Can Cash Payments Help Atlanta’s Poor? | AJC

by Corey Burres | Nov 22, 2021

Can Cash Payments Help Atlanta’s Poor? | AJC

Almost three years ago, a simple yet radical experiment was begun in Stockton, Calif., based on an idea floated by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. more than half a century ago.

With no strings attached, 125 low-income residents were given $500 a month for two years.

They spent their money on food, clothes, home goods, auto costs and utilities or saved it as a cushion for emergencies. Many were spurred to find better jobs. Most reported feeling a greater sense of well-being and less anxiety and depression, organizers said…

Buzz Brockway, a former Republican state legislator now at the right-leaning think tank Georgia Center for Opportunity, said he’s open to programs that provide a flexible hand-up for low-income families. But he said such initiatives should be focused on people who are working, actively seeking a job or in a training program.

“We think that what’s important is that people begin to earn their way to self-sufficiency,” he said.

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School choice should be an easy choice | Gainesville Times

by Corey Burres | Nov 12, 2021

School choice should be an easy choice | Gainesville Times

Schools are not one size fits all and school choice is a freedom that all should have. According to the Georgia Center for Opportunity, the goal of school choice is to ensure that all families have options when it comes to quality education for their child whether that be public, private, homeschool, or even online and hybrid options.

Unfortunately, in most cases, the opportunity for school choice is weighed heavily on where a family lives. It is unfair and unreasonable to expect that a family move to or live out of their means in an affluent neighborhood, requiring them to pay hefty mortgages in order to send their child to the school of their choice in that area…

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Inflation hits 30-year high as holiday season nears | Center Square

by Corey Burres | Nov 10, 2021

Inflation hits 30-year high as holiday season nears | Center Square

The prices of everyday goods are getting increasingly more expensive, new federal data confirm.

The Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday released its monthly report on the consumer price index, a key marker of inflation, which showed that consumer prices rose 0.9% in October and are currently rising at the fastest rate in decades…

Erik Randolph, director of research for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, disagrees, pointing to increased spending under the Biden administration as a cause for concern.

“Hoping that inflation is just transitory may be wishful thinking at this point,” Randolph said. “This October report is a warning bell for Congress and the Federal Reserve to focus on fiscal spending and monetary causes. As Congress proposes spending more on programs using debt, they are at risk of causing more financial woes and not the relief they seek.”

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Georgia jobless rate lowest in decades, but workers quitting clouds good news | GEORGIA RECORDER

by Corey Burres | Oct 29, 2021

Georgia jobless rate lowest in decades, but workers quitting clouds good news | GEORGIA RECORDER

Fewer Georgians filed initial unemployment insurance claims last month than in the weeks leading up to the pandemic last year, and the state’s unemployment rate hit 3.2%, a 20-year low.

Those are two welcome signs of economic recovery after record-breaking layoffs sent workers home across the state, but celebrations of those numbers should be tempered by the large number of Georgians quitting their jobs and not seeking new employment…

That difference equals more than 88,000 people no longer on the job since the start of the pandemic, said Georgia Center for Opportunity director of research Erik Randolph.

“But even this does not describe the full extent of the problem,” Randolph said. “Georgia’s economy was humming before the pandemic, and accounting for Georgia’s employment growth prior to the recession, around 240,000 workers have disappeared from the labor force. This shows that we still have much work to do to reinvigorate our economy and help people find employment that allows them to support themselves and their families and better their communities.”

“We do have some decent data on why people were not going to work in between August and September. We saw a small uptick in the number of people who said that they don’t want to be employed, but much larger increases in the number of people who said that they weren’t working because they themselves were sick, or they were caring for someone with COVID-19 symptoms,” he said. “The number of people who were not working because they were worried about getting sick also doubled, and these are statistics specifically for Georgia.”

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Lawrenceville awarded $5 million grant to support youth, families | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

by Corey Burres | Sep 30, 2021

Lawrenceville awarded $5 million grant to support youth, families | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Lawrenceville plans to use a $5 million federal grant to connect families to mental health resources, strengthen a program that sends clinicians out on police calls and create programs to engage and support youth.

City Council unanimously accepted the five-year grant from a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during a Monday meeting. The city will use the funds by partnering with local organizations, including Impact46, Georgia Center for Opportunity and Families First.

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DonorsTrust Launches Giving Ventures Podcast | MENAFN

by Corey Burres | Sep 17, 2021

DonorsTrust Launches Giving Ventures Podcast | MENAFN

This week the team at DonorsTrust , a donor-advised fund committed to encouraging philanthropic giving and protecting donor intent, launched a new podcast focusing on philanthropy. The Giving Ventures podcast explores innovative projects and problem-solving initiatives made possible by support from DonorsTrust account holders.

“We are excited to provide a forum where donors with a pro-liberty mindset can learn more about great work on exciting projects that may otherwise get missed,” explained Peter Lipsett, Vice President at DonorsTrust and Giving Ventures host.“My colleagues and I regularly engage with groups aiming to limit government, grow personal responsibility, and strengthen free enterprise. The podcast allows us to share insights and ideas from these conversations, ideally leading to even more philanthropic activity…

Guests for the inaugural episode include:

Randy Hicks , president, and chief executive officer of the Georgia Center for Opportunity , discusses the ways the organization is combating poverty in the Peach State.

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