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Category: The Forum

Friday Facts: March 29, 2019

posted 3 months ago on March 29th, 2019 by Leave a Comment
It’s Friday!  Events  April 10: “Education Choice: A Case Study in Policy and Politics,” a Foundation Happy Hour Policy Discussion in Athens at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, in partnership with The Arch Conservative. Speakers are Kyle Wingfield, president and CEO of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, and Jeffrey Dorfman, professor of Economics at the University of Georgia. Hilton Garden Inn Magnolia Ballroom. $10. Information and registration here. April 17: “Second Chances 2019,” an 8 a.m. Leadership Breakfast with Georgia Congressman Doug Collins, sponsor of the FIRST STEP Act, to celebrate Second Chance Month, on Wednesday, April 17, at the Georgian Club. $30. Information and registration here. May 23: “… View Article

Friday Facts: March 22, 2019

posted 3 months ago on March 22nd, 2019 by Leave a Comment
It’s Friday! Quotes of note “One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.” – Milton Friedman “The more the state ‘plans’ the more difficult planning becomes for the individual.” – Friedrich Hayek “Life is made up of constant calls to action, and we seldom have time for more than hastily contrived answers.” – Learned Hand   We’re hiring! The Georgia Public Policy Foundation is on the lookout for an entry-level development associate. Find out more at https://talentmarket.org/devo-assoc-gppf/. Events April 10: “Education Choice: A Case Study in Policy and Politics,” a Foundation Happy Hour Policy Discussion in Athens at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, in partnership… View Article

Gwinnett Has Time to Do Transit Right

posted 3 months ago on March 22nd, 2019 by 2 Comments
By Benita M. Dodd and Dave Emanuel Advocates of transit expansion in Gwinnett County blame timing for the failure of the March 19 transit referendum, which voters rejected 54-46 percent. The proponents, who say their well-funded advocacy plan got off to a late start and the special election date hurt turnout, vow they will be back again and again until transit expansion is approved. Make no mistake: Changing demographics and the money behind advocates practically guarantee transit expansion will come to pass in the growing county. The questions are how it will work and what the county needs. On that, referendum opponents won the day, despite a lack of organized opposition or funding for their effort. Timing did indeed play… View Article

Friday Facts: March 15, 2019

posted 3 months ago on March 15th, 2019 by Leave a Comment
It’s Friday! Quotes of note “The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.” – Patrick Henry “Equal laws protecting equal rights; the best guarantee of loyalty and love of country.” – James Madison “The Trump administration just delivered a massive budget to Congress. A look at the numbers and the talking points drafted to defend it confirms that budgets favor politics over policy. This also confirms that it really doesn’t really matter who is in the White House. Big spenders will spend and then dissemble to cover up their fiscal irresponsibility.” – Veronique de Rugy We’re hiring! The Georgia Public Policy Foundation is on… View Article

Gwinnett Transit Vote a Mixed Bag

posted 3 months ago on March 15th, 2019 by 1 Comment
By Benita Dodd Before Gwinnett County voters even decide whether their transit plan leaves the station, it will cost taxpayers almost $770,000. That’s the cost of holding the election on March 19 instead of during last November’s general election. Such special elections are notorious for low turnout, bringing out the diehards on either side of an issue. They’re a waste of taxpayer money, a way for politicians to limit opposing voices, and they deserve to be outlawed. At the polls, Gwinnett’s voters face an especially vague referendum question – another practice long overdue for legislative change: “Gwinnett County has executed a contract for the provision of transit services, dated as of August 2, 2018. Shall this contract be approved? YES… View Article

Give Georgia’s Students Choices, Not Excuses

posted 3 months ago on March 8th, 2019 by Leave a Comment
By Kyle Wingfield In almost a decade of writing about school choice, I’ve heard every excuse imaginable to oppose giving students and families educational options. I’ve heard critics say school choice is only for “the rich.” Not true – families of means already have options, thanks to their ability to pay private school tuition or move into a neighborhood with good public schools; school choice is about extending that liberty to those without means. I’ve heard critics say school choice hurts students who remain in public schools. In fact, as a 2016 review of the 33 empirical studies on the topic reported, “31 find that choice improves academic outcomes at public schools. One of the remaining studies finds that choice… View Article

Friday Facts: March 8, 2018

posted 3 months ago on March 8th, 2019 by Leave a Comment
It’s Friday! Quotes of note “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” – Mark Twain “Our goal is not simply to send children to school. Our goal is to educate children.” – Greg Dolezal, Georgia state senator “When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.” – George Washington Carver We’re hiring! The Georgia Public Policy Foundation is on the lookout for an entry-level development associate. Find out more at https://talentmarket.org/devo-assoc-gppf/. Events March 21: “Shining a Light on Government,” an 8 a.m. Leadership Breakfast with veteran investigative reporter Richard Belcher of WSB-TV in celebration of Sunshine Week on Thursday,… View Article

AJC.com Publishes Op-ed on ESAs by Foundation’s Kyle Wingfield

posted 3 months ago on March 7th, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Maureen Downey’s “Get Schooled” blog on AJC.com published, “Opinion: New study suggests vouchers may help Georgia public schools,” an op-ed by Kyle Wingfield, president of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, on March 3, 2019. The op-ed is published below. Access the op-ed online at https://www.ajc.com/blog/get-schooled/opinion-new-study-suggests-vouchers-may-help-georgia-public-schools/hnoULPdg9z0XZ2Zgq8HGTN/?. Opinion: New study suggests vouchers may help Georgia public schools Kyle Wingfield, a former Atlanta Journal-Constitution opinion columnist, is president and CEO of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute. In this guest column, Wingfield says legislation in the Georgia House and Senate allowing tax dollars to go toward private school tuition may help public education’s bottom line. Senate Bill 173 passed out of committee Thursday in a 9-3… View Article

Friday Facts: March 1, 2019

posted 4 months ago on March 1st, 2019 by Leave a Comment
It’s Friday! Events March 21: “Shining a Light on Government,” a Leadership Breakfast with Richard Belcher of WSB-TV in celebration of Sunshine Week on Thursday, March 21, at the Georgian Club in Cobb County. $30. Information and registration here. March 21-23: Academic Freedom and Free Speech Conference at Emory University, bringing together academics and student-affairs professionals. Information here.  April 17: Mark your calendar for a Leadership Breakfast with Georgia Congressman Doug Collins, sponsor of the FIRST STEP Act, at the Georgian Club in Cobb County to celebrate Second Chance Month. $30. Details to follow. May 23: Mark your calendar for a Policy Briefing Luncheon with David French of National Review on Thursday,… View Article

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