It’s Friday!
New board member: The Georgia Public Policy Foundation is pleased to announce Ray Padrón, Managing Partner, President and COO of Brightworth, has joined the Board of Trustees.
Quotes of Note
“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” – James Madison
“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” – Mark Twain
“[A] father’s absence lowers children’s educational attainment not by altering their scores on cognitive tests but by disrupting their social and emotional adjustment and reducing their ability or willingness to exercise self-control.” – Sarah McLanahan and Christopher Jencks, “Was Moynihan Right?”
Events
July 29: Please join the Foundation in Savannah as we take our show on the road again this year for the annual Friedman Legacy for Freedom Day event. The noon Policy Briefing Luncheon at Vic’s on the River is keynoted by Dr. Ben Scafidi, Georgia’s foremost expert on education funding. $30. Find out more and register here.
October 15: Registration is open for the sixth annual Georgia Legislative Policy Forum, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Thursday, October 15, at the Renaissance Waverly Atlanta. The theme is, “Wisdom, Justice and Opportunity.” Review the 2014 Forum here. Registration is $125 per person; an Early Bird rate ($100) applies until Friday, September 4. Register here. Sponsorships are available; contact Benita Dodd.
Education
The cost of choice: Do private school scholarships negatively affect public school systems? A Foundation chart demonstrates how the average amount of these scholarships does not exceed variable costs in any of Georgia’s school systems.
Economy
Close call: South Carolina taxpayers will bear a heavy cost for luring the new Volvo plant. As calculated by PeachPundit Daily, it will cost them $160,000 per job. Peach Pundit opined, “That deal we didn’t get with Volvo is looking better and better.”
A great state: Georgia’s fiscal year revenue increase of 6.8 percent leads every Southeastern state, Georgia’s “rainy day fund” is close to going over $1 billion for the first time since before the recession hit and this month all three rating firms awarded Georgia its highest rating, AAA, which the state has held for over 25 years, citing Georgia’s conservative fiscal management, replenishment of reserves, moderate debt level and a diversified economy. They noted the state was fully funding its retirement plans and had a history of rapidly amortizing debt. “It Ain’t Bragging If It’s True,” said State Sen. Jack Hill in his “Notes from the Senate.”
Professional licensing
Guidelines: Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced plans to reform professional licensing in his state, and offered a set of principles to guide reform.
Free the nurses: In March, Nebraska became the 20th state to allow nurses with the most advanced degrees to practice without a doctor’s oversight in a variety of medical fields. John Goodman argues more states should move in this direction.
Criminal justice reform
Civil asset forfeiture: The Reason Foundation has mapped the good, the bad and the ugly states on their policies for seizing personal assets here.
Friday Flashback
This month in the archives: In June 2005, the Foundation published a commentary on water policy, “TMDLs: Tall Tale of Fishes and Silt.” It noted the hidden good news is, “It reminds us that the ‘legacy’ sediment is a problem of our profligate past, not a vital current concern.
Media
Social media: The Foundation’s Facebook page has more than 2,400 likes! Please share the page, join us on twitter.com/gppf and share the Friday Facts!
Visit www.georgiapolicy.org to read our latest commentary, “The Great EPA Ozone-Asthma Caper,” by Harold Brown.
Have a great Father’s Day weekend!
Kelly McCutchen and Benita Dodd
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 twitter.com/gppf.
