James July-August 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 62
Reform isn’t Enough
Yes, Georgia’s recent tort reform was a step in the right direction. But legal frameworks alone
won’t secure the state’s future.
Georgia has one dominant growth
engine: Metro Atlanta. It’s not just
the state’s largest city— it’s the
economic, political and cultural anchor of the entire region. And that
influence extends into its high-performing suburbs, which are among
the fastest-growing communities
in the Southeast.
We are ignoring a growing vulnerability. Georgia faces a two-front
challenge: an outdated tax structure and sluggish economic growth
in rural regions beyond Metro Atlanta. If the metro area thrives while
the rest of the state stagnates, the
long-term cost will be enormous.
We need a comprehensive, statewide tax strategy that encourages
investment across all regions— not
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just within the I-285 loop. So cutting
taxes is not a partisan slogan— it’s
an economic necessity.
lative session. Beyond that, Georgia
needs a clear and public roadmap
to 3 percent or lower within five
years. Ideally, we should aim to
phase out the state income tax
Built for the Future
entirely over the next decade. This
Georgia’s legacy advantagisn’t fantasy. Florida and Tenneses— location, logistics, talent— are
see have done it. Mississippi is
still real. But they are no longer
trying. Georgia can lead or follow.
exclusive. The Port of Savannah is
Our lawmakers should go
a national asset, Hartsfield-Jackson
remains the world’s busiest airport, further by making this a contract
with Georgia residents: a commitand our universities continue to
ment to economic freedom and
supply a well-educated workforce.
lasting growth.
But South Carolina now rivals our
port capacity, Charlotte is emerging as a major corporate hub and
Economic Reforms
Florida is outpacing us in profesComplementary steps will help
sional migration.
this effort succeed:
I feel that we are one $10 billion
airport or megaproject away from
• Speed up rate reductions and set
being outflanked.
new statutory targets beyond curAt minimum, the General
rent law.
Assembly should accelerate the
scheduled income tax phase-down • Cap property tax increases to
to reach 4 percent in the next legisprevent middle-class flight from
