What's Causing Atlanta's Job Market to Languish? Government Job Losses. (Dallas: fit in, foreclosures)

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by arjay57

There's an article in today's paper saying that Time Warner Inc. is considering moving 1,000 jobs to Atlanta. Apparently Rochester and Tampa are under consideration as well.

Possibly not. They might be using Rochester and Tampa as bargaining chips.

[testa50]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Probably Texas in general. No State Income Tax and a very pro-business climate. Certainly better than Georgia in education.

Where did you see Georgia is that much worse than Texas in education?

Also, Georgia tends to be pretty darned business friendly in pretty much every ranking I see. Not quite as high as Texas, but certainly better than the US average and just about all of the states up north. Hard to see this as a reason for such weak performance from us.

[djejsw2]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Certainly better than Georgia in education.

Now wait just a minute! The CRTC scores clearly show that Waycross has the states best schools.

It would be LOL, but then again it's honestly sad...

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Possibly not. They might be using Rochester and Tampa as bargaining chips.

Well, sure. Any time there is arm's length bargaining you have to assume there may be some bluffing. If I was negotiating for a lease I'd certainly want the landlord to think I might be considering other options.

[Wolfpacker]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

Oil also. And tech. Lots of tech companies have set up shop there.

As someone answered before, tax-and-business friendly state (no income taxes), two airports that has the advantage that Hartsfield has, and a competitive cost-of-living.

I would think Atlanta would have an edge in terms of its universities with a pair of big-time, prestigious schools in Georgia Tech and Emory. DFW has some good schools, but they aren't quite as acclaimed as those two. DFW seems to have a rather entrepreneurial drive compared to other locations. Is that what Atlanta has?

[AcidSnake]

I'm curious about the political relationship that existed previously and currently between the city leadership of Houston and Dallas to include their parent & surrounding counties and Texas' state leadership. I would wonder if these governments had more of a symbiotic relationship than the antithethical relationship that Atlanta, the surrounding counties and Georgia's state leadership historically & currently have.

I would think that a good cooperative relationship helps to attract new businesses when all levels of government within a state are on the same foot in terms of revenue/resource sharing. This method reduces duplication of services & bureaucracy while at the same focuses only on the sevices deemed absolutely necessary to attract revenue generating newcomers.

I can only pray that my concerns are being raised by those in higher paygrades and levels of influences.

Originally Posted by Cameron H

Per capita income tells the same story, doesn't it? The 90s were great and the Great Recession has sucked. I'm not really challenging, here, just asking. I don't live in Atlanta, so I'm a bit surprised by the perception that things were bad long before the current cratering of the economy.

ETA: Houston's per capita income has definitely taken off, though. Again, boom...

[mike7586]

Originally Posted by Wolfpacker

As someone answered before, tax-and-business friendly state (no income taxes), two airports that has the advantage that Hartsfield has, and a competitive cost-of-living.

I would think Atlanta would have an edge in terms of its universities with a pair of big-time, prestigious schools in Georgia Tech and Emory. DFW has some good schools, but they aren't quite as acclaimed as those two. DFW seems to have a rather entrepreneurial drive compared to other locations. Is that what Atlanta has?

I think what is pushing Texas ahead of Georgia is their infrastructure. Texas is not afraid to build toll roads, they have built massive and multiple Spaghetti Junction like interchanges in Dallas and Houston, both of these metro areas are building and expanding their light rail systems, etc. Because of this, Dallas and Houston do not have a horrible reputation for traffic that the Atlanta metro has. It has been said over and over again that it effects the Atlanta area's ability to attract new jobs here.

With 5 million plus people, there's always going to be some traffic, but if we just ignore our infrastructure and do nothing businesses will take note of that. Georgia has barely done anything in the past 11 years (and MARTA has barely expanded train service in 30 years because their hands are tied - no support from the state or suburban counties) and with all the anti-everything people in this area I'm sure the transportation tax will be voted down and we will continue to do nothing substantial infrastructure-wise.

[Wolfpacker]

Originally Posted by mike7586

I think what is pushing Texas ahead of Georgia is their infrastructure. Texas is not afraid to build toll roads, they have built massive and multiple Spaghetti Junction like interchanges in Dallas and Houston, both of these metro areas are building and expanding their light rail systems, etc. Because of this, Dallas and Houston do not have a horrible reputation for traffic that the Atlanta metro has. It has been said over and over again that it effects the Atlanta area's ability to attract new jobs here.

With 5 million plus people, there's always going to be some traffic, but if we just ignore our infrastructure and do nothing businesses will take note of that. Georgia has barely done anything in the past 11 years (and MARTA has barely expanded train service in 30 years because their hands are tied - no support from the state or suburban counties) and with all the anti-everything people in this area I'm sure the transportation tax will be voted down and we will continue to do nothing substantial infrastructure-wise.

I thought Houston was noted to be just as bad as Atlanta?

When does the transportation tax go to vote?

[AcidSnake]

Here's a good article from the AJC that feeds into my worldview about the necessity of regional cooperation from all Metro Atlanta counties.

Education, transportation, water: Problems a package deal *| ajc.com


Quite frankly, I feel that only the governments of Atlanta, Clayton, Fulton, Dekalb, and the state should enter into a vigorous collective institution for the purposes of bettering the state.

Let the other counties' governments fall in line when their citizens realize that most of their free time is being spent in sitting in traffic.

Just sayin'.

[cabasse]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

Yes, Houston has an advantage in the form of oil. But what's the reason for Dallas' economic health?

natural gas as well. the barnett shale is right under fw, and that town makes up a notable majority of the metro's growth over the past decade.