A modest proposal to transform HOPE
The deficit facing Gov.-elect Nathan Deal and the state Legislature is approaching $2 billion, and Deal is already warning that education budgets will once again be slashed. More teacher furloughs, more layoffs, more crowded classrooms, shorter school years … the list of impacts is lengthy and troublesome.
In the meantime, Deal is also insisting that the state corporate income tax — which generates $600 million a year — be eliminated to make the state more “business-friendly.” Yeah, that would require still more cuts in education, but hey, it’s all about jobs, you know.
In addition, the state tax-reform commission is expected to propose lowering the income tax and increasing the state’s reliance on sales-tax revenue, a move designed to shift still more of the tax burden onto the working and middle class and away from the wealthy. True, we’re already a low-tax state, but we ought to do anything we can do to help out the real producers.
But you know what I’m thinking? I’m thinking we should abandon the half measures and the pretending and really go for it. Our leaders should admit to the world and their constituents what they really think about the state of Georgia and its people, and I know just the way to do it.
Take the lottery-funded HOPE scholarship, which generates almost $1 billion for college tuition and pre-kindergarten programs. I mean that literally: Let’s take it.
Let’s stop wasting all that money on silly efforts to raise education levels in Georgia — we all know that’s hopeless anyway — and instead use it on things that really matter. Let’s impress them with just how far down this line we’re really willing to go.
So, if you’re a CEO and you bring 50 jobs to Georgia, we’ll cut you a personal check for $1 million. Five hundred jobs will net you $10 million deposited in the bank account of your choosing. With a billion dollars in the kitty, we could bring an additional 50,000 jobs to Georgia without breaking a sweat.
We could rename the program Helping Out Private Enterprise, or HOPE. It would be a public-private partnership that no other state could match. Think of the growth our new HOPE would bring! Think of the prosperity! It would be a marvel, I tell ya!
– Jay Bookman
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224 comments Add your comment
L Dodd
December 15th, 2010
6:18 pm
Businesses now have the same speach rights as individuals and should each, therefore, have the same tax rates as individuals–except for tax breaks for profits reinvested in the business (here in USA only) that have the potential to create jobs.
Jackie
December 15th, 2010
6:25 pm
@ josef nix
should have read “something to laugh at.”
Lil' Barry Bailout
December 15th, 2010
7:00 pm
I love HOPE and the lottery. Parasites pay, and the middle class gets the benefits.
Now THAT is social justice.
Hillbilly Deluxe
December 15th, 2010
7:05 pm
I posted this earlier today at Kyle’s. I think we should start a movement of some sort.
I’m beginning to think the wise thing to do would be for every American to form their own corporation.
popeye
December 15th, 2010
7:08 pm
Jackie…Life on the Pacific Side of the nation is sweet. Ever been to Oregon?
I purchased a loft that looks over the Willamette River (called the Pearl District) Have a great view of the river the bridges, and Mt Hood.
My dogs love it here … My sister has a beach house at a place called Rockaway, and I take them there every other weekend where they can romp in the rain and sand.
I still come back to Georgia as I have a few real estate holdings that I have to overseer, as a matter of fact I’m here right now.
Good talking to you my brother in arms!
Jackie
December 15th, 2010
7:14 pm
@popeye
Have not been to Oregon, only to Washington state. One of my neighbors has lots of relatives in the Portland area. Found out The Whispers are from that area. One of the smoothest R&B groups going.
Lil' Barry Bailout
December 15th, 2010
7:15 pm
Congress’ Job Approval Rating Worst in Gallup History
Thirteen percent approve of the way Congress is handling its job
PRINCETON, NJ — Americans’ assessment of Congress has hit a new low, with 13% saying they approve of the way Congress is handling its job. The 83% disapproval rating is also the worst Gallup has measured in more than 30 years of tracking congressional job performance.
———————
Americans can’t WAIT to be rid of this fascist, power grabbing, obscene spending Democrat congress.
popeye
December 15th, 2010
7:18 pm
Josef….Reading your mindless posts one would draw the conclusion that WOE is me, I’m so prosecuted.
By the way have you found any of those supposed posts that I revealed myself to be an anti-semite?
Didn’t think so!
Perhaps your buddy Jay can help you in researching his data base….Guaranteed, he ain’t gonna find anything either.
You just don’t like me … too bad, I’m actually a nice guy and am in your camp. Like it or not!
N
December 15th, 2010
7:25 pm
What is needed in GA is more peasant labor so we can compete for sweatshop factories.
When our education levels and wages sink low enough, our workers should be happy to have whatever crumbs the multinationals feel like throwing to us…
While China and India are now pumping trillions into education, science, energy efficiency, biotechnology, space exploration, our modest goal is to dumb down our populace so we can attract their cast-off jobs.
Yessir, Gov. Deal. Education MUST take a back seat because we MUST attract low-paying jobs to GA.
.
popeye
December 15th, 2010
7:25 pm
Jackie … The music here is phenomenal, blues, jazz, piano bars….the only thing this city lacks is major league sports other than that hey who cares. When I lived in Atlanta the only time I would attend a sports venue is when someone would give me tickets,
Were you in Washington by choice or by the purview of the U.S. Gov’t I.E. Ft. Lewis?
JDW
December 15th, 2010
8:40 pm
@Dusty,
“JDW…Reagan’s been dead a long time, honey. Don’t you worry your head about him.”
Problem is he is the gift that keeps on giving. His “philosphy” has spawned the current generation of lower tax smaller government liars…even though he raised taxes in 1982(business), 1983(Payroll) and 1984(Energy)
http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/02/barack-obama-ronald-reagan-budget-taxes-opinions-contributors-rob-shapiro.html
and increased federal spending to 22% to 24% of GDP.
http://www.greatervoice.org/econ/data/OnBudget.html
Far above Carter, Bush 1, Clinton, and Bush 2. So far in fact that Reagan’s spending as a percent of GDP over his first four years may well be higher than Obama’s when we are done.
Yet the Republicans insist on telling us what a fiscal champion he was. When it comes to lies, damn lies and #$%damn lies he trails only Duhbya.
O’ by the way that economic “growth” he drove….not so much
GDP Growth Rates
Historical…1/1/47 to 1/31/81 GDP growth averaged 3.73%
Clinton…2/1/93 to 1/31/01 GDP growth averaged 3.81% or about the historical average
Reagan-Bush…2/1/81 to 1/31/93 GDP growth averaged 3.08% or about 17.5% below the historical average
Bush-Obama…2/1/01 to now GDP growth averaged 1.65% or more than 55% below the historical average
JDW
December 15th, 2010
8:45 pm
Lil’ Barry Bailout
December 15th, 2010
7:15 pm
“Americans can’t WAIT to be rid of this fascist, power grabbing, obscene spending Democrat congress.”
Psssst…Larry I think it is dissatisfaction with the Republicans that are driving the nums….
http://www.gallup.com/poll/145238/Congress-Job-Approval-Rating-Worst-Gallup-History.aspx
Lil' Barry Bailout
December 15th, 2010
8:54 pm
That’s funny, cuz the Republicans just whupped the Democrat party in the last election!
JDW
December 15th, 2010
9:02 pm
Lil’ Barry Bailout
December 15th, 2010
8:54 pm
“That’s funny, cuz the Republicans just whupped the Democrat party in the last election!”
Read the nums Dufus…
Rep positive 38%
Dem positive 37%
Tea Party positive 33%
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/NEWS/A_Politics/___Politics_Today_Stories_Teases/101770%20Dec%20NBC-WSJ%20Filled%20inV1.pdf
You can read can’t you?
Lil' Barry Bailout
December 15th, 2010
9:22 pm
Sorry JDW, the Democrats still lost, big time. And the Democrat-led Congress has the lowest rating in history.
Lil' Barry Bailout
December 15th, 2010
9:29 pm
L Dodd: Businesses now have the same speach rights as individuals and should each, therefore, have the same tax rates as individuals
——————-
So 47% of businesses won’t have to pay any taxes?
TnGelding
December 15th, 2010
9:32 pm
“Crowded classrooms?” Come on Jay, get real. The classrooms won’t be crowded. There’ll just be a few more students in each one. What about just suspending public education for a year? Turn a deficit into a surplus instantly.
A whole $600 million! Do you think we can spare it? It could easily be made up elsewhere. We could save that much by legalizing drugs and using them as a revenue source instead..
Rivals the Pentagon:
http://www.georgiafrontpage.com/education/09/7-27-09_spending.html
http://www.gppf.org/default.asp?pt=newsdescr&RI=1421
Jay
December 15th, 2010
10:56 pm
Gentlemen, a few of you seem to be getting a bit carried away here. Let’s all just back it down and stick around, OK?
bilbo799
December 16th, 2010
6:07 am
Approximately 50% of HOPE recipients lose their scholarships due to academic performance their first year of college. I know dozens of HOPE recipients who lost theirs at UGA because they preferred drinking to studying and the stats suggest this isn’t exceptional. The real travesty, Jay, isn’t that Deal wants to cut corporate taxes–it’s that we’re spending tens of millions of dollars on students who have no business going to college, much less going to college for free on the state’s dime.
TnGelding
December 16th, 2010
8:50 am
Why can’t we change that rite of passage?
Adam
December 16th, 2010
10:05 am
bilbo: better to find out in the early years that kids can’t cut it than to give them no chance at all. 50% is a pretty good number for those that stay.
Adam
December 16th, 2010
1:54 pm
I’m waiting for the negative top-poster!
Oaky Woods= Good DEAL
December 16th, 2010
6:01 pm
If they axed HOPE today my kids would still go to college in state or out of state which ever they choose. Big DEAL, I’m totally ok with HOPE being income based again if it means kids without the access going to college for less. Their families are more likely than mine to be spending $ on lottery tix anyway.
Oaky Woods= Good DEAL
December 16th, 2010
6:03 pm
Sell liquor on Sundays= solution.