Math for Journalists assignment

1) Two-thirds of the college budget comes from the state, while just over a quarter come from fees, grants and gifts, and the remaining fraction from student tuition.


2) The mean, or average prison term for aggravated assault is just under two years, or 22 months, while the median stay is at one year, or twelve months. The more accurate of the two is the median, because it emphasizes that most of the inmates stay around 12 months.

Name Sentence
Donald Lee 12 months prison, 2 years probation
Richard Smith 12 months, 1 year probation
Wesley Mitchell 14 months prison, 1 year probation
Mary Jones 12 months, 1 year probation
Juan Rodriguez 12 months, 2 years probation
Harold Rothstein 8 months prison, 1 year probation
Michael Reese 84 months prison, 5 years probation

3) The California state tax, at 8.25% on the dollar, adds up fast, even for someone who only spends $5 a week on fast food. For that person, they could expect to save $21.45 a year on tax. For people with a higher likelihood of eating out, who spend $20 a week, they would be looking at a savings of $85.80 a year off of state sales tax.