Alan Essig Blog Budget and Taxes March Revenue Review: Revenue Growth Insufficient to Fund Reserves April 10, 2012 / January 16, 2020 by Alan Essig | 1 Comment on March Revenue Review: Revenue Growth Insufficient to Fund Reserves In order to grow jobs and maintain a strong economy Georgia policy makers need to get Georgia’s fiscal house in order. Maintaining our AAA bond rating and making the investments in education, transportation, and healthcare are vital for a strong state economy and robust job growth. The March revenue report shows a slight increase in […] Read more » rainy day fund revenue report Revenue Shortfall Reserve RSR State Budget
Alan Essig Blog New Report Shows That Texas’ Economic Model Is Not All It Seems April 5, 2012 / January 16, 2020 by Alan Essig Some claim that Georgia’s public policies should emulate those of Texas; however, a review of the Texas economic model by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities clearly shows why Texas is not a model Georgia can or should follow. Although Texas is out pacing most states in job growth, it’s important to point out […] Read more » Alan Essig economic policies Texas Economic Model
Alan Essig Budget and Taxes Fact Sheets Library Reports Senate Resolution 20, The Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) March 23, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Alan Essig | 2 Comments on Senate Resolution 20, The Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) Senate Resolution 20, The Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), is flawed legislation that would amend the Georgia State Constitution to limit the growth of state revenues and expenditures to a formula of population plus government inflation growth. Colorado, the only state to implement TABOR, has since suspended it because it contributed to systemic underfunding of […] Read more » Alan Essig Senate Resolution 20 SR 20 State Budget TABOR Taxpayer Bill of Rights
Blog Budget and Taxes Georgia’s Problems Go Deeper Than Fee Diversions March 16, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Alan Essig Posted by: Alan Essig The controversy over fees being diverted from their intended purposes and instead used for other things is really a symptom of a bigger problem: Georgia lacks the money to invest in education, transportation, public safety and other building blocks of job creation and economic growth. Over the past few years, tens […] Read more » Alan Essig Blog Free Diversions HB 811 House Bill 811 State Budget
Blog Budget and Taxes Health Justice House Shows Promise in Restoring Health Funding March 8, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Alan Essig Read more » Adult Addictive Diseases Program Blog Children’s 1st Program Clare Richie State Budget TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Alan Essig Budget and Taxes Featured Library Reports FY 2013 Budget Analysis: House Budget March 8, 2012 / January 16, 2020 by Alan Essig | 2 Comments on FY 2013 Budget Analysis: House Budget Overall, the House FY 2013 Appropriations Bill, HB 742, referred to as the House FY 2013 Budget contains relatively minor adjustments to the governor’s budget proposal. Many of the adjustments restore some of the additional cuts as well as replace some of the federal TANF funding cuts with state funds. Download the budget analysis for highlights of some […] Read more » Alan Essig Budget Analysis FY 2013 Budget House Budget Policy Report State Budget
Alan Essig Blog Think Low Business Taxes Fuel Job Growth? Think Again. March 5, 2012 / January 16, 2020 by Alan Essig | 1 Comment on Think Low Business Taxes Fuel Job Growth? Think Again. Once again Georgia is shown to be a low tax state. The Tax Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington D.C., released a national study that compares how much different companies pay in taxes. The study reveals that Georgia has the 3rd lowest business tax costs for mature operations and the 6th lowest for newly-established […] Read more » Alan Essig Blog Budget & Taxes job growth State Taxes taxes
Alan Essig Blog Budget and Taxes Op-ed: So-called fix is a proven failure (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) February 22, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Alan Essig | 2 Comments on Op-ed: So-called fix is a proven failure (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) As posted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Plans to eliminate or drastically cut personal income taxes and replace them with other levies are in vogue in several states. Georgia policy makers would do well to ignore the siren’s call. Such a tax shift would do nothing to help the state’s economy. It would, in fact, hurt […] Read more » Alan Essig Atlanta Journal-Constitution Blog Op-Ed state income tax State Taxes
Alan Essig Blog Guest Blogger: Matthew Gardner | Reality Check: “High Rate” Income Tax States are Outperforming No-Tax States February 16, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Alan Essig | 2 Comments on Guest Blogger: Matthew Gardner | Reality Check: “High Rate” Income Tax States are Outperforming No-Tax States The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) recently released a report that destroys the myth that states without an income tax perform better economically than the states with high income tax rates. ITEP’s Executive Director Matthew Gardner is our guest blogger this week: Reality Check: “High Rate” Income Tax States are Outperforming No-Tax States […] Read more » Blog Budget & Taxes Guest Blogger Income Tax Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy ITEP Matthew Gardner
Alan Essig Blog Cedric Johnson K-12 Education Op-ed: Hope Reform 2.0 (Athens Banner-Herald) February 9, 2012 / January 16, 2020 by Alan Essig | 3 Comments on Op-ed: Hope Reform 2.0 (Athens Banner-Herald) Essig, Johnson: HOPE, pre-k need sustainable path As published in Athens Banner-Herald Understanding the realities of lottery funding in Georgia is as simple as a word problem in math class. Take a look: Train A departs Hope City station at 70 miles per hour. Train B departs from the same station 30 minutes later going […] Read more » Alan Essig Blog Cedric Johnson Education HOPE Scholarship Op-Ed Pre-K