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

by Eric Cochling | Dec 13, 2023

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

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

Food Stamps: New Report Outlines 5 Possible Ways To Combat SNAP ‘Benefits Cliffs’ at Federal Level — Would They Save Recipients Money?

by Erik Randolph | Nov 28, 2023

Food Stamps: New Report Outlines 5 Possible Ways To Combat SNAP ‘Benefits Cliffs’ at Federal Level — Would They Save Recipients Money?

A benefits cliff is when a household loses more in net income and benefits from governmental assistance programs — like SNAP — than it gains from additional earnings. According to a report by the Georgia Center for Opportunity, this net loss is a “perverse incentive” discouraging any desire to increase income.

“The very basic concept is that when you lose more in taxes and benefits than you receive from a gain in additional earnings, that’s how we’re defining a cliff,” Erik Randolph, GCO’s research director, told The Center Square. “Let’s say that you get a pay raise worth $2,000, but you actually lose $3,000, you’re $1,000 behind; you’re worse off financially than what you were.”

Read the full article here

Georgia report finds steps Congress should take to SNAP ‘benefits cliffs’

by Erik Randolph | Nov 28, 2023

Georgia report finds steps Congress should take to SNAP ‘benefits cliffs’

Design flaws in the federal food stamp program hinder recipients’ upward economic mobility and effectively force them into governmental dependency.

That’s the upshot of a new Georgia Center for Opportunity report exploring possible solutions for addressing the benefits cliffs in safety-net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Erik Randolph, GCO’s research director, told The Center Square that the report — “Solving the Food Assistance (SNAP) Benefits Cliffs” — identified several steps federal authorities can take to ensure that SNAP functions as safety net programs should. In doing so, the federal government can eliminate SNAP benefit cliffs without spending more money.

“The very basic concept is that when you lose more in taxes and benefits than you receive from a gain in additional earnings, that’s how we’re defining a cliff,” Randolph said. “Let’s say that you get a pay raise worth $2,000, but you actually lose $3,000, you’re $1,000 behind; you’re worse off financially than what you were.

“The trade-off is that you can accept the pay raise but end up with less money,” Randolph added. “If someone’s acting in a rational manner, why would they do that? But in the long term, it’s going to harm them because it’s going to reduce their economic mobility. So, the system shouldn’t have that as part of it. It should be a hand up and not a handout that prevents you from making the right decision or that’s encouraging you to make the wrong decision.”

Read the full article here

Getting serious about teen violence in Washington, D.C.: Louisville, Kentucky, provides a solution

by Josh Crawford | Nov 28, 2023

Getting serious about teen violence in Washington, D.C.: Louisville, Kentucky, provides a solution

In this opinion editorial published in The Washington Times, Joshua Crawford highlights the escalating crime crisis in Washington, D.C., particularly focusing on a significant surge in violent crimes, including a staggering 104% increase in carjackings from the previous year. Crawford points out that a majority of carjacking arrestees in the city are under 18, with many being repeat offenders associated with or recruited by street gangs. The author suggests that Washington can learn from Louisville, Kentucky’s successful efforts to address teen violence. In Louisville, Republican state Rep. Kevin Bratcher spearheaded House Bill 3, a comprehensive measure aimed at holding violent juvenile offenders accountable and providing treatment. The bill mandates immediate detention for juveniles charged with serious violent offenses, offering a disruptive intervention in the cycle of violence. It also allocates funds for a new detention center and treatment programs, including cognitive behavioral therapy.

“The new law creates early intervention points for truants who show no improvement in their diversion programs. It does so by allowing an interdisciplinary team to alter the treatment modalities earlier and a judge to hold noncompliant parents accountable if they willingly refuse to aid in their child’s diversion plan. Unresolved truancy is strongly predictive of future juvenile delinquency and even adult criminality. So, getting it right with those children today can prevent serious violence tomorrow.”

Crawford emphasizes the importance of early intervention, proposing measures like altering treatment modalities for truants and holding noncompliant parents accountable. He also advocates for stronger penalties for adults involved in driving juvenile violence, citing the success of Kentucky’s stricter penalties for recruiting juveniles into gangs.

The article concludes by asserting that, while juvenile violence continues to rise in Washington, D.C., Louisville has seen a leveling off and signs of decline in total shootings, suggesting that bold action and the adoption of effective policies can reverse the trend in public safety.

Read the full opinion editorial in The Washington Times.

New crime dashboard will report ‘real-time gun violence’ to expand transparency in Louisville

by Josh Crawford | Nov 27, 2023

New crime dashboard will report ‘real-time gun violence’ to expand transparency in Louisville

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg will hold a press conference Tuesday, introducing a real-time, comprehensive reporting tool that will expand information transparency on the city’s crime statistics.

A media release said the dashboard aims to create more collaborative work opportunities with and within the Louisville community.

“As a general rule, more data and more transparency is a good thing,” said Joshua Crawford, the Director of Criminal Justice at the Center of Opportunity.

Crawford sees a lot of benefits with this new dashboard. One of them being allowing people to see the reality of violence in the city.

“One of the things that people get wrong is that they think entire neighborhoods are riddled with violence,” Crawford said. “What a dashboard like this can demonstrate is that there are parts of the city people may feel uncomfortable being in, but there’s really not a reason to be uncomfortable because they’re not as violent as people perceive them to be.”

That’s not to say that there isn’t violence in the city. LMPD says there’s been 140 homicides so far this year.

Crawford said the violence happens at the micro location level.

“So at the one block street segment level, or at the outside of particular bar level, or the outside of particular abandoned buildings level,” he said.

Crawford says it’ll not only benefit people to know where there’s a history of violence, but also it might ease some concerns.

“To know that a particular area is not nearly as violent or criminogenic as you thought has benefit as well,” Crawford said.

With people being able to see all the information in real time, we asked Crawford if the areas with a higher level of violence will be ostracized.

“I think that’s only possible if you don’t do anything about it,” he said. “If it continues unabated then it may have that problem, but that’s a failure of government as much as it is this dashboard.”

Crawford said officials need to send services and resources to areas of violence to help the citizens in those places.

Read the full article here

Josh Crawford, Covid Becomes an Excuse for Crime. The focus on comparing 2019 and 2022 rates obscures how bad policy has worsened violence. | The Steve Gruber Show

by Josh Crawford | Nov 14, 2023

Josh Crawford, Covid Becomes an Excuse for Crime. The focus on comparing 2019 and 2022 rates obscures how bad policy has worsened violence. | The Steve Gruber Show

Josh Crawford serves as the Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, leading efforts in public safety and re-entry programs. In his work, he addresses the impact of bad policy on violence, cautioning against solely comparing crime rates between 2019 and 2022 as it may overlook the role of policy decisions in exacerbating the issue, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crawford contends that the pandemic should not be used as a blanket excuse for rising crime rates, emphasizing the need to critically examine and address underlying policy issues contributing to the problem.

Listen to the show