This week, the Georgia Public Policy Foundation team was honored by their peers with a national award. The Foundation won the Bob Williams Award for Most Influential Research for our work in tackling the root causes of high housing prices with the study, “Government Regulation in the Price of a New Home in Georgia.”
As we work toward solutions to high housing prices, we are excited to host the 2023 Georgia Housing Summit on October 12. At the summit, panelists from a variety of fields will explore new approaches to harness innovation and entrepreneurship, and ensure housing is attainable for all Georgians. These are the discussions we need to be having and I hope you will join us.
Most of our team was in Chicago to receive the award. And with a large group traveling, you can almost guarantee there will be issues at the airport. Why is that?
Airlines have had meltdowns this year. And top of mind right now is the summer weather that can also cause problems, but federal policies — set largely by Congress — have played a key role in the larger problems beyond special issues.
I hope you will check out this week’s commentary by Bob Poole on how Congress is to blame for your summer aviation woes by failing to modernize. Thank you for your support. I hope you enjoy your Labor Day weekend!
– Kyle Wingfield
Just a couple of weeks until…
We are excited to welcome Matthew Continetti, author of “The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism,” to Atlanta on September 12. Continetti is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where his work is focused on American political thought and history, with a particular focus on the development of the Republican Party and the American conservative movement in the 20th century.
We know it will be an interesting and informative luncheon at a beautiful venue with excellent food. Just a few tickets remain. Get them before they’re gone!
Friday’s Freshest
Creative destruction and college football
A new season of college football is upon us. And, once again, we are being told that the end of college football is near. In a sport where tradition reigns supreme, we are experiencing a remarkable bout of creative destruction.
Efforts to change the narrative aren’t working
We’ve started to see people highlighting what they believe – or what they want you to believe – is a contradiction: Inflation is easing, so why don’t more people feel better about the economy?
More Georgia’s cities and counties set property tax rates
The question right now isn’t if your property taxes are going up, but how much? We have a review of the latest actions on millage rates from counties, cities and school districts.
Janitors, email scams and interest-free loans took Georgia taxpayers to the cleaners
Until recently, Aragon City employees were allowed to borrow from their future paychecks, with zero interest, and it cost the city $26,924. This, and more, in the latest stories of waste, fraud and abuse in Georgia.
No other tax has a basis that someone else simply invents
That might be the reason Americans hate property taxes with a passion.
The Latest
Economy
Key Fed inflation gauge accelerates to 3.3% in July
The personal consumption expenditures index showed that consumer prices rose 0.2% from the previous month. On an annual basis, prices climbed 3.3% — up from 3% the previous month. Meanwhile, core prices, which strip out the more volatile measurements of food and energy, climbed 0.2% from the previous month and 4.2% from the previous year.
Georgia Ports Authority to redevelop Ocean Terminal in Savannah
Georgia Ports bring in around $33 billion annually to Savannah and the state of Georgia, but they have even bigger plans for their future. Twelve years, and an estimated $4.5 billion expansion plan. Georgia Ports are determined to keep up with demand.
Georgia Rural Center offers “phenomenal” return on investment
July marked the fifth anniversary of the creation of Georgia’s Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation. Known as Georgia’s Rural Center and headquartered on the Tifton campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, the center was created by the state’s General Assembly during its 2018 session.
Government accountability
New coalition takes aim at tort reform in Georgia
A new nonprofit founded by three high-power lobbying firms is setting its sights on tort reform in Georgia. Competitive Georgia announced its formation this week, the latest sign that business leaders are preparing a major push for the General Assembly to curb frivolous lawsuits after Gov. Brian Kemp threw his support behind the effort.
The Joint Tax Credit Review Panel held its second hearing in Savannah. The panel is tasked with analyzing state tax breaks and incentives with an eye to determining if they’re worth the expense.
Biden admin’s latest home appliance crackdown: ceiling fans
Ceiling fans are now the latest target in the Biden administration’s green agenda, sparking pushback from Republicans and manufacturers. The Department of Energy is proposing a rule that would require ceiling fans to be more energy efficient, arguing the move would save U.S. households on energy costs.
Healthcare
Commission chair: Georgia CON laws ‘intended to stifle competition’
When officials in Lee County tried to build “a small acute care hospital” with 60 beds and four operating rooms, it began a multi-year process that cost millions of dollars and didn’t end with the construction of a facility.
Wellstar, Augusta University partnership up and running
The partnership the Wellstar and Augusta University health systems (AUHS) announced last December went into operation Wednesday. Under a 40-year agreement, Wellstar plans to invest nearly $800 million over the next decade in AUHS facilities and infrastructure, including more than $200 million that will go to Augusta University Medical Center.
Housing
Pending home sales rise at fastest pace in 7 months
Signed contracts to buy previously owned homes in the U.S. unexpectedly rose in July, even as buyers continued to confront a spike in mortgage rates. The National Association of Realtors said that its pending home sales index climbed 0.9% over the course of July.
Invest Atlanta approves financing for 570 housing units
Invest Atlanta’s Board of Directors approved a plan to finance 570 affordable housing units across the city. The nearly 600 units will be built across five development properties in the City of Atlanta, priced at a range of area median income levels.
Bonus
Jaiden, the 12-year-old boy who was kicked out of class for wearing a Gadsden flag patch on his backpack, is back in school with his constitutional rights restored. “The Vanguard School recognizes the Gadsden flag and its place in history,” wrote the school’s board of directors in a statement.
Chicago Mayor sues automakers as car theft ‘crisis’ gets worse
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office announced that the city filed the lawsuit against automakers Kia, which has a plant in Georgia, and Hyundai, which is building a plant in the Peach State, alleging that both companies have failed to include “industry-standard engine immobilizers” in several models of vehicles, which resulted in a “steep rise” in crime.
EV boom remakes rural towns in the American South
The U.S. auto industry is accelerating its move south as car companies pour billion of dollars into new factories in Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Quotes of the Week
“No, we don’t control who our parents are. We don’t control what color we are. We don’t control what home we are born into. But we control our attitude. We control our work ethic. We control our drive and our commitment.” – Dabo Swinney
“A man is not paid for having a head and hands, but for using them.” – Elbert Hubbard
“In terms of instilling the values of mental toughness and work ethic, discipline is the gift that keeps on giving.” – William Baldwin