Archive for October, 2011

Moderated by Tom Sabulis

A Conyers kindergarten teacher and her daughter are gunned down outside a day care facility, allegedly by the woman’s estranged husband. A Clayton County mother is stabbed to death, and her boyfriend-suspect is accused of trying to rape her daughter. Two crimes last month raise important questions: Does Georgia do enough to combat and punish domestic violence?

Read articles by Peggy Walker, a Juvenile Court judge in Douglas County and chairwoman of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence, and by Georgia Legal Service’s Vicky Kimbrell and Susan Wells and comment below.

Continue reading 10/7: Does Georgia do enough to combat and punish domestic violence? »

Moderated by Rick Badie

Boycott Georgia. That’s what Michael Moore, award-winning filmmaker and best-selling author, suggested the country do after this state executed Troy Davis.

Boycotts take various shapes: Consumers abstain from buying products. Tourists stay home. Countries withdraw athletes from events. What makes a boycott work?

Larry Chavis, an assistant professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan- Flagler Business School, says Moore’s call likely won’t curb Georgia tourism.

And the Rev. C.T. Vivian offers insight on what makes boycotts effective.

Read what they have to say and comment below.

Continue reading 10/6: When are boycotts effective? »

Moderated by Rick Badie

Peanut farmers expect to harvest their smallest yield in 20 years. Thank the lingering drought, disease and routine decisions to plant other crops.

Shoppers in Atlanta and elsewhere can expect pricier peanut products this fall.

Today, Don Koehler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission, and Middle Georgia farmer Rodney Dawson offer their perspectives.

Read what they have to say and comment below.

Continue reading 10/05: Pricier peanut products in store »

Moderated by Tom Sabulis

Business leaders continue to write in support of the transportation special purpose local option sales tax, which goes to voters next year. And politicians and former officeholders continue to offer ways to adjust and improve the list of projects that will get the $6 billion in funding if the 1 percent tax is approved.

Today, we offer a voice from each camp.

Bob Irvin,  former Georgia House minority leader, writes that priorities need to be set for traffic and transit.

Daryl Dulaney, president and CEO of Siemens Industry Inc., believes that transportation is the key to growth.

How do you feel?

Continue reading 10/4: What projects should T-SPLOST fund? »

Moderated by Maureen Downey

If there’s a theme today, it’s education controversies.

I discuss two recent flare-ups: the Obama speech to schoolchildren and the Cobb class that used a fictitious letter from a Muslim woman.

And a parent writes about whether gifted education should include Disney.

Read the articles and then comment below or on the Get Schooled blog.

Continue reading 10/3: 2 recent flare-ups; gifted education and Disney »