Spending Archives - Georgia Public Policy Foundation

Tag: Spending

Giving Perspective to Scholarship Programs

posted 6 months ago on March 3rd, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

By Benjamin Scafidi Benjamin Scafidi A recent opinion piece in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked, “Are vouchers a failure?” Any answer requires examining the best evidence on the topic and placing research results into a reasonable policy context. First, the best evidence: Eighteen “gold-standard” studies followed students who were randomly offered a voucher to attend a private school and compared their outcomes with students who wanted a voucher, but were randomly denied one. Fourteen of these studies reported positive effects from vouchers for some or all students. Two studies found no real effects, and two studies – both from Louisiana – found negative effects. Interestingly, the Louisiana voucher program is the most regulated voucher program in the country, with… View Article

The State of the Graduation Rate, and the States of the States

posted 6 months ago on February 10th, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

By Jenn Hatfield When President Donald Trump was sworn into office on January 20, the clock started ticking on the 282 promises he made on the campaign trail. While his every move has garnered significant media attention, Trump has also pledged to make what happens in Washington matter less. In his inaugural address, he declared, “We are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.” So it’s only fitting to give a bit more attention to what governors are saying – especially on K-12 education, where Trump and Secretary of Education have both promised to respect state autonomy and make good on the states-rights spirit of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). As a… View Article

Expand Retirement Options, Shrink Teacher Doldrums

posted 7 months ago on February 1st, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

This commentary appeared in the February 1, 2017, edition of The Marietta Daily Journal. By Benita M. Dodd PAGE, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, has surveyed its members and the findings, reported in its January/February 2017 newsletter (PAGE One), are depressing. The survey found that nearly half of teachers (45 percent) say they are unlikely to remain in education for the next 10 years. Sadly, a majority – 53 percent – also said they would not recommend a career in education. The report notes, “With the current teacher shortage and continuing teacher pipeline issues, these statistics are of great concern to PAGE.” The survey also found that 59 percent of the respondents oppose converting the Teacher Retirement System from… View Article

New Study Finds Georgia Underreports Public School Spending

posted 7 months ago on January 26th, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

GEORGIA PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release January 26, 2017 Contact: Benita Dodd benitadodd@georgiapolicy.org | (404) 256-4050 New Study Finds Georgia Underreports Public School Spending Atlanta – For decades, Georgia’s Department of Education has underreported by billions of dollars what the state spends on public schools, according to an Issue Analysis released today at the Georgia Public Policy Foundation’s annual National School Choice Week event. The report, “Balancing the Books in Education,” by Foundation Senior Fellow and Kennesaw State University economist Dr. Benjamin Scafidi, notes that official state websites give the impression that taxpayers spend billions of dollars less on K-12 public education than is actually spent. For example, while the Georgia Department of Education website… View Article

Teachers Unions, Faulty Economics and School Choice

posted 9 months ago on December 2nd, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

By Jeffrey Dorfman JEFFREY DORFMAN School choice is one of the most controversial and hard-fought public policy debates of the past few decades. Most liberals, who get significant funding from public school teachers unions, line up against any form of school choice, while many conservatives favor allowing some form of market to introduce competition amongst schools for education tax dollars. The argument against school choice always seems to focus on how it would “defund” public schools by “draining” monies away. This argument, however, is based on faulty economics and should be discarded or strongly rebutted by school choice proponents. School choice comes in a variety of flavors. Some public school districts let residents choose their preferred school within the district;… View Article

Tough Choices on Tax Reform for Georgia

posted 10 months ago on October 28th, 2016 by admin 1 Comment

By Kelly McCutchen Tennessee just became the second state in U.S. history to eliminate its personal income tax. Florida and Texas do not have a personal income tax. With Georgia’s unsuccessful attempts over the last decade to shift to a more pro-growth tax structure by lowering its personal income tax, it’s worth asking the question: How do these states manage it? Do they spend less? Do other sources of revenue make up for lower income taxes? Or is it something unique that Georgia can’t duplicate? Georgia’s personal income tax brings in more than $8 billion a year, or $878 per capita. The challenge is to identify $878 per capita of spending cuts or other revenues to make up the difference.… View Article

Friday Facts: September 23, 2016

posted 11 months ago on September 23rd, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

It’s Friday! Sunday’s the deadline for the Early Bird Rate! Reserve your seat at the Foundation’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner and Freedom Award on November 11, Veterans Day. The keynote speaker is John Stossel; the Freedom Award recipient is Dr. Michael H. Mescon, “The Pied Piper of Private Enterprise.” Cobb Galleria Performing Arts Centre Ballroom. $125 per person Early Bird Rate through September 25. Click here for information; reserve your seat here. (Checks accepted, too!) Quotes of note “The problem of black education begins long before college.” – Walter Williams “I am not among those who fear the people. They, and not the rich, are our dependence for continued freedom.” Thomas Jefferson “The probability that we may fall in… View Article

U.S. News & World Report Publishes on Education Funding

posted 11 months ago on September 21st, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

The September 20, 2016, edition of U.S. News & World Report published, “More Money, Same Problems,” an article by Georgia Public Policy Foundation Senior Felow Ben Scafidi and American Enterprise Institute Resident Fellow Gerard Robinson. The article is posted in full below; the link to the article is here. More Money, Same Problems Showering public schools with funds has been a costly failure. Why not try something new? By Gerard Robinson and Benjamin Scafidi Public education is important to the economic and social well-being of our nation, which is why it is the No. 1 line item in 41 state budgets. Today, more than 50 million students attend America’s public schools. Some students are succeeding: They graduate… View Article

Expand Access to Care, Not Medicaid

posted 1 year ago on July 1st, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

By Kelly McCutchen KELLY McCUTCHEN Those addressing Georgia’s uninsured and failing hospitals seem stuck between two options: expanding a government program (Medicaid) with its own long list of challenges, or doing nothing. It’s a false choice. Expanding Medicaid is undoubtedly the worst option for providing more Georgians access. For providers – even with more money from the federal government – Medicaid still pays less than their cost. It’s a bad deal for taxpayers: Expansion is estimated to cost more than $7,000 for able-bodied adults; the current Medicaid program spends $3,022. If Georgia’s more than 200,000 low-income adults who already have private insurance opt for the “free” program, the cost will be even higher. It’s also a bad deal for recipients.… View Article

Friday Facts: July 1, 2016

posted 1 year ago on July 1st, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

July 1, 2016 It’s Friday! Then and Now: In 1991, when the Georgia Public Policy Foundation was established, U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), the only Republican among Georgia’s 10 Congressmen and two senators, was the Minority Whip of the House. Both chambers were majority Democrat. Today, both chambers are majority Republican; the former Georgia Congressman and U.S. House Speaker is being mentioned as a running mate for presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump; both Georgia senators and 10 of the 14 Congressmen are Republican. U.S. Rep. John Lewis is the only current Georgia member from the 102nd Congress. Guide to the Issues 2016: Find out what the Foundation proposes on issues such as transportation, health care, education, taxes… View Article