How does PolitiFact Georgia’s Truth-O-Meter work?
Our goal is to help you find the truth in American politics. Reporters from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution fact-check statements by local, state and national political leaders, including lobbyists and interest groups. We then rate them on the AJC Truth-O-Meter.
To fact-check the claim, reporters first contact the speaker to verify the statement. Next, the research begins. Reporters consult a variety of sources, including industry and academic experts. This research can take hours or a few days or even longer, depending on the claim. Reporters then compile the research into story form and include a recommended Truth-O-Meter ruling.
The fact check then moves on to a panel of editors who debate the statement and the reporter’s recommended Truth-O-Meter ruling. The panel votes on a final ruling; majority prevails.
Obamacare and baseball dominated the AJC Truth-O-Meter last week.
PolitiFact Georgia took a look at statements about the new Atlanta Braves stadium and the numbers of people signing up for health insurance.
And for good measure, we took a look at how Medicare and Social Security are driving up our national debt.
Abbreviated versions of our fact checks are below.
Full versions can be found at: www.politifact.com/georgia/.
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Cobb County businessman John Loud: “These 60 acres (the Atlanta Braves want to build a stadium on) have produced zero SPLOST money for parks and recreation, have produced zero money for education.”
The proposed new home of the Atlanta Braves is a large swath of heavily wooded land that could be a hit for Cobb County government and schools if the baseball team moves there, some supporters of the plan say.
“These 60 acres have produced zero SPLOST money for parks and recreation, have produced zero money for education,” said Loud, who owns Loud Security, based in Cobb.
PolitiFact Georgia found that the site’s owners currently pay property taxes that go to the county’s school system.
Loud said he was referring to sales tax revenue from the land. His quote in a newspaper article could had been clearer about the point he was trying to make.
There is some additional detail that must be understood for anyone who reads Loud’s quote.
Our rating: Mostly True.
U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland: “Only 536 Georgians are signed up for Obamacare while 400,000 in the state lost their health insurance.”
For a specific segment of Georgians, the recent rollout of the Affordable Care Act marketplaces has been fraught with confusion, headaches and more confusion.
We told you so, say some critics of the act, which many call Obamacare.
One of them was Westmoreland, who offered some specific numbers to outline the problems, courtesy of his Twitter account.
“Only 536 Georgians are signed up for Obamacare while 400,000 in the state lost their health insurance,” said a tweet posted from the Georgia Republican’s account.
The number of Georgians signed up was correct. The number of Georgians who have lost their insurance needs some clarity.
About 400,000 Georgians have received notices warning their policies could be canceled because they are not compliant with the federal law. Not all of them will go without insurance, officials explained.
Westmoreland’s claim, like many concerning the health care law, is complicated. There’s some context that’s necessary to fully understand the situation some Georgians face as a result of the controversial law.
Our rating: Half True.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz: “500,000 people have signed up for #Obamacare.”
A lot of numbers were tossed around when the White House finally announced on Nov. 13 how many individuals had signed up for health care coverage through online marketplaces.
The general consensus is the early returns were underwhelming.
Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., tweeted a simple breakdown.
“This week we found out 500,000 people have signed up for #Obamacare,” the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee said. “It’s good news, but we have more work to do.”
PolitiFact found the numbers add up if you count different parts of the law that work together to expand coverage, but it’s a little simplistic. The fate of many of the Medicaid enrollees remains up in the air due to the problems with the federal marketplace. It’s unclear whether those individuals will receive their benefits on time, and some are being asked to take additional steps to sign up. Her statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details.
We rate her statement Half True.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio: “The reason we have a national debt is not because of defense spending. What is driving our long-term debt are Medicare and Social Security programs.”
Rubio gave a speech about foreign policy Nov. 20 at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. After his speech, someone in the audience asked the Florida Republican a question about how to persuade Americans to support consistent defense spending.
During part of his answer, Rubio made some claims about the debt.
“The reason we have a national debt is not because of defense spending,” he said. “What is driving our long-term debt are Medicare and Social Security programs that are structured in unsustainable ways.”
Rubio is correct that Medicare and Social Security are drivers of our debt — but there are other factors, too, including Medicaid and interest, economists said.
We rate this claim Mostly True.
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