Reporting with numbers

1)A local college releases figures showing that its total budget is
$120 million. Out of that total, $80 million comes from the state, $6
million from student tuition, and the remaining $34 million from fees,
grants and gifts.

-Figure the percentage of the college’s budget that comes from each source.

State: 67 percent
Student Tuition: 5 percent
Fees,grants,and gifts: 28 percent

-Identify the significance of each funding source (the most vs. the
least, etc.)

The school's most significant funding source is from the state. The least significant is from student tuition.

-Using plain words, instead of numbers, explain the proportion of
funding that comes from different sources. Say it in the way you think
would make it most easily understood.

Two-thirds of the school's budget comes from the state, while
over a quarter comes from fees. The remainder of the amount comes from tuition.

2) Your editor assigns you to do a story about prison sentences handed
down in cases of aggravated assault. He gives you the following
figures from an anti-crime group that is lobbying for tougher
sentencing guidelines. The cases represent the people convicted for
aggravated assault in San Jose in one month in 2006.

-Calculate the average prison term for people convicted of aggravated
assault, taking care to convert some of the terms to figures that will
compare properly (months vs. years)

The average prison term for a person convicted of aggravated assault is 22 months.

-Calculate the median prison term for people convicted of aggravated assault.

The median prison term for a person convicted of aggravated assault is one year.

-Explain why the average or median figure is the most accurate
description of prison terms.

The median number is the most accurate; it is not affected by
the high or low sentence terms.

3) The state legislature is considering exempting restaurant food
sales from the sales tax in the same way grocery sales are exempt.

-First, find out the state sales tax.

According to the California State Board of Equalization, sales tax is 9.25%.

-Then determine and explain how much fast-food patrons who pay $5 per
meal would save in a year if they eat out once a week.

Fast-food patrons who eat out once a week at $5 per meal would have a
yearly savings of $18.85 if fast-food were sales tax exempt.

($5 meal cost x 9.25% sales tax x 52 weeks = $18.85)

-Explain how much people would save if they spend $20 per meal once a
week for a year.

Fast-food patrons who eat out once a week at a cost of $20 would save
$96.20 per year if fast-food were sales tax exempt.
($20 meal cost x 9.25% sales tax x 52 weeks = $96.20)