Tag: georgia

Georgia Taxpayers Lose $160,000 for Every Job Created by Film Tax Credits

For nearly two decades, Georgia has lured big-time Hollywood movie studios with the promise of lucrative tax breaks for filming in the state.

And here’s a predictable plot twist: Handing out welfare to wildly successful movies—like Avengers: Endgame, which earned more than $2 billion at the box office but nevertheless also qualified for tax credits because it was filmed in Georgia—hasn’t been a good deal for taxpayers.

A new audit of Georgia’s Film Tax Credit program found that the state “loses money” on the program. A lot of money, actually: about $160,000 for every job the program creates. Georgia is now spending about $1.3 billion annually on the program, but it generates a return on investment of just 19 cents per dollar, the auditors conclude.

“This program should be halted immediately,” J.C. Bradbury, an economics professor at Georgia’s Kennesaw State University and a longtime critic of government subsidy schemes, posted on X (formerly Twitter). In a 2020 paper, Bradbury estimated that the state’s film tax credit program cost about $110,000 per full-time job created and that every Georgia household was on the hook for about $230 in additional taxes every year because of the program’s existence.

In addition to highlighting the tax credit program’s costs, the new audit also suggests that the film industry has inflated the supposed benefits of the program. Georgia’s film tax credit is responsible for creating about 34,000 jobs annually in the state, according to the new audit, but that’s well short of the 59,700 annual job-creation figure that a recent industry-funded study claimed, reported Variety.

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Unhinged teacher threatens to behead girl who asked about his Israeli flag: witnesses

A Georgia teacher allegedly threatened to behead a middle-school student for commenting on his Israeli flag.

Benjamin Reese, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Warner Robins Middle School, allegedly became angry Dec. 7 when the girl asked about the flag as students were leaving after class and said she found it offensive.

He followed her into the hallway and told the student he was Jewish and had family members who live in Israel, reported WMAZ-TV.

“You don’t make an antisemitic comment like that to a Jew,” Reese said, according to another faculty member.

The girl responded negatively but did not raise her voice, the faculty member said, and Reese allegedly threatened to drag the student outside and brutally murder her.

“You mother—–ng piece of s–t, I’ll kick your a–,” Reese said, according to multiple witnesses. “I should cut your mother—–ng head off.”

Witnesses said Reese returned to his classroom cursing and yelling that she should not speak that way to a Jew, and he allegedly continued making violent threats.

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DEA Threatens Georgia Pharmacies Over Dispensing Medical Marijuana Under State Law

Georgia recently became the first U.S. state to allow pharmacies to sell medical marijuana, with nearly 120 facilities applying to sell cannabis oil as of October. But now the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning pharmacies that dispensing THC is unlawful because it remains a Schedule I drug.

“All DEA registrants, including DEA-registered pharmacies, are required to abide by all relevant federal laws and regulations,” says a copy of a letter sent to a Georgia pharmacy by Matthew J. Strait, a DEA deputy assistant administrator in the agency’s Diversion Control Division. “A DEA-registered pharmacy may only dispense controlled substances in Schedules II-V of the Controlled Substances Act. Neither marijuana nor THC can lawfully be possessed, handled, or dispensed by any DEA-registered pharmacy.”

The letter, dated November 27, was first posted online by Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), an anti-cannabis advocacy group. DEA did not immediately respond to emails from Marijuana Moment attempting to confirm its authenticity.

One potential complicating factor around DEA’s advisory is a congressional budget rider that prevents the the Department of Justice from spending resources to interfere with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws. The provision was first enacted into law in 2014 and was extended last month to at least February 2024.

It’s not immediately clear how DEA squares its threat against state-authorized pharmacies that provide medical cannabis oil to patients with the agency’s obligation to follow the congressionally enacted federal law.

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Pentagon Official At Office Overseeing Elementary Schools Arrested In Human Trafficking Sting

Stephen Francis Hovanic, a top administrator for the Pentagon’s school system in the Americas region, was arrested on Nov. 15 in a human trafficking sting in Coweta County, Georgia, the Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.

Hovanic, 64, of Sharpsburg, Georgia, was arrested on suspicion of pandering, according to a press release the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office provided to the DCNF. Eva Tedder, administrator for the sheriff’s office, said Hovanic told the jail staff he works for the Department of Defense (DOD) located in Peachtree City, Georgia, where the Department of Defense Education Activity’s (DODEA) Americas division is located, according to the agency’s website.

A booking photo of Hovanic, which the Coweta County sheriff’s office shared with the DCNF, shows a man who closely resembles the man in DODEA Americas Chief of Staff Stephen Hovanic’s biography on the agency’s website. Photos of both men show a distinctive scar across the chin.

The biography also states that Hovanic lives in Sharpsburg, Georgia.

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There’s more going on with the Georgia ballot case and attorney resignations than you’re being told…

As you’ve probably heard, in a surprising development, two defense attorneys abruptly resigned from the Georgia ballot case. The case surrounds the accusation that thousands of GA ballots were actually counterfeit.

So, why did the two defense attorneys jump ship like that? An IT expert named Kevin Kelton suggests that the county might be gearing up to admit they’ve destroyed the ballots in question. If true, this puts Fulton County in a heap of legal trouble. Destroying evidence during a case often signals guilt. But there’s more at stake here—are we witnessing a coverup?

Investigative journalist Rogan O’Handley shared his insights on what’s truly happening in a post on X:

Did you know there is an ongoing court case in Fulton County, Georgia (where Atlanta is) since 2021 whose only aim is to inspect 150,000+ mail-in ballots alleged to be fraudulent (no creases from being sent in the mail, perfect black circles, etc)

The judge dismissed it but the appeals court allowed the case to go forward

The judge has illegally delayed proceedings since then

Now we find out defense attorneys for GA have resigned and there is speculation these ballots may have illegally been destroyed

Want to know why nobody believes in our elections anymore?

Because of this Banana Republic degeneracy occurring in Georgia and other states

If the ballots are legitimate, what is there to hide?

We all know what’s going on here

Justice delayed is justice denied!

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GEORGIA PRISONERS CAN BE DENIED VITAL HALFWAY HOUSE PLACEMENT DUE TO MEDICAL CONDITIONS

In August of 2021, Gus, a prisoner in Georgia, found himself entangled in red tape when seeking vital medical care for his Hepatitis C. His decision to begin the treatment would cost him dearly. Despite having no choice but to go to the doctor, Gus says the move rendered him ineligible for transfer to a transitional center (TC)—a sort of state-run “halfway house.” The decision extended his time behind bars by roughly a year, as those in transitional housing can receive extra credit toward their sentences.

Since the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) would not continue his treatment if he moved to a transitional center, Gus says he had to choose between his freedom and life.

Gus was released from prison on August 4. And, without spending the last year or two in a TC, he left his institution unprepared, unhoused, scared, and destitute—except for the $25 the state gives imprisoned people upon release.

In Georgia, some incarcerated people seeking transfers to transitional centers may face a troubling predicament: they may need to choose between access to vital medical treatments and the opportunity for successful rehabilitation. Transitional centers are pivotal for individuals reintegrating from incarceration into society. There are only 12 transitional centers in Georgia, which contain roughly 2,300 TC beds. Only two of those centers are accessible to women. These reentry centers provide a structured environment that offers steady employment, educational programs, and opportunities to develop necessary life skills. In addition, those participating in transitional center programs have an easier time getting driver’s licenses, securing community resources, and obtaining housing before their release.

Denying medical care to incarcerated people with chronic medical needs, who also need placement at these centers, can significantly reduce their chances of successful reintegration. This practice has raised concerns among both incarcerated people and advocates, who argue that denying necessary healthcare services undermines reentry efforts and perpetuates a cycle of incarceration.

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Georgia fired a state trooper for his conduct. Now he leads Seward County’s Homeland Security task force.

The Seward County Homeland Security task force, sometimes using the controversial practice of civil asset forfeiture, seized $11.8 million from Interstate 80 drivers through civil and criminal forfeiture in its first 32 months.

The Seward-based head of that law enforcement task force trains and supervises officers – despite being barred from becoming a Nebraska police officer himself.

Blake Swicord was fired as a state trooper in Georgia after selling guns to a pardoned felon and allegedly sending sexually explicit texts and photos from his police-issued phone. Swicord, who claims he was wrongfully terminated, then was arrested on suspicion of battery following an alleged domestic violence incident with his then-girlfriend.

The Nebraska agency in charge of law enforcement training has twice denied Swicord admission, saying he didn’t meet the good character requirement for entry. That agency said Swicord failed to disclose his arrest or his firing on his application, as first reported by the Lincoln Journal Star. On Friday, the Nebraska Supreme Court dismissed his latest appeal.

Homeland Security officials told the Flatwater Free Press this week that they had no knowledge of Swicord’s previous dismissal or arrest when he was first placed into a Homeland Security role in 2019. They said they learned of Swicord’s troubles in April 2021, when an assistant U.S. attorney told the agency that the Nebraska Supreme Court had denied Swicord’s first appeal in his quest for police certification.

Swicord will remain in his job as task force coordinator as he continues his legal battle, Seward County Sheriff Mike Vance told a reporter during Tuesday’s Seward County Board meeting.

Vance has previously said he would have to let Swicord go if he can’t become a Nebraska police officer. Vance and dozens of Swicord’s colleagues have praised the 27-year police veteran for his leadership, interdiction skills and professionalism.

“Since his employment with my agency, Mr. Swicord has shown nothing but the upmost integrity and professionalism,” Vance wrote supporting Swicord in 2019. “After conducting this extensive background check I feel very sure that Mr. Swicord is a man of integrity and very honest at all times.”

The Police Standards Advisory Council, which oversees law enforcement certification in Nebraska, has acknowledged Swicord’s qualifications. It also ruled twice that he can’t go through training to become a Nebraska police officer.

“His actions in the application process demonstrate to this body that the petitioner cannot be considered to be a person who can be characterized as being truthful, honest or trustworthy,” the council wrote in its 2019 decision.

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HOW A NOTORIOUS GEORGIA ARMY SCHOOL BECAME AMERICA’S TRAINING GROUND FOR GLOBAL TORTURE

Fort Benning, the infamous Georgia U.S. military base, is once again in the news, changing its name to Fort Moore, thereby ditching its Confederate name. Yet none of the media covering the rebranding – not The New York Times, the Associated Press, CNN, ABC, CBS News, USA Today nor The Hill – mentioned the most controversial aspect of the institution.

Across Latin America, the very name of Fort Benning is enough to strike terror into the hearts of millions, bringing back visions of massacres and genocides. This is because the fort is home to the School of the Americas (now known as Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation or WHINSEC), a shadowy academy where around 84,000 Latin American soldiers and police officers have been taught on the U.S. dime on how to kill, torture and how to stamp out political activists.

Thus, these units effectively serve as shock troops for the U.S. Empire, making their country safe for American multinationals to pillage. MintPress has found that no fewer than 16 School of the Americas graduates would go on to become heads of state in their country.

“The school is controversial partly because of its role in promoting US hegemony in Latin America, which undermines the sovereignty and independence of other countries,” James Jordan, national co-coordinator at Alliance for Global Justice, told MintPress, adding,

But even worse, it is how the school has promoted this: teaching methods of torture – even publishing torture manuals, counterintelligence, psyops, repression of political voices that don’t meet the approval of Washington DC. If one looks at cases of human rights abuses by the military throughout Latin America, the number of those responsible who were trained at the School of the Americas is simply staggering.”

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Georgia’s WEF Puppet Governor Brian Kemp Rolls Out Digital IDs for All Citizens

Georgia recently became one of at least 12 states that is rolling out new digital ID driver’s licenses, which of course is exactly what the globalists at the World Economic Forum have been clamoring for since the onset of their push for a “Great Reset,” where they basically digitize all of the basic functions in life, including the bodies of human beings.

Georgia joined the ranks of Arizona, Maryland and Colorado where digital IDs have already been implemented. Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Utah are also in various stages of getting their digital ID programs up and running. See the whole list here.

If you recall, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was an invited guest at the annual meeting of the globalist, elitist World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2023. He traveled to Davos on the Georgia taxpayers’ dime along with Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, a slew of BlackRock executives and other high-rollers. He felt real important and told CNBC that he was there to “sell Georgia.”

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Rejoice Georgians: You Don’t Need a Government Permit To Advise Breastfeeding Moms

Georgia’s Supreme Court today struck down a state law that required people who provide lactation consulting to obtain costly and time-consuming state licenses.

In a unanimous ruling, the justices determined that a law passed in 2016 unconstitutionally deprived Mary Jackson of work. Jackson had been providing lactation care consulting services for more than 30 years and started a nonprofit, Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE), to provide breastfeeding education.

Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs wrote the ruling in Jackson v. Raffensperger, and he was critical of attempts to declare that the state has a “public welfare” interest for every licensing law it passes: “Georgia’s Due Process Clause requires more than a talismanic recitation of an important public interest.” Here the court examined whether the licensing requirement protected the public from unsafe or harmful health practices. They found the state’s evidence wanting:

Certainly, there is nothing inherently harmful in the practice of lactation care, and there is no evidence of harm to the public from the provision of lactation care and services by individuals who lack an [International Board Certified Lactation Consultant] license.

To get this license through a private credentialing body, the court notes, requires 14 different health courses (some college level), 95 hours of training, 300 supervised clinical hours, and up to $700 in costs. Boggs notes in his ruling that only 162 of Georgia’s 470 lactation consultants have gone through the process to get licensing.

The state admitted to the court that they had no evidence that anybody was harmed by unlicensed or incompetent lactation care before or after the law’s passage. An analysis of a version of the law that was considered in 2013 (and not passed) noted that there was no evidence of any harm caused by the state’s failure to license or regulate lactation consultants.

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