It’s Friday!
What’s happening at the Foundation
– Join U.S. Rep. Tom Price of Georgia and Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute at a Foundation Policy Briefing Luncheon on Friday, February. 4, at the Georgian Club. The topic is, “Health Care Prognosis and Prognostications.” The cost to attend this luncheon is $35. Register by Feb. 2 at this link: http://tinyurl.com/3x6jz4d.
– The Georgia Public Policy Foundation turns 20 in 2011, and the yearlong theme is “20 For 20.” You’ll hear about the top 20 successes for the Foundation and Georgia; you’ll help mark our anniversary by supporting the Foundation with a donation of as little as $20 per month; you’ll be asked to steer 20 of your friends … or neighbors … or Facebook friends … to the Foundation’s Web sites: www.georgiapolicy.org and The Forum, at http://forum.georgiapolicy.org/ . The Forum is an interactive community Web site where you can join in the discussion with our policy experts, including on the recommendations of the Georgia Council on Tax Reform and Fairness. And all year long, you’ll be invited to attend the Foundation’s briefings, given by leading national experts and covering the issues that impact Georgians.
– To make a tax-deductible contribution today and start supporting sound public policy for Georgia, click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/3y27zfm.
Quotations
– “Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations.” – James Madison
The economy and taxes
– Why they want our water: Atlanta is the No. 1 city in the Southeast for industrial jobs and ranks No. 15 among the top 50 cities in the nation for industrial jobs, with 57,126 jobs as of December 2010, according to a report released this week by Manufacturers’ News. The top city is Houston, with 228,226 jobs. Texas has four cities in the top 20; California has three. The only other Southeastern city in the top 20 is Louisville, Ky., at No. 19, with 50,312 industrial jobs. Read more at www.manufacturersnews.com/news/charts/Top50CitiesJobsDec2010.pdf.
– In recovery mode: Manufacturing production has increased 11 percent from its June 2009 trough but still has another 9 percent to go before it reaches previous production peak of December 2007, the Institute for Supply Management reports. Source: IndustryWeek.com.
– As local governments enter 2011 facing hard choices about how to balance their budgets, they should recognize that undertaking municipal broadband projects will almost certainly make their money problems worse, notes Seth Cooper of Maryland’s Free State Foundation. “Local governments do not typically possess the resources to oversee the design, operational, and marketing decisions that are crucial to driving innovation and to competing successfully against private sector providers in a market characterized by rapidly advancing technology,” Cooper says. Also, private sector investors – and not local taxpaying residents – bear the financial risks if private systems falter. Source: Free State Foundation
Transportation
– Under a proposed rule change to the federal highway program, highway and transit funding would no longer have a full funding guarantee and could be reduced by Congress, including if trust fund revenues fall below authorized spending levels. Ron Utt of the Heritage Foundation reports that the new rule would also continue to protect trust fund revenues from being diverted to non-transportation programs. “As such, highway spending would now be subject to the same budgetary treatment as other discretionary federal spending programs, including homeland security, public health, education and national defense. It is this reversion to the equality of budget process – and the loss of privileges that elevate such things as the repair of historic covered bridges, Atlanta trolley cars, roadside flower gardens, and hiking paths above food inspection and flood control and many similar programs – that so irritates the trade associations hired to preserve this privilege,” Utt writes.
Visit www.georgiapolicy.org to read the Foundation’s latest commentary, “Eight Affordable Ideas for Georgia.”
Have a great weekend.
Kelly McCutchen
FRIDAY FACTS is made possible by the generosity of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation’s donors. If you enjoy the FRIDAY FACTS, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to help advance our important mission by clicking here. Visit our Web site at www.georgiapolicy.org. Join The Forum at http://forum.georgiapolicy.org/. Become a fan of the Foundation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gppf.