A few reasons to think Georgia’s economic future is bright
If I worked for a chamber of commerce in this state, I would be inclined to highlight the recent report by IHS Global Insight Analysis that predicts Georgia will have the eighth-fastest job growth in the country during the next six years. You can see the data visually in this handy map produced by the Wall Street Journal. The factors in IHS’s forecast are, as an accompanying article puts it, the states’ “macroeconomic outlook, including demographic assumptions, historical and cyclical trends and other factors such as oil prices and tax policy.”
Then, I would be inclined to point to this analysis of the 50 states’ indebtedness, produced by the nonpartisan group State Budget Solutions. A closer inspection reveals Georgia is (barely) among the best one-quarter of states in terms of what we owe to creditors and retirees — current and future ones, accounting for the pension payments and other benefits, such as health care, they’re owed. At about $9,500 in state debt per man, woman and child, we’re closer to the top 5 than to the national average ($13,117). That suggests the tax burden is unlikely to grow worse relative to most other states.
The same SBS report cites a forecast for the American Legislative Exchange Council that sets Georgia’s economic outlook at 11th nationally.
Does all this leave room for improvement? Sure — and no room for complacency. But it’s good to find some reasons to be upbeat about Georgia’s future after the steady refrains of gloom we’ve heard for the past few years.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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113 comments Add your comment
Joel Edge
October 25th, 2011
5:59 am
Thanks. We need some reason to be upbeat.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
October 25th, 2011
6:09 am
Gee, when I read the headline, I thought someone had decided to cut the size of the GA General Assembly by 2/3rds.
Imagine my disappointment . . .
Ayn Rant
October 25th, 2011
6:18 am
Prosperity does not result from avoiding debt, but from constructive ventures funded by prudent debt. You have to invest a dime to earn a dollar profit!
Low debt, bad schools, and an overburdened and decaying infrastructure do not portend a bright future.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
October 25th, 2011
6:46 am
“Prosperity does not result from avoiding debt, but from constructive ventures funded by prudent debt.”
And if you were describing a private business, you’d be correct. But government should never prosper; rather, it should constantly be hanging on by it’s collective fingertips, so that the rest of us can prosper.
Blue#2
October 25th, 2011
7:40 am
Ajc pls. bring Cynthia Tucker back!!
carlosgvv
October 25th, 2011
8:28 am
Kyle, I hope you’re right but, if I had to bet any real money, I’d say it will be many long years, if ever, before we get back to what was once the economic normal.
Really?
October 25th, 2011
8:31 am
Wow. A whole ‘article’ without a substantial part of it being a cut and paste from elsewhere. Really? Got semi-ambitious Kyle. Now how about adding more in depth analysis and lengthen these attempts at ‘journalism’ to resemble what the big boys do at real newspapers on-line.
Chuck Doberman
October 25th, 2011
8:33 am
Wow, maybe we can use these advantages and catch up to the rest of the country re: infrastructure, industry and culture….! Yeah, probably not. Considering our elected “leadership” we will most likely use any advantage we possess or procure toward ending the tax burden completely on business, defunding public education, outlawing abortion, planned parenthood, welfare and unemployment compensation in Ga., making english the “official” language of Ga, making christianity the official religion of Ga (but otherwise staying out of the lives of citizens… lmao) and empowering our law enforcement to detain and deport any individual caught walking the streets without his papers (but dang it, y’all should be able to tell Ah’m legal by lookin’ at me so go hassle that guy over there… Ah mean look at ‘im, yoo kin tell he’s illegul… jes’ look at him!)
No, any advantages we enjoy will be pissed away by our “leaders” in hopes of forwarding their corporate agenda
HDB
October 25th, 2011
8:39 am
Tiberius – Your lightning rod of hate!
October 25th, 2011
6:46 am
Government SHOULD be prosperous — in this case, meaning efficient — so that it can provide the services that the populace needs in order TO be prosperous: roads, schools…..
If we don’t address the problems with infrastructure and education so that prosperity GROWS amongst the populace, then we ALL suffer!!
Producer
October 25th, 2011
8:41 am
As long as labor is cheaper overseas we will never recover. You think the manufacturing base of any occupation is coming back stateside, you’re wrong. You’re seeing the economic reality of the “way it is” for the next generation, at least.
Southern Comfort
October 25th, 2011
8:51 am
carlos
I’m with you. I think it’s going to be a while before things get better.
But government should never prosper; rather, it should constantly be hanging on by it’s collective fingertips, so that the rest of us can prosper.
If government does not prosper, you have no national defense, infrastructure, or anything else necessary for us to prosper. I understand the whole, for lack of a better term, anti-government thinking, but sometimes people need to really think about what they’re saying before they put it out.
If the government did not prosper, who’s gonna protect you from anybody attempting to overthrow the country? If there were no regulations, where do you keep your money if there’s no guarantee that someone’s not gonna steal it from inside the financial institution? Who’s going to ensure that you actually get paid by your employer and not get shafted?
I know that’s probably worst-case scenario thinking, but if the government is barely clinging on, then you may as well wish that we were Egypt, Syria, or some other country that’s in turmoil now. If you think you can prosper without a good solid government backing you, then I’d like to see proof of where that’s ever happened.
real john
October 25th, 2011
9:03 am
Good article Kyle.
Its so funny how many of the usual liberal bloggers on here can’t wait to come on and start blogging the same lib. talking points to your articles. I don’t even think most of them read your article. They just can’t wait to spew hate.
Even a positive article turns to hate for them…really sad
Southern Comfort
October 25th, 2011
9:11 am
real john
Go over to Bookman’s and see that same thing in reverse. That’s just how partisans do things nowadays.
Buzz G
October 25th, 2011
9:14 am
I remember the days when they used to say that conservatives had closed minds. There are lots of closed minds out there, most of them liberals. You can place Bookman in this group. Reality is so distasteful to them that they live in an unreal world.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
9:15 am
Good morning fellow gentlemen and ladies.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
9:17 am
Southern…..Bookman is a fraud. He never has valid points, just talking points to get posters on his blog.
Southern Comfort
October 25th, 2011
9:18 am
Buzz G
You should venture out a bit and check different blogs around the net. I’d say the closed mind race is 50/50. It all depends on the blog/topic.
Southern Comfort
October 25th, 2011
9:21 am
UGA
Bookman is an opinion writer just as Kyle is. Opinions do not have to be based in fact or even have a valid point. That’s the difference between being an opinion writer versus someone who’s reporting the news. His talking points must really hit a nerve with a lot of people because his blog posts generally dwarf the rest of the AJC Blogs combined.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
9:22 am
Southern….so why are you not there?
Jefferson
October 25th, 2011
9:30 am
Wouldn’t be nice if those jobs paid enough to pay federal income taxes.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
9:31 am
Hmmmm….I wonder why the news is not reporting more about things like this going on with the Occupy thugs….
“Dallas, a 14 year old runaway girl was being used as a sex slave in public at the occupy rallies”….
Bart Abel
October 25th, 2011
9:38 am
Georgia has about ten percent more people who are unemployed than is the national average (one point higher unemployment rate means ten percent more people are actually out of work). We’re suffering a drought so severe that if it doesn’t rain soon, we’re likely to become water refugees, moving in with our out of state families. We have air quality problems and among the longest commutes in the country. Our education system is among the worst in the country. Our poverty rate is high, our infant mortality rate is high, our incarceration rate is off the charts, our foreclosure rate is high, and community banks are dropping like flies. The only solution that Georgia voters and politicians like, lower taxes for corporations and rich people while raising taxes on the poor and middle class (via various forms of regressive sales taxes), is likely to exacerbate the situation.
Kudos to Kyle for seeing a silver lining that doesn’t exist. Unfortunately, thanks to the “fiscal conservatives” in our state, Georgia is inching closer and closer to third world status.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
9:42 am
Bart…..ask anyone from the north that moves to Georgia how they like it here versus up there. Lame arguement.
Jefferson
October 25th, 2011
9:44 am
There’s a lot of jobs in GA and AL picking crops, work is hard, pay is bad.
BW
October 25th, 2011
9:45 am
I don’t know Kyle…on paper this looks good. We don’t have high debt loads because of our approach to small government but at the same time we haven’t invested in our infrastructure particularly around the economic engines of the state..i.e. metro Atlanta and Port of Savannah. I wonder what our collective burden would be if we moved from 49th per capita in transportation investment to say middle of the pack at 25? I see the violent reactions to the HOT lanes in Gwinnett but I haven’t seen any other viable approach to help the problem. The surface arterial network lags badly behind that which is needed to support the population particularly in Cobb and north Fulton or Milton County. If this state does not continue to diversify its jobs offerings from construction and basically HQ poaching, I don’t see how the situation will improve. I would say financial services but our banks have done such a bang-up job the last three years. I foresee a continuing widening of the gulf between those with and those without in this state.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
9:47 am
BW….what gap of “with and without”….GOD I hate that excuse….sounds like those that are “without” need to change their situation.
Guest
October 25th, 2011
9:49 am
@UGA 1999
Only a UGA grad would quote a story without citing the source. Bravo, Bubba! Now get back to work fixing toilets or laying shingles or whatever it is you people do.
(I’m sure you’ll respond by claiming you’re a wealthy business owner like the rest of your delusional Tea Party ilk.)
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
9:49 am
Guest….
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=56a_1319501132
Jefferson
October 25th, 2011
9:50 am
As history shows, when the gap gets too wide, those without take it from those with.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
9:50 am
Guest….CLOWN!
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/10/24/accusations-of-teen-runaway-sexual-activity-at-occupy-dallas/
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
9:51 am
Jefferson…..come and get it….I dare you!
So you are saying that is is ok to steal? I bet a ounce piece of metal will say something differently.
Guest
October 25th, 2011
10:02 am
@UGA 1999
So you quoted text that appears in neither story you linked? You’re a regular genius.
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
10:02 am
But..but…the left keeps saying GA is the worst state ever because of the GOP.
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
10:04 am
“Only a UGA grad would quote a story without citing the source.”
So what about all the left wingers who post stories without posting their links? I’ll assume that most of them didn’t go to UGA.
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
10:05 am
UGA 1999
I’ve lived all over and there is NO WHERE in the USA where I can buy a nice big house other than down south. Northern democrat states are going bankrupt.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
10:06 am
Guest…..have a hard time with facts do ya? Yeah most of the ones from the left do….thanks for proving my point.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
10:07 am
Billy….Amen.
mum
October 25th, 2011
10:08 am
I recall when the state had a surplus that just had to be returned to the tax payers because that’s what you do with money instead of saving it for a rainy day.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
10:11 am
mum……who’s money was it?
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
10:12 am
mum
I remember when we weren’t 14 trillion in debt because of an inexperienced community organizer. That was just 3 years ago.
Guest
October 25th, 2011
10:13 am
@UGA 1999
What was your point? That you don’t know what quotation marks mean?
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
10:14 am
HDB
I agree but as we all know, government is incapable of dealing with money in a good way.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
10:15 am
Guest…nope the fact that you cannot read.
JDW
October 25th, 2011
10:20 am
@Kyle, while I hope these rosy forecasts are right, it is obvious past performance was not a key consideration. Since this state went all in red in 2000 we have ranked 45th in GDP growth. Maybe you could tell us what you think will change to produce our startling turnaround?
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/13/americas-fastest-and-slowest-growing-state-economies/
carlosgvv
October 25th, 2011
10:20 am
UGA 1999
So, if a few of the “occupy thugs” are doing bad things, that means all of the other thousands of protesters are bad? Looks like critical thinking and logic aren’t exactly your strong suits.
Guest
October 25th, 2011
10:22 am
Care to elaborate, UGA 1999?
Southern Comfort
October 25th, 2011
10:23 am
Southern….so why are you not there?
I figured a conservative leaning blog would be one filled with thoughtful discussion without all the petty sniping. I can see I was wrong in thinking that.
Keep Dreaming
October 25th, 2011
10:23 am
Hey Billy, you’re right. You can probably get the nicest double wide down here in GA. Place it right next to the shuttered strip malls that are all over the place here because no one regulated the over-building which is now going to cripple this area for a long time. Last I checked, the states with the worst housing markets are AZ, NV, FL, and CA….not exactly Northern states.
Crenshaw8
October 25th, 2011
10:24 am
What I find most interesting about the map are those states with predicted growth of 2.0 to 2.3. They are all led by Republican governors. Republicans know how to grow an economy.
Aquagirl
October 25th, 2011
10:24 am
I bet a ounce piece of metal will say something differently.
That works until the other people have their own ounces of metal.
Calm down, son, I know there’s a lotta guys out there who just can’t wait until social breakdown provides them with the manly-man role they desire. But survivalist fantasies aside, such times really, really suck.
Also, everyone knows you aren’t serious until you double-dog dare that guy if I recall correctly—-It’s been a long time since the 3rd grade.
Back on topic: Georgia has little to offer prospective employers. As others have already said, our infrastructure is woefully inadequate. There’s a reason business leaders in Cobb/N. Fulton are trying to drag the kicking, screaming, fake conservatives into the 21st century in supporting the transportation SPLOST.
Let’s not forget our water wars with Alabama and Florida. We are better off now Nathan Deal will actually negotiate, rather than lawyer up or threatening to seize territory. But while water may be out of the headlines, we can no longer treat Lanier like our personal puddle. Water supply issues are here to stay.
Dumb workers are not attractive to employers, and we have no shortage of those. Additionally, biotech firms will not move here with our General Assembly passing insane laws at the behest of insane people. Our adventures in microchip-implantation paranoia demonstrate the scientifically illiterate can freak out over nothing and our “leaders” are with them. Who wants to develop new advances when there’s a crowd outside with pitchforks and torches?
mum
October 25th, 2011
10:29 am
@BillyBane, was the country going off a cliff before the “community organizer” took office? Did we include the 2 wars into our debt calculations before the “community organizer” took office? What people fail to remember is that we have 3 branches of government and the President can’t a whole lot without the buy-in of the other 2. If anyone knew better how to “save” the country, I’d think they would have done it already….see the slate of republicans running for President right now.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
10:30 am
Carlos….so you condone that act as long as the bulk of people are not doing it?
DawgDad
October 25th, 2011
10:31 am
“Unfortunately, thanks to the “fiscal conservatives” in our state, Georgia is inching closer and closer to third world status.”
Does Georgia have problems? Yes. Could it be worse? Oh, yeah. We could be California, Illinois . . .
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
10:33 am
“So, if a few of the “occupy thugs” are doing bad things, that means all of the other thousands of protesters are bad?”
Why not, you guys labeled the Tea Party as racists.
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
10:33 am
“was the country going off a cliff before the “community organizer” took office?”
Yep, but we weren’t 14 trillion in debt.
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
10:34 am
“Republicans know how to grow an economy.”
And what are your thoughts on all the blue states going bankrupt?
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
10:35 am
If you don’t like GA, move.
mum
October 25th, 2011
10:36 am
@UGA1999, let’s put it in simple term, does you mortgage company rebate what you have in escrow before they evaluate how much you need to cover upcoming payments? So, if there was too much money in the coffers, why not just cut our taxes, I mean really cut taxes, not just shift burden down to the local level and say you did something.
getalife
October 25th, 2011
10:41 am
willard’s response to the housing crises is let it fail.
That is the gop response to our economy.
Let it collapse again.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
10:44 am
mum….The mortgage company is a profitable company and must protect their interest. Our government is not for profit. Lame arguement.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
10:45 am
Getalife….it is called FREE MARKET!
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
10:59 am
Everyone leave?
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
11:02 am
getalife doesn’t understand free market capitalism.
mum
October 25th, 2011
11:06 am
@BillyBane, looking at these numbers over the years, I don’t see where Obama caused $14 trillion of debt in 2.5 years:
Ronald Reagan started his term with total debt outstanding of 930 million and increased total debt outstanding to $2.7 trillion. This is a 13.71% compound annual increase. He never balanced a budget.
George Bush, Sr. started his term with outstanding debt of $2.7 trillion and increased total debt to $4 trillion. This is a 10.32% compounded annual increase. He never balanced a budget.
Bill Clinton started with total debt outstanding debt of $4 trillion and increased total debt outstanding to $5.6 trillion. This is a 4.2% compounded annual increase. He balanced his last three budgets.
George W. Bush started with $5.6 trillion total outstanding debt and increased total outstanding debt to $10 trillion. That works out to a 9.8 percent annual increase – just slightly more than the rate it has grown during Obama’s first years.
So that said, is your contention is that Bush left us with “0″ debt and Obama racked up $14 trillion in 2.5 years in office? Do you realize that we’ven not really paid for a war since WWII? The government has spend way more than collected in taxes for decades but, now you want to blame Obama for a systemic problem. Two wars the weren’t ever included in any budget until Obama added them so people could finally see the mess we were in. You may not like the guy, but you need to look at how we got into this mess and it didn’t happen 2 years ago.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
11:08 am
mum….obama has out spent any other president to date in his term. Facts dont lie.
mum
October 25th, 2011
11:12 am
@UGA1999, I guess you totally missed the point? Common sense says you look at all the variable in future years beforehand, you don’t decide you won’t need the “cusion” before you make your review. Politics trumped common sense and now we have no money in the bank. The Unemployment Insurance shortfall is on good example of the lack of good sense and good planning.
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
11:13 am
” looking at these numbers over the years, I don’t see where Obama caused $14 trillion of debt in 2.5 years”
Guess you missed the failed stimulus packages, obamacare passage, pet projects, other spending bills and other bailouts of GM etc.
You should take the blinders off and pay attention.
Crenshaw8
October 25th, 2011
11:14 am
And what are your thoughts on all the blue states going bankrupt?
They get what they deserve.
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
11:17 am
Crenshaw8
Yep, and the libbies keep wanting bailout after bailout to pay off union thugs and pension funds for people who retired years ago.
carlosgvv
October 25th, 2011
11:21 am
UGA 1999 – 10:30 – That is not what I said and you know it. What I am saying is that anytime any large numbers of people gather in multiple cities in America, there will always be a few bad actors.
Billy Bane – 10:33 – I never said the Tea Party was racist. I do say they are extreme right wing and by saying they would let America go into default rather than raise the debt ceiling they showed how much they care for their idelogy and how little they care for the American people.
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
11:22 am
carlosgvv
You’re blaming the Tea Party for years of overspending by the Dems and Repubs?
Shame on you.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
11:24 am
Carlos…..and what about the defacing the American Flag (illegal), using the bathroom on a police care (illegal), public sex (illegal). Singing songs that say F U America!
You condone all of that as well?
dixiedemons
October 25th, 2011
11:26 am
The future is bright from a fiscal standpoint for the state of Georgia………….. However, citizens that LIVE in the state of Georgia are the ones that do with out and suffer………… Bad schools, overburdened and decaying infrastructure, a community banking system with no integrity, 10 % unemployment , class warfare, race baiting. A state legislative delegation that can’t work together. A congressional delegation that puts the national GOP game plan ahead of their local districts needs does not bode well for the people that LIVE in our state.
mum
October 25th, 2011
11:27 am
@BillyBane, I can see very well thank you! Please elaborate (detail) what Obama spent $14 trillion on over the past 2.5 years, don’t include the healthcare law becuse that won’t be fully implemented for 10 years.
Hillbilly D
October 25th, 2011
11:27 am
I agree with carlos, and SoCo on this one. I think it’ll be a long time before things get back, if they ever do. There’s a whole big state out here (largest east of the Mississippi) and things aren’t real rosy in most of it.
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
11:27 am
carlosgvv
Nothing bad ever happened at a tea party rally. LOTS of bad things are happening at the OWS rallies. Children getting molested, robberies, defecating on police cars, anti-semitism etc.
OWS is full of childish losers.
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
11:28 am
” Please elaborate (detail) what Obama spent $14 trillion on over the past 2.5 years”
What, you can’t read?
Billy Bane
October 25th, 2011
11:28 am
I bet most of you didn’t realize that GA was Democrat up until the year 2000.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
11:30 am
mum….OH are we picking and choosing what Obama has done (healthcare). This will be a huge loser for our country. If the courts allow it to continue.
mum
October 25th, 2011
11:34 am
@Billy Bane, my teacher said people insult and call people names when they don’t have the vocabulary or the argument to support their claims. I’ve been reading sine I was three years-old.
Hillbilly D
October 25th, 2011
11:35 am
Billy Bane @ 11:28
Those of us who aren’t move-ins do. What most people fail to see is that whether state government has been run by R’s or D’s, it’s pretty much been the same, just a bunch of guys out for themselves. That applies to the local level, as well, at least where I live.
mum
October 25th, 2011
11:35 am
@UGA1999, The problem is that you guys can’t document where Obama has so far spent $14 trillion, so case closed on my part.
JDW
October 25th, 2011
11:38 am
@Billy…”I bet most of you didn’t realize that GA was Democrat up until the year 2000.”
Actually most of us do. What we don’t like is the fact that GA went from one on the best economies in the US to one of the worst over the last 10 years.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
11:49 am
mum….NO you just have a BIG problem with facts. Obama spent more money in his first year in office than ANY other president in their first year of office.
TARP – $154 BILLION
AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT – $202 BILLION
OMNIBUS SPENDING – $410 BILLION
That was all just in 2009.
Former Business Owner
October 25th, 2011
11:51 am
I don’t know where this pie-in-the-sky fallacy originates, however the Atlanta metro area has litererally bet the farm on real estate development … you know more and more mini-mansions on a postage stamp. The counties have left very little room for any business other than retail / highway commercial. Until we bring back manufacturing and industry, this sad, sorry state will continue. Not everyone can work in an office job.
Southern Comfort
October 25th, 2011
11:52 am
HD
Been missing your wise counsel… Amen on that 11:35 as there is no difference between the parties other than the alphabet following their names. They’re all more interested in self-service as opposed to serving the state.
Hillbilly D
October 25th, 2011
11:54 am
Former Business Owner
Until we get our economy based on production instead of consumption, we’re never going to get this sorted out, in my opinion.
Southern Comfort
October 25th, 2011
11:57 am
HD
We’re in for a world of hurt then. Our labor costs are too high to bring production back to the US in any sizeable fashion. I think our best option was to pursue some of the newer technologies and/or green energy items. Now that China has positioned itself to corner that market, we’re screwed unless we come up with some radically new industry that everybody needs but nobody else can produce.
carlosgvv
October 25th, 2011
11:58 am
UGA 1999 – Billy Bane
Apparently neither of you is aware of a tremendous smear campaign being initiated by the Republican Party against these protestors. Naturally, you believe everything they say. Naturally, you either cannot or will not acknowledge that these protests are aimed at Big Business and that The Republicans, their bought and paid for lackeys, will say and do anything to protect the rich.
Hillbilly D
October 25th, 2011
12:01 pm
SoCo
I’d agree if we continue on our current course. Tariffs are provided for in the Constitution, so the Founding Fathers must have thought they were important. It’s time to use them. If a U. S. company manufactures their product off-shore and brings it here to sell, let them pay a tariff just like a foreign company (I believe I’ve seen you propose that before, if memory serves). We have a choice, we can pay a little more for what we buy and keep Americans working or we can pay higher taxes for unemployment benefits. I’m for looking after our own.
Balki Bartakomous of Mipos
October 25th, 2011
12:07 pm
Georgia will not be able to pull out of the recession and high unemployment until we get rid of the glut of existing homes in the suburbs. Too many people are confined by underwater homes or the unsellables and cannot create or find new jobs until something breaks loose in the system. However, this only goes for the metro Atlanta area. The rest of rural and outlying Georgia towns will dry up and blow away like tumbleweeds. Agriculture and timber will exist but that is all. You will an even more dichotomous Georgia in the future.
Politi Cal
October 25th, 2011
12:11 pm
The Left hates prosperity, as prosperity leads away from their center of nonsense: BIG GOVERNMENT.
Southern Comfort
October 25th, 2011
12:13 pm
HD
That’s what I advocate, and I’ll continue to do so as long as we need to put them back into place. The whole idea of “free trade” is a sham. Once tariffs are removed by an agreement, there is little to no incentive to keep manufacturing here in the US. The company can move to the foreign locale, take advantage of much cheaper labor costs, little to no regulatory issues, and then re-import their product without having to pay to do so. It’s a win-win for the company, but the American worker gets shafted in the process.
I’m with you in that I look to see what’s American made before I spend a dime now. If I have to pay a bit more, I don’t mind it as long as I know it’s keeping somebody employed here.
Balki Bartakomous of Mipos
October 25th, 2011
12:14 pm
And of course it goes without saying we need manufacturing.
Former Business Owner
October 25th, 2011
12:17 pm
Its deeper than just the salaries of the worker bees. The local zoning boards ( think your city or county) have become dominated by real estate developers. Very little land is available for manufacturing or industry … plenty of land now for home construction.
The Atlanta metro area economy was so completely dominated by the real estate development industry and consumption, that there is no room left for anything else. The worker bees feel entitled to make $20 per hour for unskilled labor and want to live in a mini-mansion.
Former Business Owner
October 25th, 2011
12:19 pm
Oh, and by the way, most of the more restrictive zoning rules are put in place by the nosy busy body, tell everyone what to do, so-called republicans ….
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
12:23 pm
carlos….I have seen them first hand (NYC). TRUST ME no need for a smear campaign. They are doing a good job of defacing themselves.
Southern Comfort
October 25th, 2011
12:26 pm
Former Business Owner
I think many of the worker bees want to just be able to earn enough to survive on. When you make $300 a week at a job and get hit with a $200 gas bill for example, that hurts the finances quite a bit. I’ve read where home sizes are trending downward, and I suspect that it will continue for the most part as wages are continuing to stagnate.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
12:31 pm
Southern….i agree.
Common Sense isn't very Common
October 25th, 2011
12:47 pm
I hope the GA plan is to import educated workers from other states (like Perry’s Texas) or Ga is screwed.
Remember last in education and first in bank failures
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
12:54 pm
Isnt Atlanta the “Black Mecca” of the nation?
Hillbilly D
October 25th, 2011
12:59 pm
The local zoning boards ( think your city or county) have become dominated by real estate developers.
It’s been that way as long as I can remember but it’s even worse now.
And for all the growth we’ve had in the last 40 years, have we profited? In some ways yes but in many ways no. The hyper growth people always talk about growth bringing jobs but does it really? True there are more jobs here than there were 40 years ago but there are also exponentially more people. For all the growth, unemployment is higher here than it was 40 years ago. And this area went through another big real estate bust in ‘73-’74 and nobody learned a thing. The major difference was that bust was due to overbuilding of apartments and office parks, rather than single family homes.
saywhat?
October 25th, 2011
1:11 pm
While I hope Georgia’s economic future is bright, I am not convinced. Republican stupidity and cupidity- witness the hot lanes fiasco, the possibilty of CAPCO, poor water management etc, and the whole “tax cuts cure everything” mentality so prevalent really are discouraging.
Balki Bartakomous of Mipos
October 25th, 2011
1:11 pm
We have to learn to start building up instead of out. Sprawl kills all. As a suburbanite stuck in a modest home on half an acre, I have to drive 15 to 30 minutes to get anything accomplished as oppossed to living in a row house or high rise and having shopping and work available nearby. Suburban Sprawl has killed us. I only bought there because ther were no other options. Most Georgians have no idea how expensive water lines and roads are to construct and maintain.
Hillbilly D
October 25th, 2011
1:16 pm
Some people like living in the suburbs, some like living in the city and some like living in the county. That’s never going to change.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
1:17 pm
Balki…..here is an idea…..move. If you want to live in a more urban environment you can always move.
BW
October 25th, 2011
1:22 pm
UGA 1999
I don’t think I ever made this an argument about redistributing to those without….it’s a simple fact that the gap between the two groups is widening. There will be winners and losers and they will not always look or speak like you think they will.
UGA 1999
October 25th, 2011
1:25 pm
BW…..ok? I think there are a multitude of factors contributing to this fact. And it is not all the fault of those at the top.
jms
October 25th, 2011
1:26 pm
Ayn Rant,
I want to invest with you if you can earn a dollar profit off a dime!
Balki Bartakomous of Mipos
October 25th, 2011
1:32 pm
I would if I could. All I hear all the time is people whining about high local property taxes and water rates here in the suburbs but they don’t realize it costs a fortune to lay the infrastructure for us to live out here in these subdivisions. The result of Poor zoning and planning.
BW
October 25th, 2011
1:33 pm
UGA 1999
I think you just want to vent at someone here. I stated that Georgia;s economy as currently constructed will make it difficult for everyone’s boat to rise with “recovery”. That’s it…everyone doesn’t fit nearly into a box called liberal or conservative all the time. While our state debt level is relatively low, I don’t see major improvement if our main economic sectors are construction and “services”. I wonder what the projected salaries of these new jobs will be…will it be Starbucks level? Can you support a family if you have one or desire to have one? Everyone isn’t going to own a company….not everyone is going to college either….there are no simple solutions to this problem….that is all.
BW
October 25th, 2011
1:35 pm
Balki
The thing that gets me is that these people who are whining elect their representatives to office and then complain when they have no idea of how to improve the situation. This is what happened when the conversation gets dumbed down too much….I mean the situation at the Buford town hall was absolutely priceless.
Balki Bartakomous of Mipos
October 25th, 2011
2:48 pm
Agreed BW, I was dismayed at the ignorance and hatred of all things government at the last town hall I attended. I am a pretty conservative person but I felt like a liberal there.