Blog Timothy Sweeney Census Data Underscores Urgency for Medicaid Expansion September 14, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Posted by Timothy Sweeney Georgia once again was among the worst in the country in terms of health insurance coverage, according to new Census data released Wednesday. But a closer look at the numbers offers insights on who is hardest hit and how the state can help Georgians get the health insurance they need. Nearly […] Read more » Affordable Care Act health medicaid Medicaid Expansion Tim Sweeney
Alan Essig Author Blog Budget and Taxes K-12 Education State Budget Cuts Equal Tuition Increases for Georgia’s Technical College Students September 7, 2012 / January 16, 2020 by Alan Essig | 1 Comment on State Budget Cuts Equal Tuition Increases for Georgia’s Technical College Students The Governor’s request for another 3 percent budget cut will mean less money for Georgia’s technical colleges, forcing a 13 percent tuition increase for students and delivering another blow to the state’s economic future. Beginning in January, a student taking a full 15-hour course load will see a $150 increase in tuition per semester. All […] Read more » Alan Essig Budget Budget & Taxes Budget Cuts HOPE Scholarship State Budget Technical College System of Georgia
Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe Georgia’s Revenue and Investment Fall to Nationwide Lows September 7, 2012 / January 16, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe When it comes to investing in a prosperous future, Georgia has gone from the middle of the pack in 1989 to near the bottom today. That’s the conclusion of a new report by Georgia State University’s Fiscal Research Center that should be required reading for policymakers who take pride in slashing revenue and spending to […] Read more » Budget Budget & Taxes Budget Cuts revenues State Budget State Taxes Wesley Tharpe
Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Expanding Medicaid to cover more Georgians is a great deal for Georgia August 29, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney | 3 Comments on Expanding Medicaid to cover more Georgians is a great deal for Georgia Posted by Timothy Sweeney Despite Governor Deal’s recent comments indicating that he is unlikely to expand Medicaid, doing so remains Georgia’s best and most affordable option to make health insurance available to hundreds of thousands of Georgians who currently lack it. Financially, the expansion is a great deal for Georgia because the federal government will […] Read more » Affordable Care Act health Medicaid Expansion Tim Sweeney
Blog Budget and Taxes Clare S. Richie The Shell Game Continues August 27, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Clare Richie Posted by Clare S. Richie The game of robbing Peter to pay Paul continues in Georgia. To keep one critical budget intact, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is proposing cuts to two other critical programs. In the end, everybody loses. DHS proposes to fill some gaps in the amended 2013 budget by shuffling around […] Read more » Budget Budget & Taxes Budget Cuts Clare Richie Department of Human Services State Budget
Alan Essig Author Blog Budget and Taxes Without New Revenue, Outlook is Bleak for Upcoming Budgets August 24, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Alan Essig Another round of damaging cuts to schools, health care, public safety and other vital services is looming unless the governor and General Assembly take a balanced approach to the state’s ongoing budget crisis, one that includes additional revenue. Despite four years of crippling cuts, revenues continue to lag, and the Governor’s Office of Planning and […] Read more » Alan Essig Budget Budget & Taxes Budget Cuts State Budget
Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney New Revenue Needed To Invest in Medicaid August 23, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney | 4 Comments on New Revenue Needed To Invest in Medicaid Posted by Timothy Sweeney Today at the Department of Community Health Board meeting, the state failed to outline how it would address its funding shortfall and instead chose to blame the federal government’s lack of “flexibility” for funding issues facing Medicaid and PeachCare programs. But blaming the federal government for the state’s budget woes is […] Read more » health medicaid Medicaid Expansion Tim Sweeney
Blog K-12 Education Taifa Smith Butler Powerball: Where the Dollars Go August 20, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler | 2 Comments on Powerball: Where the Dollars Go Posted by Taifa S. Butler When the Powerball jackpot reached more than $320 million last week — the fourth-largest jackpot ever – that was good news for Georgia students, since the more lottery tickets people buy, the more money there is for HOPE college scholarships. Of course, you must play to win. And the odds […] Read more » Cedric Johnson Education HOPE Scholarship Taifa Smith Butler
Alan Essig Blog Budget and Taxes Spending reductions, recurring budget deficits August 15, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Alan Essig | 2 Comments on Spending reductions, recurring budget deficits Posted by Alan Essig As published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Here is an opinion piece from the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute’s executive director Alan Essig on Georgia’s fiscal crisis and the solutions that help move the state forward. The numbers don’t add up for Georgia. They haven’t in years – and they won’t any […] Read more » Alan Essig Budget Budget & Taxes Budget Cuts State Budget state revenue
Blog Wesley Tharpe Sales Tax Holidays Are a Bum Deal for Georgians August 8, 2012 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe | 2 Comments on Sales Tax Holidays Are a Bum Deal for Georgians Posted by Wesley Tharpe The thousands of Georgians who will head to shopping centers this weekend for the two-day sales tax holiday on back-to-school items will be getting much less than they bargained for. Despite all the media coverage of excited families stocking-up and elected officials patting themselves on the back for the politically popular […] Read more » Sales Tax Tax Holiday Wesley Tharpe
