Atlanta Chat Thread (Decatur, Doraville, Commerce: rent, tenant, live in)

[Born 2 Roll]

The current run of overall economic growth and prosperity in metro Atlanta continues to benefit and power the Georgia state economy.

The growth, prosperity and general overall good health and positive well-being of the metropolitan Atlanta economy continues to be reflected in the robust tax revenue collections at all levels of government, including the tax revenue collections of Georgia state government.

Here is a link to an article in the Gwinnett Daily Post that reports that Georgia state government tax revenues increased by $124.7 million or 7.3 percent in the month of November 2017...

"Georgia tax revenues increased by $124.7 million in November" (Gwinnett Daily Post)
Georgia tax revenues increased by $124.7 million in November | State News | gwinnettdailypost.com

Here is a link to a press release from Georgia Governor Nathan Deal giving some details of the increase in Georgia state government revenues for the month of December:

"Deal: November tax revenues up 7.3 percent" (Governor Nathan Deal/Office of the Governor)
https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releas...ues-73-percent

From the governor's press release...

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that Georgia’s net tax collections for November totaled $1.84 billion, for an increase of nearly $124.7 million, or 7.3 percent, compared to last year when net tax collections totaled $1.72 billion. Year-to-date, net tax collections totaled almost $9.04 billion, for an increase of $238.6 million, or 2.7 percent, over November 2016, when net tax revenues totaled roughly $8.8 billion, five months into the fiscal year.

[AnsleyPark]

That should help pay for expanded health care coverage we so desperately need in Georgia. But, I'm sure it will be wasted on something frivolous instead.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

That should help pay for expanded health care coverage we so desperately need in Georgia. But, I'm sure it will be wasted on something frivolous instead.

Naw, we can't have nice things like that here.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Naw, we can't have nice things like that here.

I also wish this state had more workers rights. This place is dubiously silent when it comes to those which is why alot of people are surviving on skinflint.

[CaliDreaming01]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I also wish this state had more workers rights. This place is dubiously silent when it comes to those which is why alot of people are surviving on skinflint.

I think the lack of workers' rights is part of the reason for Atlanta's growth. A lot of corporations are looking for an environment that prioritizes profits over workers.

[fieldm]

Metro Atlanta keeps having to fund rural Georgia. Its about them to start helping us pay for public transportation up here

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by CaliDreaming01

I think the lack of workers' rights is part of the reason for Atlanta's growth. A lot of corporations are looking for an environment that prioritizes profits over workers.

That is a really good observation that a lower-regulation business environment (particularly when compared to the higher-regulation business environments of other parts of the country like California, Illinois and the Northeast) has been part of the reason for Atlanta's massive regional growth over the past 7 decades or so of post-World War II economic boom and growth.

But a lower-regulation business environment is not special or unique to the Atlanta area and the state of Georgia and has been prevalent throughout almost all of the Southern U.S. and parts of the Midwestern U.S. (particularly in the Plains' states) during the nation's post-World War II history.

More than just being a lower-regulation (and lower-tax, lower-cost) business environment, Atlanta's growth has been facilitated and propelled by the city's location at a nexus (crossroads) of regional and transcontinental railroad and highway routes at the south end of the Blue Ridge/Appalachian Mountains chain.

Atlanta's extensive growth has also been facilitated tremendously by the city's long-time and ongoing massive investments in its airport (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport) over the past 9+ decades... An airport which has grown into the busiest passenger airport on the planet.

Atlanta's growing national and international reputation as a city of hustlers who will do business with anyone regardless of race, ethnicity, skin color and/or nationality (as opposed to the extremely provincial past reputation of a nearby competing city like Birmingham and the neighboring state of Alabama) that it gained during the Civil Rights Movement has also been a major contributor to Atlanta's massive growth over the past several decades.

[Born 2 Roll]

Georgia House Speaker David Ralston has been making the rounds in the Atlanta media in recent days talking about the coming 2018 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly.

Speaker Ralston appeared on Wednesday's edition of the Georgia political show on GPB (Georgia Public Broadcasting) radio and touched on such major political topics as:

> The ongoing growing anti-sexual harassment movement and backlash that is building across the nation (and the Georgia state Senate's noted recent failure to appoint any female members to an anti-sexual harassment panel)...

> The ongoing push by social and religious conservatives to pass controversial and business-averse religious liberty legislation into Georgia state law...

> Atlanta's and Georgia's apparent frontrunner status in the nationwide competition to land Amazon's second North American headquarters...

> How the rough (and disgusting) nature of the recently-concluded U.S. Senate special election race in neighboring Alabama might benefit economic development efforts here in Georgia (and metro Atlanta)...

> The need to reform Georgia's outdated child adoption laws...

> Calls for the Georgia Legislature to allow Confederate statues to be removed by local governments in communities where they may not be wanted by most of the local population.

"Ralston Talks Legislative Session on Political Rewind" (GPB Political Rewind)
Ralston Talks Legislative Session on Political Rewind | Georgia Public Broadcasting

[Born 2 Roll]

Before appearing on GPB's "Political Rewind" on Wednesday, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston also sat down and talked one-on-one in a two-part conversation on the upcoming 2018 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly with Denis O'Hayer on the local radio news show "Morning Edition" on NPR affiliate WABE 90.1 FM Atlanta.

Here is Part One of that conversation:

"House Speaker Ralston On Georgia’s 2018 Legislative Session" (Morning Edition/WABE 90.1 FM radio Atlanta)
https://www.wabe.org/house-speaker-r...ative-session/

In just a month, Georgia lawmakers return to the state Capitol. They have a lot of issues in front of them and some self-imposed pressure to get out fast and start campaigning in an election year.

Before the start of the 2018 legislative session, House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, joined host Denis O’Hayer on “Morning Edition” for a wide-ranging conversation about everything from how the Legislature handles sexual harassment to how state officials can best work with the next mayor of Atlanta.

Here is Part Two of that conversation on the upcoming 2018 Georgia General Assembly legislative session between Speaker Ralston and Denis O'Hayer:

"House Speaker David Ralston On Decisions Lawmakers Will Face In 2018 Session" (Morning Edition/WABE 90.1 FM radio Atlanta)
https://www.wabe.org/house-speaker-d...-2018-session/

Next month, state lawmakers return to the Georgia Capitol for the 2018 session.

Some of the biggest decisions will involve lots of money. Republican House Speaker David Ralston sat down with Denis O’Hayer recently on Morning Edition.

In part two of their conversation, the Speaker talked about some of those pressing — and expensive — decisions, starting with long-delayed funding for transit in Atlanta and other places.

A study committee will soon give lawmakers its recommendations.

The interview also touched on the state’s opioid addiction crisis, and whether lawmakers will opt for the state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, or negotiate an alternative with the Federal government.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

That is a really good observation that a lower-regulation business environment (particularly when compared to the higher-regulation business environments of other parts of the country like California, Illinois and the Northeast) has been part of the reason for Atlanta's massive regional growth over the past 7 decades or so of post-World War II economic boom and growth.

But a lower-regulation business environment is not special or unique to the Atlanta area and the state of Georgia and has been prevalent throughout almost all of the Southern U.S. and parts of the Midwestern U.S. (particularly in the Plains' states) during the nation's post-World War II history.

More than just being a lower-regulation (and lower-tax, lower-cost) business environment, Atlanta's growth has been facilitated and propelled by the city's location at a nexus (crossroads) of regional and transcontinental railroad and highway routes at the south end of the Blue Ridge/Appalachian Mountains chain.

Atlanta's extensive growth has also been facilitated tremendously by the city's long-time and ongoing massive investments in its airport (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport) over the past 9+ decades... An airport which has grown into the busiest passenger airport on the planet.

Atlanta's growing national and international reputation as a city of hustlers who will do business with anyone regardless of race, ethnicity, skin color and/or nationality (as opposed to the extremely provincial past reputation of a nearby competing city like Birmingham and the neighboring state of Alabama) that it gained during the Civil Rights Movement has also been a major contributor to Atlanta's massive growth over the past several decades.

Yeah, I can't disagree there, alot of states are definitely like that, Texas is too. Illinois rocks when it comes to workers rights but if you live in Chicago you're liable to get shot on your way out the building... guess there's always a catch.

But yeah, most of the companies in Atlanta also exist in places more stringent and some even have larger campuses (Example, Cisco in California is a campus of 39 biuldings, 14 in Raleigh Durham and 3 in Atlanta metro.) .. I just think Atlanta suffers from it because it's no longer a medium or smaller city and the cost of living is increasing but wages are not... its nothing like California no... nor do I ever think it will get that bad, but I do feel its becoming more and more unfair and unregulated.