Economics

Publisher’s Note: In 1994, yours truly left a TV news/weather position in Augusta to earn $10,000 more at a similar job in Spokane, Washington. It was a double-play as there was/is no state income tax. The cost of living was outrageous on rent, food, gas, etc., and it ate up the extra $$$. I returned to Augusta a year later! Our columnist, Dr. Rick Franza, dug into the pros and cons of Georgia mirroring Washington State’s state income tax decisions. GEORGIA LEGISLATIVE PROCESS In the month of November, I had

Yesterday, I gave my economic forecast with the help of two undergraduate economics students, Kacey Axon and Brandon Day. Due to the 40 + day delay caused by the feds shutting down the government, we’ve had an absence of local economic data for several months. This week, Kacey and I concentrate on long-term growth and summarize her research. Next Tuesday, we will cover Brandon’s analysis. In economics, when we talk about growth, we talk about an increase in real GDP. GDP is gross domestic product and is the total market

The Columbia County Exhibition Center was filled on Thursday with business owners and community leadership eager to get insights into the 2026 Georgia Legislative session. The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Legislative Breakfast brought together state Senator Lee Anderson (R-District 24) and Representatives Dr. Mark Newton (R-District 127) and Gary Richardson (R-District 125) for a panel discussion. “I think it’s important for the business community to know what’s coming, to know what’s going to be discussed in Atlanta, to be able to talk to members and to be able