Poll: Half of Georgians don’t want budget cuts

Poll: Half of Georgians don’t want budget cuts

by | Jan 10, 2020

Most Georgians don’t want to see state budget cuts, according to a poll released Thursday, but critics say the language used in the survey was overly suggestive.

The survey conducted by the left-leaning Georgia Budget & Policy Institute found that about half of Georgians are in favor of more state spending, and most do not support budget cuts.

A little more than 1,000 registered Georgia voters from across the state were polled by the nonprofit research organization…

However, Corey Burres, spokesperson for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, said the verbiage used in the poll was meant to influence the responses.

 “For instance, in question 2, the poll begins with ‘Most of these budget cuts will affect agencies focused on public safety, health care and education,'” he said. “However, the governor exempted education and health care from those cuts, so it is a bit misleading to lead a poll question with this type of information.”

 

Read the full article here

Forming A Family – The importance of exploring paid family leave

Forming A Family – The importance of exploring paid family leave

by | Jan 10, 2020

Forming A Family – The importance of exploring paid family leave

Family formation is a cornerstone step in the success sequence. It also is a difficult topic to address. We know family is important to upward mobility and opportunity, but how do we foster it? One initiative being discussed, even at a national level, is paid family leave.

 

 

Why Time Together Matters

family on vacation in the oceanRecently I took the family on a vacation.  We slept in a hotel room with beds mere feet from each other, shared street-vendor meals, crammed into a small vehicle and drove hours together, and walked miles side-by-side for seven straight days.

When we came home, we were tired, smelly and done being with each other. Each child (and adult) immediately found their own room and spent some much needed alone time. Since then, however, we have spent more time hanging out and talking. Less time on our phones and more time just being together. But why?

Because even for an introvert like myself, connection with each other and the bonds of a family are strengthened by proximity.

 

 

Time Together Establishes Healthy Relational Bonds

These bonds are even more important at a young age. Time with our children, especially in their infancy, is important to establishing lifelong healthy attachments. These healthy relationships will be the basis for family formation in a child’s life.

That is why we are taking the lead on the discussion of paid family leave. Creating an open dialogue that outlines, not just the importance, but the manner in which we institute such a system is vital to the support of stronger families. The U.S. is one of the only first-world nations that has not addressed this issue at a policy level. 

The issue is particularly impactful to the stability and formation for families in lower income areas. It is why Georgians and the Georgia Center for Opportunity must take the lead on guiding conversations on this.

 

 

Join us for our discussion on this important subject
next week at GA Tech!

Poll: Half of Georgians don’t want budget cuts

Georgia recoups about as much money in food stamp fraud as it spends

by | Dec 26, 2019

Georgia officials spend about as much investigating claims of food stamp fraud as they recoup for the state.

 

In the 2019 fiscal year, Georgia investigators spent more than $7.2 million to look into claims of fraud. Investigators found that $8.4 million in food stamps were wrongly distributed in 2,985 cases. State officials won’t say how much money they’ve recovered — the federal government releases that information — but in previous years it’s been in the neighborhood of 80%…

Buzz Brockway, the vice president of public policy for the think tank Georgia Center for Opportunity, said while the percentage of fraud is relatively low compared with the number of people who receive the benefits, he believes it’s important for the state to investigate and punish those involved.

 

“You want to try to prevent fraud when you can by putting safeguards in place to make sure the programs are benefiting the people (they were meant to benefit),” said Brockway, a former state House representative.

 

Read the full article here

Poll: Half of Georgians don’t want budget cuts

Georgia Senate committee votes to maintain felon rights restrictions

by | Dec 19, 2019

The Senate Study Committee on Revising Voting Rights for Nonviolent Felony Offenders decided Wednesday to keep Georgia’s constitution as it is.

The members voted 3-2 in favor of continuing to restrict nearly 250,000 convicted Georgia felons from voting.

According to Georgia’s law, people who have been convicted of crimes with moral turpitude cannot vote until they complete their full sentence, including probation or parole. The U.S. Department of Justice defines moral turpitude as “conduct that shocks the public conscience.”

The state’s constitution does not clearly define the term, however, leaving all felonies subject to the law.

The committee was created to study which specific nonviolent crimes should be eligible for voting rights restoration based upon the moral turpitude exemption. Over four months, the committee heard testimony from advocacy groups on different sides of criminal justice reform.

According to the Georgia Center for Opportunity, one in 13 adults in Georgia is in jail, prison, on probation or parole. That’s significantly higher than the national average of one in 31.

 

Read the full article here

The Little Things: Keeping Perspective On Thanksgiving

The Little Things: Keeping Perspective On Thanksgiving

by | Nov 25, 2019

The Little Things: Keeping Perspective On Thanksgiving

Like many of you, this Thanksgiving our family will sit around a large table filled with decorations, turkey, stuffing,  mashed potatoes, that odd jello that your distant aunt insists on bringing, and those that we love. At some point, someone will clang a glass to announce a few things they are thankful for. Others will join in, prayers will be said, and then we will converge into a moment of gorging ourselves on the bountiful blessings in front of us.

It’s a picture that will be repeated in many family homes across the country as we come together this Thanksgiving day. 

These moments of reflection help us keep perspective on our lives, but also on the lives of others. We still live in a nation where nearly 49 million people are in poverty, including almost 14 million children. Their Thanksgiving dinner will likely be much different than our own.

The point of mentioning that is not to make anyone feel guilty, but rather to bring understanding and perspective on the blessings and responsibilities we do have. The truth is that we do not all face the same obstacles or opportunities in life.

Thanksgiving is a unique time for us to reflect on the opportunities we do have. Many of us, but not all, have had the opportunity to take advantage of a good education, a good job, and even a supportive family structure. These seemingly small things have helped set us up for success.

As you sit down this year and enjoy the time with family, dinner, and even the jello, remember the small things which brought you to this moment. Reflect on the opportunities afforded to you. And consider those less fortunate who are still waiting for their “little things” to arrive.

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