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Reacting to the 2015 FBI Crime Report

posted 2 years ago on September 26th, 2016 by admin 1 Comment

By Ross Coker Atlanta – The FBI released its comprehensive report on 2015 crime and crime rates across the nation today (September 26). The report, “Crime in the United States,” highlights some potentially troubling statistics, among them, a 3.1 percent overall increase in the relative overall comparative violent crime rate While this statistic is troubling on its face, there are several crucial points to bear in mind when interpreting the data. First, the rise in crime was relative to the year before. Violent crime has fallen steadily for decades now (and was in fact at half-century record lows) and therefore is more pronounced as an uptick simply because of the low starting point. Furthermore, the violent… View Article

Price Gouging Laws: Good Politics, Bad Economics

posted 2 years ago on September 23rd, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

Forbes Magazine published a column on September 23, 2016 by Jeffrey Dorfman, a professor of economics at the University of Georgia, “Price Gouging Laws Are Good Politics but Bad Economics.” The column is published in its entirety below; access it online here. Price Gouging Laws Are Good Politics but Bad Economics By Jeffrey Dorfman A leak in a gas pipeline in Alabama this week caused a gasoline shortage in several states in the southeastern United States, including my home state of Georgia. Both luckily and unluckily for motorists in Georgia, the state has an anti-price gouging law. These laws, commonly employed by governors to stop price increases after natural disasters, make consumers happy but also stop markets from alleviating… View Article

Wall Street Journal Op-Ed Supports Donor Privacy for Nonprofits

posted 2 years ago on September 23rd, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

The Wall Street Journal edition of September 23, 2016, published an op-ed by Tracie Sharp, head of the State Policy Network (of which the Georgia Public Policy Foundation is a member) and our Darcy Olsen, head of our sister think tank, the Goldwater Institute. It warns against donor disclosure initiatives for nonprofits. The op-ed is published below; access it online at http://www.wsj.com/articles/beware-of-anti-speech-ballot-measures-1474586180. Beware of Anti-Speech Ballot Measures Forcing nonprofits to submit donor lists to government officials is unconstitutional. By Tracie Sharp and Darcy Olsen When voters in Missouri, South Dakota, Washington and Oregon go to the polls in November, they will vote on ballot measures that are cleverly marketed as legislation aimed at reducing “big money” and “outside influence”… View Article

A 25th Celebration of Private Enterprise, Education Innovation and Economic Opportunity

posted 2 years ago on September 23rd, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

By Benita M. Dodd As the Georgia Council on Economic Education tells it, in 1962, a young professor from Georgia State College addressed the Rebel Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization at Callaway Gardens. He spoke “so eloquently and passionately about the importance of understanding and appreciating our private enterprise system that he was encouraged to create the first Chair of Private Enterprise in the United States.” In 1963, that Chair was established at Georgia State University. The eloquent champion of private enterprise, Dr. Michael H. Mescon, became the first to hold the honor. Its influence spread: Today, more than 200 private enterprise-related chairs exist across the nation and around the world. Mescon created the university’s Center for Business and… View Article

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

posted 2 years 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

2016 Freedom Award Recipient: Unsung Hero in Private Enterprise Education

posted 2 years ago on August 30th, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

By Benita M. Dodd The Georgia Public Policy Foundation’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner and Freedom Award takes place on November 11 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre and is keynoted by John Stossel. Through the years, the Georgia Public Policy Foundation has presented the prestigious Freedom Award to a notable Georgian who has exemplified the principles of private enterprise and personal integrity. Previous recipients include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Flowers Industries chairman emeritus William Flowers, the former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell, Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy; Deen Day Smith, chair of the Cecil B. Day Investment Company; former Governor and United States Senator Zell Miller; former Southern Company president Bill Dahlberg, Medal of Honor recipient General Raymond… View Article

Foundation’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Set for Nov. 11

posted 2 years ago on August 30th, 2016 by admin 1 Comment

Join the Georgia Public Policy Foundation’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Atlanta — The Georgia Public Policy Foundation 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner and Freedom Award takes place 7 p.m. November 11, 2016, at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Reserve your ticket online here. The keynote speaker for the event is television personality and author John Stossel, host of “Stossel,” a weekly program on Fox Business Network. Mr. Stossel, who joined Fox Business Network in 2009, also appears regularly on Fox News Channel, providing signature analysis. Before joining Fox, he co-anchored ABC’s, “20/20.” Mr. Stossel’s economic programs have been adapted into teaching kits by a non-profit organization, “Stossel in the Classroom.” High school teachers in American public schools… View Article

Atlanta Police Force on Track to Get Body Cameras

posted 2 years ago on August 24th, 2016 by admin 2 Comments

Amid the nationally ongoing and sometimes emotionally charged discussion of police interactions and transparency, Atlanta is moving toward body cameras for law enforcement officers. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta City Council voted to spend nearly $6 million to purchase 1,200 of the cameras, which are designed to capture officers’ actions without the ability for interruption or editing footage. This amount of cameras will cover over half of all active officers, as APD consists of approximately 2000 sworn police officers as of 2014, according to an annual Atlanta Police Department Report. In areas where body cameras have already been deployed, the response has been positive from both the officers and the communities they police. “I don’t know… View Article

California Lawmakers Reach Consensus over Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill: A Model for Georgia Reform?

posted 2 years ago on August 8th, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

California State Democratic Sen. Holly Mitchell and various law enforcement groups in California have reached an agreement regarding the fate of a bill introducing various reform measures to the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws, according to The Los Angeles Times of August 5, 2016, The bill, S.B. 443, changes the requirement for seizing assets to a criminal conviction, but only for seizures of less than $40,000 in value. This amount comes by way of a concession to the law enforcement community, who perceived the bill as too far-reaching without this addendum. “At its core, [the previous version of SB 443] sends basically a message to drug dealers that the cost of doing business has gone down,” said Ventura County… View Article

Aug. 22: Policy Briefing Luncheon with British Consul-General Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford

posted 2 years ago on August 2nd, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

EVENT INVITATION August 2, 2016 Contact Benita Dodd at 404-256-4050 or benitadodd@georgiapolicy.org Aug: 22 Event: ‘Across the Pond: A Policy Update,’ With U.K. Consul General Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford Atlanta – What’s the meaning of life for the United Kingdom after “Brexit?” On June 23, Britain held a referendum on whether to remain part of the 28-member European Union. The vote was 51.9 percent in favor of leaving. The exit from the EU will take a while, but the country’s leadership change was almost immediate. What do the changes mean for Britain? What does this mean for relationships between that nation and ours? Specifically, how will the changes affect Georgia? According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia is the fourth-largest… View Article