Tax breaks, fast internet proposed to bolster rural Georgia (Atlanta: appointed, 2015)

[Airforceguy]

The group recently voted to support income tax breaks worth up to $6,000 a year, high-speed internet lines in unconnected areas and better health care access, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported .

High-speed internet is a critical step toward growth in rural areas because without it, businesses and residents might move elsewhere, said state Rep. Patty Bentley, D-Butler.

“You need access to broadband to make all of it work,” Bentley said. “Having access to internet is very critical to attracting industry into your communities.”

Among the key goals is to upgrade the state’s sparsely populated regions so that more jobs will be available. It is hoped that this will lessen the economic need for local residents to move to cities.

Lawmakers say they also want to encourage businesses to relocate to rural areas, and improving internet service, education and health will help accomplish that.

The recommendations approved by the Georgia House of Representatives Rural Development Council could become a reality if enacted by the General Assembly next year.

House Speaker David Ralston said the council’s initiatives are a high priority as lawmakers try to bolster rural areas of Georgia.

Tax breaks, fast internet proposed to bolster rural Georgia | The Augusta Chronicle

[Atlanta Scientist]

Very interesting. I hope there are some matching initiatives for lower income urban areas that face the same issues.

[SavannahLife]

these are the folks who voted Trump, who appointed a Verizon lawyer to run the FCC and end net neutrality. In all seriousness. Not all down to a person, but the electoral map clearly shows the red counties are country. Why again is taxpayers dollars being used so Billy Bob in the country can watch Netflix? Sounds like a waste. This time it seems like letting the market work would smart.

[midgeorgiaman]

Originally Posted by SavannahLife

these are the folks who voted Trump, who appointed a Verizon lawyer to run the FCC and end net neutrality. In all seriousness. Not all down to a person, but the electoral map clearly shows the red counties are country. Why again is taxpayers dollars being used so Billy Bob in the country can watch Netflix? Sounds like a waste. This time it seems like letting the market work would smart.

Yup. They voted for "market solutions." Government subsidies and tax breaks are contrary to that. Give them what they want...The market.

[Pemgin]

Businesses and residents are going to move elsewhere, anyway. The hard truth is many rural areas are dying. No amount of subsidies will revive them, particularly in south Georgia. The economy has shifted in a way that has made them irrelevant. Forget subsidies, Georgia needs to consolidate a lot of these tiny counties.

[midgeorgiaman]

Originally Posted by Pemgin

Businesses and residents are going to move elsewhere, anyway. The hard truth is many rural areas are dying. No amount of subsidies will revive them, particularly in south Georgia. The economy has shifted in a way that has made them irrelevant. Forget subsidies, Georgia needs to consolidate a lot of these tiny counties.

Very true. The number of counties is ridiculous and expensive but which county commissioners and sheriffs will volunteer to combine and remove their own jobs? My guess is zero.

[SavannahLife]

Agreed. Looking at Georgia and other states, it's just crazy how many more counties there are! It's actually an interesting history... History - A Brief History of Georgia Counties - GeorgiaInfo But practically speaking, a duplicate use of money. But as you say, they won't try to vote themselves out of office hehe!

Indeed I once lived in the country and loved it. But subsidies won't change the economy calculus. And they probably don't want big government 'help'.. It is what makes the country appealing in many ways.

[Pemgin]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/o...l-right-region

Relevant analysis by Paul Krugman explaining why small towns and cities have lost viability.

[Beach Sportsfan]

The closing of many rural hospitals also makes it less likely that a small town can attract retirees who might be attracted to a slower, cheaper and more nature pace of life.

Some smaller towns can survive if they are close enough to big city if people need health care, shopping and entertainment, too far from them and I think it’s just a matter of time unless they are a college town

[AnsleyPark]

Let's not forget - our food is grown and raised by the folks in the rural areas of the state. They are indispensable to city folk. In fact, agribusiness is the largest sector of the state's economy.

https://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures.../06/id/628277/