Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson State Budget Leaves Needs of Many Unmet April 8, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson The Georgia Legislature approved a 2014 budget March 28 for the Department of Human Services that is an improvement over the governor’s 2014 budget proposal, but still leaves the needs of large numbers of Georgians unmet. The budget sustains the 20 percent cut to the department’s resources since 2009. It does not add child and […] Read more »
Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson GSU Study Conclusion is Flawed March 15, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson | 2 Comments on GSU Study Conclusion is Flawed A new study that casts vital family supports in a bad light relies on far-fetched assumptions about the way people behave in real life and ignores the proven benefits of services for children and parents. In fact, the study’s breezy conclusion that food stamps, subsidized child care and other supports discourage work, marriage and other […] Read more »
Author Reports Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice “Invest Georgia” Has Merit, Cannot Take Priority Over Other Needs March 5, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Two bills under consideration by the General Assembly would create an ambitious new economic development program, “Invest Georgia.” It would direct $100 million in state money over five years to improve Georgia businesses’ access to venture capital – an important form of financing for new companies and entrepreneurs. Senate Bill 224 (SB 224) and House […] Read more »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Georgia’s Reaction to Reports of Welfare Waste Poses Administrative Nightmare February 27, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson This week the General Assembly began considering House Bill 138 (HB 138), legislation designed to discourage the misuse of cash benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Though seemingly well-intentioned, the bill could present a huge logistical challenge for retailers, all in an attempt to remedy a problem that may not be […] Read more » Melissa Johnson TANF
Budget and Taxes Reports Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice “Georgia Renaissance Act” is Well-Intentioned, but Costly | Bill Analysis: House Bill 128 February 15, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Dubbed the Georgia Renaissance Act, House Bill 128 would create $30 million worth of new tax credits aimed at revitalizing local downtowns, making it one of Georgia’s costliest economic development programs. The proposal calls for a mix of tax incentives to entice Georgia businesses and real estate developers to renovate existing buildings or launch new […] Read more » State Taxes
Budget and Taxes Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Reports Overview: Georgia’s 2014 Fiscal Year Human Services February 8, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson State Spending Cuts Borne Most Heavily by Most Vulnerable The governor’s budget proposals for the next 17 months do not meet the growing needs of Georgia’s most vulnerable children and adults. In some cases they place them even more at risk. The state’s spending plans will make it more difficult for the Department of Human […] Read more » Department of Human Services Economic Security Melissa Johnson Safety Net State Budget
Author Budget and Taxes Reports Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice Overview: Georgia’s Fiscal 2014 Economic Development February 7, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe State Raises Commitment to Economic Development, Shifts Money Around The overview of Georgia’s 2014 fiscal year budget for economic development report reviews the proposed 2014 budget and the impact it has on economic development. The governor’s proposals for the remainder of the current budget year and for fiscal 2014 maintain the status quo for economic […] Read more » economic development economy State Budget Wesley Tharpe
Fact Sheets Policy Areas Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice Georgia Still Adding Jobs, though Public Sector Lagging Behind January 9, 2013 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Though still not firing on all cylinders, Georgia’s economy continues to add jobs at a comparatively strong pace, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Georgia’s rate of job growth has exceeded the national average over the past 12 months (1.65 percent vs. 1.43 percent), and the state’s jobless rate has […] Read more » jobs count Wesley Tharpe
Cash and Safety Net State of Working Georgia 2012 November 19, 2012 / March 5, 2021 by GBPI Admin | 5 Comments on State of Working Georgia 2012 The State of Working Georgia brings together a wide range of data on jobs, incomes, poverty, health insurance, and other economic conditions to explore the most important question facing Georgia’s leaders: how are ordinary working Georgians, the engine behind the state’s economy, faring? The report is produced annually and is part of the State of […] Read more » Economic Security employment Safety Net State of Working Georgia
Cash and Safety Net Clare S. Richie The 5th poorest state needs to step up November 15, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Clare Richie | 2 Comments on The 5th poorest state needs to step up Posted by Clare S. Richie Nearly one in five Georgians — and one out of four children — lives in poverty. That’s a lot: in only four other states is the poverty rate higher. We’re talking about an income of $22,350 for a family of four. That’s less than half of what it takes for […] Read more » Economic Security poverty Safety Net
