From everyone at the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. We hope it is a time that will put a smile on your face and joy in your heart.
As we prepare to wind down 2024, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for continuing to read our articles and watch our videos. This year, the Foundation once again had our biggest year ever in terms of content produced and consumed. In the past 12 months, you read or watched our content more than 8.3 million times.
We’re constantly producing new stories, commentaries and videos that you can find here, in your inbox and on social media. We thank you for your support. Our goal is to be Georgia-focused, conduct research on issues that matter to you and tell stories that aren’t being told.
As you prepare for the holiday week ahead, we have compiled the 11 biggest stories of 2024 from the Foundation. From enactment of the Georgia Promise Scholarship to a high-profile eminent domain case to the 2024 elections, we’ve seen a lot over the past 12 months. After you check out our most read stories of the year, tell us what you liked the best.
Have a Merry Christmas,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest
A big bet on government efficiency
The announcement of plans for a Department of Government Efficiency by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy is nothing short of audacious, pairing two of the country’s most outspoken entrepreneurs in a bid to reshape the federal bureaucracy. They have laid out a sweeping vision: cut waste, streamline agencies and leverage recent Supreme Court rulings to yank back regulatory overreach. Yet, the question looms: Can they deliver?
Anything besides providing more opportunities to more students misses the point
There are many good reasons to provide educational options to all children, not just some. The best reason, of course, is that all children deserve access to the education that best fits their needs. No child should be stuck in a substandard school just because of her ZIP code. A more practical reason is the difficulty of trying to divide the will-haves from the won’t-haves. A late-breaking, nit-picking kerfuffle over Georgia’s new Promise Scholarship illustrates why.
How does our state stack up against others? The annual Economic Freedom of North America report published by Canada’s Fraser Institute attempts to answer that question for each American state, Mexican state and Canadian province. The latest edition was published this past week, and Georgia fares quite well, placing sixth-highest. But while we have improved, other states have improved faster.
TORT REFORM: Gwinnett County slapped hard by Georgia Court of Appeals
Imagine that you own a company, and your company gets sued, but the judge overseeing the trial won’t allow you or your attorneys to say or do much to defend yourselves in court. That’s exactly the position that the Ford Motor Company found itself in in Gwinnett County. The end result was a $1.7 billion verdict against Ford. Legal experts say that, as far as they know, this was the largest ever judgment against a private company in all of Georgia’s history. Last month, the Georgia Court of Appeals remanded that pricey judgment.
Tech services expand access to higher education
At a time when it’s clear that many Americans are dissatisfied with higher education, the Department should be encouraging institutions to seek out fruitful partnerships and new dynamics. Federal efforts to limit these revenue sharing agreements, which have worked for Georgia institutions, should be scrapped.
Quotes of Note
“Christmas is the day that holds all time together.” – Alexander Smith
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
“Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” – Edna Ferber