When it comes to deadly shootings in Louisville, 2023 looks a lot like 2022

by Josh Crawford | Dec 29, 2023

Georgia news, in the news, current events, Georgia happenings, GA happenings

When it comes to deadly shootings in Louisville, 2023 looks a lot like 2022

In 2023, Louisville experienced a high number of shootings, with 553 individuals dead or wounded, as reported by LMPD. While the statistics suggest a potential decrease in homicides compared to previous years, some, including anti-violence activists argue that there is little evidence of improvement, with triple-digit homicides becoming a disturbing norm.

Despite hopes for a decline in violence, 2023 will mark the end of a record-breaking four-year period of unprecedented violence in Louisville, prompting calls for sustained efforts to restore public safety and the city’s accustomed aura.

Our own Josh Crawford joins the conversation with real solutions for bringing about public safety improvement in 2024.

Read the full article here

Reversing DC crime trends

by Josh Crawford | Dec 22, 2023

Reversing DC crime trends

Josh Crawford, the Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, visited Fox 5 DC to talk about his analysis on DC crime trends.

Watch the full video here

Year in Review: A look back at how opportunity expanded in 2023

by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Dec 21, 2023

new years resolution, 2024, year in review

Year in Review: A look back at how opportunity expanded in 2023

Key Points

Research has shown that safe communities, stable relationships, and meaningful education and work are essential to making poverty escapable.
In 2023, we focused on helping communities develop solutions and tools to improve public safety, jobs, education and student achievement, and family formation.
Through these accomplishments in 2023, more communities are being empowered to help people imagine and pursue better futures for themselves.

It seems like everywhere you go these days, people are struggling. You can see it on street corners, in grocery stores, in news headlines, and—most heartbreaking of all—in the eyes of the people who have lost hope.

What they need is opportunity. And that’s exactly what the mission of the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) is built to deliver. As the year draws to a close, let’s take a moment to celebrate the good that has been done to alleviate poverty by removing barriers to opportunity and creating conditions that empower people to flourish and achieve their full potential.

The good news is that research consistently shows that people who experience personal safety, get a good education, find meaningful work, and have healthy, committed relationships only have a 2% chance of falling into poverty. And for those currently living in poverty, these opportunities are the way out to experience freedom and flourishing.

In 2023, GCO celebrated big wins in several key areas that foster community transformation: public safety, jobs, education, and family formation. Here are a few examples of how we’ve helped our neighbors live better and build thriving communities.

Public safety

Thanks to our public safety research, we convened state policymakers and city leaders in Atlanta and Columbus to look at the causes of increasing violence, and provided a proven set of practical solutions for reducing crime—especially in low-income communities. At the national level, our public safety recommendations were well received in Dallas and Louisville, and an opinion piece we co-authored reached 28.7 million people through Newsweek. Soon thereafter, MSN and other media outlets amplified its reach to another 167.1 million Americans.

And given how important it is for people to live in safe communities where they feel comfortable walking around and living their lives, we also created a resource page on our website so that elected officials, law enforcement, and community leaders can easily find the best practices for addressing crime.

Workforce

On the jobs front, our BETTER WORK program continues to help communities build local employment support systems that bring employers, nonprofits, and community partners together to help more Georgians find local jobs. We’ve also joined forces with Lyft to help people get to work and focused on solutions to the benefits cliff challenges that keep many mired in government dependency.

Safety-net reform

This year, GCO remained on the vanguard of educating lawmakers and the public about the need for reforming the safety net. Broadly, we worked to reveal the challenges posed by benefits cliffs, which discourage people from looking for meaningful work and gaining independence. Specifically, we expanded our impact to Utah, Arkansas, and Missouri, in addition to launching a redesigned benefits cliffs website and calculator that adds Utah and West Virginia to the models.

As we educate states and businesses about the benefits cliff problem within the welfare system, we are also developing solutions that equip them to do something about it. This year, we released our first report focused on benefits cliffs solutions, which focused on fixes for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Education

Our efforts to expand educational opportunity have given nearly 84,000 Georgia kids access to the schooling option that best fits their needs. And we led efforts to advance a groundbreaking school choice bill through the state senate. This means there’s strong momentum going into 2024 to expand education options for 500,000 more students stuck in Georgia’s failing schools. We also updated our Education Guide for parents and received the Lilburn Middle School Business Partner Recognition Award for partnering to deliver free relationship education classes for parents and students.

See How The Georgia Center For Opportunity Is Expanding Hope In 2024!

Family

For families, parents continued to graduate from our Strengthening Families Program. And GCO kicked off our Raising Highly Capable Kids (RHCK) program with a vision-casting meeting attended by more than 20 community organizations. By reaching into homes, schools, and faith-based groups, RHCK teaches parents how to raise responsible, caring kids—and turns local communities into nurturing places where healthy families help people escape poverty. An example of how RHCK brings key stakeholders together to foster thriving families is the Lilly Endowment grant that introduced the Parents First Initiative to Lawrenceville.

National and state impact

Finally, GCO had a number of important wins with far-reaching, favorable media coverage on topics we care deeply about. This means that our voice was out there advancing importance conversations about human flourishing. For example, The Wall Street Journal ran our opinion piece calling out pre- and post-COVID crime comparisons for what they really are—an excuse not to blame bad public safety policies. And RealClearPolicy ran an article on our ideas to make safety nets more successful at turning welfare into work support.

Beyond these, GCO’s views were featured in important conversations about Georgia’s position among the leading states for economic freedom and why people remain trapped in poverty when there are so many public assistance programs. And for those concerned about rising crime across the nation, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution carried our must-read piece on public safety.

Wrapping up

Of course, these are just a handful of GCO’s successes in 2023. Yet each win adds to the legacy we are building to help our neighbors enjoy meaningful and productive lives in safe, vibrant communities that value work, education, and family. We’re proud of our successes this year, and we look forward to continuing to advance common-sense policy solutions in 2024 that bring greater peace, dignity, and freedom to individuals and families across Georgia and beyond.

The cost of Christmas is up, especially for the poor

by David Bass | Dec 18, 2023

The cost of gifts, meals, and trips to see family and friends have gone up, inflation, debt, low-income

The cost of Christmas is up, especially for the poor

Key Points

The blog underscores the significant impact of inflation on Christmas expenses, encompassing gifts, meals, and travel, affecting Americans, particularly those from lower economic classes, hindering their enjoyment of the holiday’s relational aspects.
Emphasizing a recent inflation surge due to pandemic-related factors, the post characterizes it as an “inflation tax” disproportionately affecting the poorest Americans, creating challenges in accessing opportunities crucial for a meaningful life.
Supported by statistical evidence, the blog reveals the financial hardships caused by inflation, with the average American household spending $11,434 more annually since January 2021, particularly impacting the poor who face significant debt obstacles.

This year, inflation is threatening to put a dent in Christmas festivities. The cost of gifts, meals, and trips to see family and friends have gone up, to name a few common items. And Americans are noticing.

The pinch is particularly painful for those from the lower classes. Putting aside the greater cost of material items, a more expensive holiday means that those who are struggling will have a more challenging time enjoying the relational aspects of the holiday, including being with family while celebrating treasured traditions and connecting around meals.

What’s clear from these data points is that America’s recent burst of high inflation—which soared to a 40-year high in the aftermath of pandemic-related shutdowns, supply chain disruptions, and government stimulus overspending—has driven up the cost of goods and services and inflicted an “inflation tax” that disproportionately hits the poorest Americans the hardest.

At the Georgia Center for Opportunity, our mission is built around promoting human flourishing—especially for those on the margins. The high cost of Christmas this year matters because it reflects the reality that high inflation reduces people’s ability to access the opportunities that shape a meaningful life.

By the numbers: Inflation’s effect on household budgets

Just how bad is it this year? Nationally, a recent report found that the average American household now spends $11,434 more annually to maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed in January 2021. Worse, they’re using credit cards to finance everyday purchases—running up debt and leaving very little extra for the holidays.

For the poor, debt can become an insurmountable obstacle to moving up the economic ladder. Low-income households spend around 26% of their income each month on debt, compared to around 4% for wealthy households (even though wealthy households carry far more debt on average).

On a personal level, this decreased purchasing power means that more families teetering on the economic edge are struggling to put food on the table during the normal year—let alone for special meals around the holidays. A recent survey found that 50% of Americans say Santa will be less generous this Christmas due to inflation—and that one in three won’t be getting presents this year.

Even for those who plan to spend money this holiday season, 28% say it will be less than last year. And nearly 20% will apply for new credit cards to finance their purchases—despite the fact that nearly 25% still carry holiday debt from last year.

So how expensive are traditional items that Americans associate with the holidays in 2023? PNC Bank’s Christmas Price Index (CPI) shows the overall cost for Christmas festivities has gone up nearly 20% since 2021. For example, Christmas breakfast classics like bacon and eggs are up 24% and 41%, respectively, since 2021, while Christmas dinner pork chops are up 20%.

Gas prices are up 55% over the same time period, making transportation to and from work even more difficult for the poor. Meanwhile, the price to buy a used car has jumped by 22%.

Even home energy costs have risen so much that some families must decide between heating their homes and buying presents. Since September 2021, the cost to heat homes and keep lights on has risen 20% for electricity and 18% for gas.

It is a complex problem caused by a myriad of systems and choices but the implications are substantial. Inflation is having a catastrophic impact on those living in poverty. We discuss what is causing it and what we must do to address it.

Finding joy in the season

A recent Financial Times–Michigan Ross poll found that 82% of Americans say that price increases are their biggest source of financial stress. So even as the jobless rate improves and inflation cools, many consumers simply aren’t feeling it. And this translates into pessimism about the economy as we move into the 2023 holiday shopping season.

It doesn’t have to be that way. During the holiday season, the GCO message of giving hope and opportunity to those who most need it couldn’t be more needed. It’s painful to realize how much many of our neighbors are struggling with the high cost of inflation. But it’s a great invitation for communities to come together and offer support in ways the government can’t.

We can make the biggest difference by starting small and close to home.

Ask Dr. E: What should national leaders do to rescue America from an economic trainwreck?

by Eric Cochling | Dec 13, 2023

Ask Dr. E: What should national leaders do to rescue America from an economic trainwreck?

OPINION:

Dear Dr. E: The American economy is a mess. Few could argue otherwise, at least with a straight face. Inflation is out of control. Our national debt is unsustainable. Social Security is teetering on bankruptcy. Homeownership is out of the question for millions of young people. Credit card debt is unbelievable. The list could go on and on. Is there any one specific thing you believe our national leaders should do that would rescue America from the economic trainwreck that seems inevitable? — REALISTIC AND WORRIED WORKING MAN FROM ALABAMA

Many of our socioeconomic issues are directly linked to the health of the family structure. Suppose the family structure falls in any civilization. In that case, the number of married couples decreases, economic mobility decreases, median family income decreases, child poverty increases, racial tension increases, and educational tensions increase. The success of an economy is directly related to the stability of the family structure. You cannot have one without the other. Eric Cochling of the Georgia Center for Opportunity says, “To reinvigorate opportunity in America, we must start by restoring the health and vitality of the American family. Nothing less will do.” If the family falls, so does the economy.

Read the full article here