washington state? Nationally?





3. Scan the page for two other recently released reports that might interest you. List one fact from each of the two reports you choose.













II. Federal grants and insurance









Who needs government? Well, Whitman County certainly received some federal help last year. But we want to know how much.









But fumbling through this site can be cumbersome. Plus, the Census Bureau isn't the only government site with information on Whitman County. If only there were an easier way to search all these sites at once (ah, but there is!)











Go to Google/unclesam is a powerful tool that let’s us search all “.gov” Web sites. Go to the search bar and type “whitman county federal funds.”









a. Click on the first link. Is this website operated by the state or federal government?









1. Click or search for 'Consolidated Federal Funds Report.' At the top of the page, click on 'Online Query System.'











2. Under ‘Available Data,’ choose 2009 and Geography (Federal data almost always lags a year behind). Click ‘Submit.’







3. On the next page, choose ‘Washington’ and ‘Yes’ on County. We want ‘All Fund Types.’







4. On the next page, choose Whitman County.







a. How much did Whitman County farmers receive in Crop Insurance? (Hint: Scroll to the bottom of the page?





b. Tracking grants can also help us identify news stories. How much did Whitman County receive in grants (block, formula, project, etc.)?



c. Name three of the grants.









b. Return to the Whitman County page. (If you can't find it, return to Google/UncleSam and search for "Whitman County OFM.")



1. Click on "Criminal Justice." Click on the Databook for 1990 to 2008.



2. Click on the data for Whitman County.



3. How many murders are recorded in Whitman County since 1990?





4. How many rapes were recorded last year?



5. Look at the number of Adult Arrests -- how many arrest for rape last year?



6. Why is there a difference between the Crime Index and the Adult Arrests?

Katrina photographs

The first photograph I would choose is of the woman sitting down next to her shopping cart of belongings. Three details I notice are: the woman is resting, there are very few belongings in the cart, and the road is desolate behind her.
1. Kimi Seymour, 27, has only a shopping cart full of belongings left after Hurricane Katrina washed everything else away.
2. With no one to help her, she is forced to push it along the empty Interstate 10.
3. Exhausted, she puts sits with her head in her hands and rests before continuing on her journey for refuge.

The other photograph I choose is the picture of makeshift shoes. Three details are: the shoes are pieces of cardboard, rubber bands are holding them on her feet, and the paper says "keep moving".
1. Jeremiah Ward was left with no shoes after fleeing from Hurricane Katrina, and is forced to make due with whatever he can find.
2. He is left to find refuge with just light cardboard tied to his feet with rubber bands.
3. The cardboard displays the slogan," Keep Moving", something the victims of Katrina are trying so hard to do.

Edit Your Peers

1. According to the Web site “OpenSecrets.org” Senator Patty Murray had raised $11,781,217. Sen. Patty Murray has raised almost $12 million, according to the website OpenSecrets.org.

2. “I am for state taxes,” said Alexa Mays, Junior Broadcast Production major, “They pay for everything from firefighters to the legislature.”
Alexis Mays, junior broadcast production major, said she is in favor of state taxes.
"They pay for everything from firefighters to the Legislature."
3. Wes Smith, Principle at Pullman High School, said the state run liquor stores have a monopoly on sales.
The state-run liquor stores have a monopoly on sales, said Wes Smith, principal of Pullman High School.

4. The President of the Washington Restaurant Association, Kevin Wilson, said, “I’m a big fan of the initiative, it is all about the little guy trying to get bigger.”
"I'm a big fan of the initiative," Kevin Wilson, president of the Washington Restaurant Association, said. "It is all about the little guy trying to get bigger."

5. 70 percent of the revenue would fund public education beginning November 14, 2011.
Seventy percent of the revenue would fund public education beginning Nov. 14, 2011.
6. Last month, United States army officials asked congress to clarify it’s policy on gays in the military.
Last month, US Army officials asked Congress to clarify its policy on gays in the military.

7. Washington State marks up hard alcohol 51.9%.
Washington state marks up hard alcohol by almost 52 percent.

8. Many WSU students travel sixteen miles roundtrip to Moscow, Id., to purchase cheaper alcohol.
Many WSU students travel 16 miles round-trip to Moscow, Idaho, to purchase cheaper alcohol.

9. Jennifer Sessions, a Senior Spanish major, posted flyers in support of I-1098.
Jennifer Sessions, senior Spanish major, posted fliers in support of I-1098.
10. Bobson said “I think it would have been cool to do something like that as a freshman, I know my parents would have loved it”
"I think it would have been cool to do something like that as a freshman," Bobson said. "I know my parents would have loved it."

Homelessness report to a feature

One fact that I find interesting is that 9,500 children between kindergarten and eighth grade are homeless, and 4,000 are in high school. You could turn this into a feature by finding a child who is excited about going to kindergarten, but doesn't have a home to go to after school. You could do the same for a high school-aged student, either one who is struggling to graduate or one who was forced to drop out of school because they lack a stable home.

The Burger That Shattered Her Life

1. The writer used personal accounts to enrich the story by following Stephanie Smith's tainted meat through meat processing plants, using it to show the process that all ground beef goes through on its way to becoming a burger. Her story also showed the consequences of tainted meat on a more personal level than hard facts.
2. The writer says that while E. coli had been on the decline in previous years, recently outbreaks have spiked across the country causing major illness.

Political Story: Initiative 1100

I-1100: Privatizing José and Jack in Washington State  

The ballot initiative 1100 has some Washington voters toasting to the possible changes, and making others fight to keep it off the table.

According to the ballot summary, the initiative will close state liquor stores and authorize the sale, distribution and importation of spirits by private parties, and repeal certain requirements that govern the business operations of beer and wine distributors and producers.

While the initiative takes away the state’s role in selling alcohol, the Liquor Control Board would issue licenses to business wishing to sell alcohol.

The president of the Washington Restaurant Association, Anthony Anton, spoke about his support of I-1100 in a visit to WSU on Oct. 12.

“Right now, the Liquor Control Board is understaffed in terms of regulation because so much emphasis is put on sales,” Anton said. “If the initiative passes, more time and energy can be spent on alcohol programs and policies.”

I-1100’s major supporter is Costco. The company was the main author of the initiative and has donated more than $535,000 to the campaign. Other supporters include Safeway and Kroger, as well as most restaurant associations in Washington.

 “[Initiative 1100] would allow restaurants to buy directly from distributors,” Anton said. “Restaurants would get more convenience at a lower price. And distributors know trends and provide better customer service than the state.”

Family values groups such as Keep Our Kids Safe and Protect Our Communities are major opponents of the initiative. They say that if more stores are able to sell hard alcohol, teens and problem drinkers will have more access to it. In a press release, Keep Our Kids Safe said that Washington now has a 94 percent compliance rate with no-sale to minors, while other states with privatized sales have compliance rates as low as 75 percent. The group argues that this will increase drunken driving accidents and fatalities.

However, Jennifer Schwartz, a WSU sociology professor, said in an e-mail that the initiative will not likely affect DUIs.

“The drink of choice among many drunk drivers tends to be beer rather than spirits, so it is possible that I-100 would have minimal impact on the amount of drunk driving given that it is focused on the regulation of liquor,” Schwartz said.

Another issue with I-1100 is the jobs that would be affected. Protect Our Communities said on its web site that more that 1,000 jobs would be lost if the Liquor Control Board was forced to lay off store employees. Many unions in Washington, such as firefighter’s and nurse’s unions, oppose the initiative because of the job losses. But Modernize Washington points out that those jobs would simply be turned over to the private sector, with jobs being created at grocery stores and distributors due to increased liquor sales.

Rosalyn Krueger, a junior hospitality major and employee at a Bellevue restaurant, is in support of the initiative. She also attended Anton’s presentation.

“My restaurant would be able to hire more people,” she said. “And if the Liquor Control Board got out of the business of selling alcohol, their employees could focus more on regulation. I’m voting in favor of I-1100.”

Kenzie Smernis, a senior education major, said she would appreciate the convenience that I-1100 would bring, but is still unsure how she is going to vote on Nov. 2.

“It would be easier buying alcohol from a grocery store, but I think making it more accessible to everyone in the state isn’t a very good idea,” Smernis said. “So I still don’t know how I feel [about I-1100].”

Math Sucks

1. Last year, your business spent $83,000 for computer upgrades. This year, it will spend 5 percent less. How much will it spend this year? $78,850
2. The AP Style quiz was taken by 177 students. Twenty-three failed. What percent passed?
87 percent passed
3. A college’s budget increases from $100 million to $120 million. What's the percent increase?
20 percent
4. a. Times are tough on College Hill. Your pizza budget has been cut from $200 to $150. What was the percent decrease?
25 percentb. Bonus! You win $50 in a local pageant. Your pizza budget just jumped from $150 to $200. What was the percent increase?
33 percent

5. Last year, your property tax bill was $1,152. This year, it rose to $1,275. What’s the percent increase?
11 percent

6. Research funding at WSU increased 40 percent this year to $218 million. What was the funding last year?
$155 million

7. Joe Smith wants to build a 2,500-square-foot house for him. The builder tells him it will cost $112 a square foot to build. How much will the house cost?
$280,000

8. Desperate for revenue, the government decides to increase the tax on beer. The tax was 5 percent. But now it's jumped to 6 percent.
a. What’s the percent increase?
20 percentb. What’s the percentage increase?
1 percent
9. Let’s say someone wants to establish a University District. To gain support, he/she needs to establish that safety is a problem in the area. So, Pullman had 183 assaults last year. Spokane had 502. Spokane has 200,000 people. Pullman has 25,000. How do we compare those two numbers? Is the average person more likely to be assaulted in Spokane or Pullman? (Again, not real figures.)
Pullman: 0.007 x 1000 = 7
Spokane: 0.00251 x 1000 = 2.51
You are more likely to be assaulted in Pullman.

10. Five houses sold in your neighborhood for the following prices: $225,000; $207,000; $3.2 million; $129,000; $192,000.
a. What’s the mean price?
$790,600
b. What’s the median?
$225,000

Not publishing the blogger's accusation

I do not believe the newspaper should publish the accusation. The blogger's only proof of the affair is an "unnamed source" which has become all too-common in today's world of celebrity gossip journalism. The politician has not done anything wrong, his job is to vote on legislation. Even if the blogger disagrees with his votes, it is no reason to publish a potentially false and libelous piece that could completely shatter a man's life and career. Unless the source reveals himself and presents substantial evidence, a respected newspaper should not be the place to spread rumors and publish this story.

Commas

Correct the following sentences. If the sentence is already correct, write “correct.”

1. He looked through the door, but he did not see anyone inside the church.

2. "We could wait to see if anyone else COMES, or we could go back home," she said.

3. Reed, a graduate of Washington State University, was elected Secretary of State in 2000.

4. The organization paid the speaker $1,000, but ITS officers were unable to attend the event.

5. According to Washington state law, bars will become smoke-free on FEB. 15th.

6. He saw Karen (NO COMMA) and they had coffee.

7. The bales are then sold to a processing center in Tacoma, WASH., which ships them to Moscow, IDAHO.

8. It was raining, SO we stayed home.

9. Later he phoned again.

CORRECT

10. This will end up having an EFFECT on consumers, she said.

11. He introduced the speaker to Floyd, Moos NO COMMA and Wulff.

Appositions, hyperbatons and non-restrictive relative clauses: We don't need to remember the names of these grammar tools. But let's look at how they can help us form shorter descriptive phrases. In other words, squish these two sentences into one.

1. Sam Reed spoke at the Honors College on Wednesday, Sept. 22. Reed is a graduate of Washington State University.
Sam Reed, a graduate of Washington State University, spoke at the Honors College on Wednesday, Sept. 22.
2. The concert will be held on Friday night. The concert is part of WSU's Homecoming Weekend.
The concert, a part of WSU's Homecoming Weekend, will be held on Friday night.
3. President Elson S. Floyd promised he would lobby legislators in Olympia. Floyd is frustrated by cuts to higher education.
President Elson S. Floyd, frustrated by cuts to higher education, promised he would lobby legislators in Olympia.

Questions for political correspondent

1. What was your favorite interview?

2. What is a typical first question you ask?

3. How did you become interested in political journalism?

Tracking money

Initiatives:

Total Raised:

$42,087,015.27

Total Spent:

$15,306,285.58

State Income Tax

I believe we should tax the wealthy. The poor in Washington are getting poorer, especially due to the state of the economy, while the rich are affected less in these hard times. The middle class are being hurt the most, and are proportionally getting taxed the most, which isn't fair.