2020
Examining Life Expectancy in Tom Green County, January 5, 2020 Our community is blessed with its share of innovative leaders busily developing local coalitions that echo Healthy People 2030 planning.
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Broken Promises? February 2, 2020 Tax code reform requiring wealthy Americans and corporations to pay their fair share of taxes continues to draw broad support from voters across party, gender and educational lines. But politicians are, as usual, behind their constituents on this issue. Thus, reform will not come easily.
Leadership Agenda Needed to Address Violence, March 1, 2020 State and national leaders seriously interested in preventing violence should be clamoring for comprehensive studies on the pervasive violence patterns in our communities and society.
Job Growth in San Angelo, April 5, 2020 Despite the Great Recession and drop in oil prices that shook San Angelo during Barack Obama’s presidency, the city’s workforce added 2,197 workers for a 4.4% gain. Conversely, during the first three years of the Trump presidency, the city has added 1,792 jobs, which is an increase of 3.4% and an annual average increase of 597 jobs.
Importance of Social Security to Tom Green County, May 10, 2020 Data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) covering the six-year period between 2013 and 2018 indicate that Social Security contributes substantial proportions to the annual incomes of numerous households and families in Tom Green County.
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Reopening the Economy, Controlling COVID-19, a Dilemma, June 7, 2020 Calculations of at risk establishments in Tom Green County implied that they might have to contract thousands of jobs during a prolonged lockdown resulting in a loss of millions of dollars to the local economy.
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COVID-19: Know your Demographic Risk, July 12, 2020 Analysis of statistical associations between the 35 population and housing characteristics and coronavirus cases in Texas Counties revealed 14 strong positive correlations.
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Tracking the Effects of the COVID-19 Virus, August 2, 2020 Analysis suggests that prematurely opening the Texas economy contributed to an intensification of the pandemic, which caused the Tom Green County economy to slow. The depressed consumer spending and small business activity was due more to the coronavirus threat than government restrictions.
The Plight of Children During the Pandemic, September 6, 2020 Local families with children approached this year’s opening of school with a complex of worries and fears tied to a raging pandemic and a significantly shuttered economy.
Signs of Systemic Racism in San Angelo, October 4, 2020 Polls consistently ask respondents if they believe there is systemic racism? In the end, however, the existence of systemic racism is not a matter of belief. It is a matter of factual analysis.
Is the Great Equalizer at Work in the Local Community?, November 8, 2020 It is hard for many to see that the personal flaws of some children, parents, and families do not fully account for perceived failures. In equal or greater measure, what makes them vulnerable is the failure of the social system to address their needs respectfully and equitably.
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Economic Inequalities Across the Color Line, December 6, 2020 San Angelo, Texas residents are struggling to stay above water while battling COVID-19. Still, the destructive effects are unlikely to spread equally across the community. The destruction will more likely follow long established lines of economic inequality.
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