Author Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe New Tax “Study” Committee May Not be Interested in Studying July 25, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe | 2 Comments on New Tax “Study” Committee May Not be Interested in Studying A special new legislative study committee is spending this summer considering whether Georgia should embrace some radical tax reforms next year. But based on its first meeting in Atlanta this month, the committee’s purpose seems to be more of an echo chamber to justify a foregone conclusion than a forum for learning or debate. Created […] Read more » State Taxes
Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe New Income Stats Should be a Wake-Up Call July 12, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe | 1 Comment on New Income Stats Should be a Wake-Up Call Georgia has slipped back more than three decades in its national ranking on a key measure of economic well-being, according to recent news reports. This trend should prompt some soul-searching among Georgia’s policymakers about the course they’ve set for the state. Georgia’s level of per capita income – a catch-all measure that includes wages, stock […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Blog Budget and Taxes Inclusive Economy for Immigrants Wesley Tharpe Immigration Reform Would Bolster Georgia’s Strained Finances July 10, 2013 / April 2, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Georgia would gain nearly $100 million in state and local tax revenue each year if Congress allows undocumented immigrants now living in the United States to work here legally, according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). Comprehensive immigration reform is under debate in Washington and passing a forward-looking […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe Pro-Family Tax Credits Help Guard Georgia’s Military Families from Poverty July 2, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe An estimated 80,000 military families in Georgia, including both active-duty personnel and veterans, receive either the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the low-income component of the Child Tax Credit (CTC), two highly effective federal benefits that support working families as they try to reach the middle class. The tax credits keep around 7,500 military […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe Investigation Reveals Need for Business Subsidy Reforms May 22, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Georgia spends millions of dollars each year subsidizing companies that don’t always deliver on their promises of new jobs, according to a recent investigation by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But Georgia lawmakers could make these programs more effective and hold companies accountable with some common sense, business-friendly reforms found in other Southern states. The AJC report […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Budget and Taxes Library Reports Wesley Tharpe Tax Revisions Keep Georgia on the Wrong Path May 10, 2013 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Adding Up the Fiscal Notes: Closing the Books on 2013 Tax revisions passed by the Georgia Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Nathan Deal this year will cost an estimated $168 million over five years, draining more scarce resources on top of years of damaging cuts to schools, job training, health care and other […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Blog Wesley Tharpe Georgia’s Employment: Small Steps Out of Deep Hole April 25, 2013 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Georgia’s economy is heading in the right direction but still faces an uphill climb to emerge from the wreckage of the Great Recession, as explained in our new Jobs Count fact sheet. Georgia added more jobs than any state but California and Florida in March, according to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Bureau […] Read more »
Author Fact Sheets Library Wesley Tharpe Worker Justice Georgia Making Progress, Still a Steep Hill to Climb April 24, 2013 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Georgia’s economy is adding jobs at a strong pace compared to other states, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only California and Florida added more jobs than Georgia in March and the state’s unemployment rate is now at its lowest point since January 2009. But despite its promising […] Read more »
Author Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe Georgia Expands Use of Subsidies in New Budget April 8, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe | 1 Comment on Georgia Expands Use of Subsidies in New Budget The 2014 budget passed by the General Assembly keeps most of Georgia’s economic development spending unchanged from Gov. Nathan Deal’s recommendation, except for an extra $5 million for business subsidies in rural parts of the state. Georgia is set to spend nearly $104 million in the upcoming budget year on development-oriented programs through the Departments […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe If Tax Money is used for Venture Capital, “Invest Georgia” is the Right Way April 2, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Although reasonable people can disagree about whether supporting private companies is a proper role for the state, a new economic development program called “Invest Georgia” is an example of how the state policymaking process should work. The program is designed to assist Georgia-based startup companies gain traction. It will become law if the governor signs […] Read more » State Taxes
