Blog People Powered Prosperity: A People-First Economic Vision for Georgia January 25, 2018 / February 26, 2021 by Wesley Tharpe Georgia today fails to fully leverage the state’s most powerful economic asset—its own people. The most successful, prosperous states are those that build a broad and inclusive middle class, with ample opportunities for people to work their way into it. When families hold good-paying jobs and have money to spend at local shops and restaurants, […] Read more » Economic Security Education health Higher Education HOPE Scholarship medicaid Safety Net
Blog People Powered Prosperity: An Investment Plan to Unlock Georgia’s Economic Potential January 23, 2018 / February 26, 2021 by Wesley Tharpe Georgia today fails to fully leverage the state’s most powerful economic asset—its own people. The most successful, prosperous states are those that build a broad and inclusive middle class, with ample opportunities for people to work their way into it. When families hold good-paying jobs and have money to spend at local shops and restaurants, […] Read more »
Reports People-Powered Prosperity: Endnotes and Acknowledgements January 23, 2018 / June 3, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Acknowledgements The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute thanks the many national organizations whose guidance, support and data were instrumental in crafting and strengthening this report, including the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, Economic Policy Institute, Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy, PolicyLink, Working Poor Families Project and the Equality of Opportunity Project, among others. […] Read more »
Blog People-Powered Prosperity: Georgia Can Afford an Ambitious Investment in its People January 23, 2018 / January 16, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe To achieve broad-based prosperity, Georgia must adopt policies that bolster investments in communities and empower more people to succeed. Such a strategy comes with a price for Georgia taxpayers, just like any effort to address shared challenges and pursue common goals. Making technical college tuition-free is likely to cost no more than $40 million per […] Read more »
Blog People-Powered Prosperity: Thriving Families January 23, 2018 / January 25, 2021 by Wesley Tharpe When parents have money in their pockets to make ends meet and to save or invest in their families’ future, the overall economy gains. Policies such as stronger child care assistance and targeted tax breaks for families can help parents contribute more to the workforce by better balancing career and caregiving responsibilities, while also creating […] Read more »
Blog People-Powered Prosperity: Healthy Communities January 23, 2018 / January 25, 2021 by Wesley Tharpe Part of building a strong economy that makes good use of everyone’s potential is ensuring people are healthy so they can contribute. People are more likely to show up to work on time, get the job done right or start a new business when they’re able to see the doctor when they get sick or […] Read more »
Blog People-Powered Prosperity: Skilled Workers January 23, 2018 / January 25, 2021 by Wesley Tharpe Companies and entrepreneurs thrive when they can find workers with a rich set of skills. Support for higher education, training services and basic literacy that offer lifelong learning opportunities for people are among the policies that can help Georgia fill workforce gaps and empower Georgians to transform their lives, improve their earnings and career opportunities […] Read more »
Blog People-Powered Prosperity: Educated Youth January 23, 2018 / January 25, 2021 by Wesley Tharpe For Georgia to grow a strong workforce and economy, the state needs a rock-solid foundation. That starts with relentless investment in early education and K-12 public schools. A workforce able to compete in the 21st century needs a constant supply of young people on track to become self-sufficient contributors to society. Students need both specific […] Read more »
Blog People-Powered Prosperity Background: Georgia’s People Hold Untapped Value January 22, 2018 / February 26, 2021 by Wesley Tharpe Any case for where a state needs to go must begin with a story of where it is, where things fall short and why a different path could prove better. Today, Georgia’s economy provides high profits and decent economic gains—to some. But the average Georgian is barely gaining ground, stuck in place or left out […] Read more »
Blog Budget and Taxes Higher Education Wesley Tharpe Five Things Georgians Should Know About This Week’s Federal Tax Vote November 28, 2017 / January 14, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe The U.S. Senate is set to vote as soon as this Thursday on a major tax package that poses serious risks to regular Georgia families and the state’s future prosperity. Bottom line, like its House counterpart, the current plan includes a massive corporate tax cut, a big new loophole for wealthy investors, a dramatic expansion […] Read more » Budget & Taxes health Higher Education State Taxes tax breaks tax cuts Wesley Tharpe
