It’s Friday!
Quotes of note
“The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance.” –Albert Einstein
“The reason so many people misunderstand so many issues is not that these issues are so complex, but that people do not want a factual or analytical explanation that leaves them emotionally unsatisfied.” –Thomas Sowell
“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” –Winston Churchill
On Our Desks
Testing our patience: In his weekly column, Kyle Wingfield asks when, if ever, will we address the accountability of pandemic learning loss.
Juneteenth: This week we observed Juneteenth and asked “what, to the American conservative and liberal alike, is Juneteenth?”
Economy
Feeling mega: The state of Georgia and Peach County’s development authority have purchased more than 1,100 acres in Middle Georgia for economic development, which Gov. Brian Kemp termed a “megasite,” according to the Macon Telegraph. The site was purchased with money from the sale of the Chatham County Economic Development Site, which was bought by Amazon in 2021.
Housing
The investors next door: Of all the homes sold in metro Atlanta in the first three months of 2022, 33% were bought by investors, reports the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The Atlanta metro area led the nation in investor home purchases, and it happened much more frequently in the southern and western suburbs than it did in the city of Atlanta and the northern suburbs. In seven zip codes, investors bought 60% or more of the homes that were sold.
The investors next door… too: Despite the highest mortgage rates since the Great Recession and increased housing inventory, 57% of the May home sales in the Atlanta metro area went for prices averaging more than $10,000 above asking, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. That is an increase from April, when 56% of sales ended with an average of $8,000 above asking price.
Taxation
Unpleasant surprises: Fulton County property owners may be in for a surprise this week when they receive their 2022 notices of assessment, according to The Marietta Daily Journal. County officials have announced that “surges in the real estate market” will lead to many property owners seeing increased values reflected on their 2022 notices of assessment. County officials are encouraging property owners to carefully review their notice as soon as possible.
Education
Summer burnout: Metro Atlanta teachers are “burned out,” according to a new report commissioned by the Georgia Department of Education . The report confirms a previous survey showing that “approximately 31% of all responding educators report that they are unlikely or highly unlikely to remain in education for another five years.“
Criminal Justice
Treatment: A new law taking effect July 1 requires community service boards to establish co-responder programs, combining mental health professionals with law enforcement officers to respond to calls concerning people with mental health or substance abuse issues, reports Capitol Beat. Estimates suggest 40%forty percent of the total calls to law enforcement agencies involve these issues. The mental health experts can advise police about whether the subject needs emergency treatment or referral to services rather than arrest. They can also look at the arrest records of inmates and recommend that they be provided with treatment rather than remaining in the criminal justice system.
Kyle Wingfield
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