Bibb officials turn to state lawmakers for help with money woes
Bibb County's had three years of budget shortfalls and is now looking to state lawmakers for help with a bailout. Bibb County leaders met Monday with members of the county's legislative delegation at the state Capitol to discuss putting a 1 percent "other" local option sales tax before voters. "This is the best of bad options," Robert Reichert, the mayor of Macon-Bibb County, said during the meeting, according to macon.com. "We've got to make other cuts. We've got to manage our money. We've got to do better. But we've got to have this to get out of this hole." One concern that was raised: If voters approve, the sales tax in Bibb County would be 9 percent, the highest in Georgia.
Is Savannah at full employment?
The Great Recession of 2008 might appear pretty distant in the rearview mirror if you consider that media in Savannah are asking whether that city has reached full employment (meaning, pretty much, that anyone who is able to work and wants a job is working). Savannahnow.com suggests that's a legitimate question given that the local unemployment rate has been between 3.9 percent and 4.1 percent for the past four months.
New book on Georgia courts, prisons draws attention
Crimereport.org is sharing excerpts this week from a book due out in March on Georgia's accountability courts and their role in a prison population slowdown. The book, "Start Here: A Road Map to Reducing Mass Incarceration," was written by Greg Berman, the director of the Center for Court Innovation, a New York-based think tank that is working to improve the performance of state courts and criminal justice agencies; and Julian Adler, the center's director of research-practice strategies.
Abrams described her start as part of “genteel poor”
Stacey Abrams, a former state lawmaker and declared Democratic candidate for governor, continues to draw national attention. She appeared this week on ABC News' "Uncomfortable" and discussed with interviewer Amna Nawaz her desire to become the country's first black female governor. Abrams describes how, growing up in Mississippi, her mother referred to the family as "genteel poor." "We had no money," she said, "but we watched PBS and we read books." Abrams and Stacey Evans are running for the Democratic nomination to replace Gov. Nathan Deal, who by law is prohibited from running for a third term. Running on the Republican side are Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, former state Sen. Hunter Hill, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, businessman Clay Tippins and state Sen. Michael Williams.
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