Category: Guest Column

By Guest Columnist GEORGE ISRAEL, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and a former mayor of Macon

Congress heard some good news this past week as Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernake testified that the U.S. economy should start growing out of the recession by the end of the year.

But that is cold comfort to the 5.1 million people who have lost their jobs during this recession, including nearly 500,000 in Georgia.

Despite these trying economic times, the Georgia General Assembly took clear steps to position Georgia for economic growth and job creation. Legislators took decisive action to provide a state economic stimulus package with passage of bills to stimulate job creation and economic investment along with tax relief for

By Guest Columnist ALICIA PHILIPP, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta

Some call it the new normal. Others call it a sea change. Whatever you call it, it’s clear that all organizations, whether for-profit or nonprofit, are looking at new ways to do business in today’s world.

In the nonprofit sector, organizations are working with a decrease in dollars paired with an increase in demand. But even as this shift in balance makes work challenging, it’s also critical to remember that in the nonprofit field, the success of the clients we serve depends on a wide network of organizations.

The issues facing today’s families don’t occur in isolation – if income security is a challenge, it’s likely that financial literacy or child care could be needed as well. A nonprofit may focus on one area of a client’s needs

By Guest Columnist WALTER BROWN, chairman of the Georgia Solar Energy Association, and co-founder/senior vicew president for development and environmental affairs of Green Street Properties

As is unfortunately apparent from the daily headlines, the United States, as well as Georgia’s economy, is going through a difficult economic transition that has prompted business closings and job losses.

However, these times also present a huge opportunity for our state and progressive policymakers to take charge of both our economic and environmental futures by making renewable resource development such as solar energy a priority.

A key theme of this transition is the decline of traditional industries – think newspaper publishers and automakers. On an equally noteworthy front, the economic incentives and job creation afforded by green industries and the manufacturing that supports them – industries supported by stimulus and in some instances private capital – may be overlooked.

By Guest Columnist ED ELLIS; transportation engineer; Regional Vice President of Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.

It’s just plain hard to talk about transportation in Georgia without cussing.

I’ve been in the transportation engineering business for over 35 years and it hasn’t been easy. I know what you’re thinking – nobody in their right mind would admit that, but I like to tell folks things would have been much worse if I hadn’t been here, and you can’t prove me wrong.

I also like to remind folks that Atlanta has been called the fastest growing human

By Guest Columnist SAM OLENS;
Chairman of the Cobb County Commission
Chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission

President Barack Obama’s stimulus package is bad unless it helps balance the State budget; property tax reform is needed but not accomplished; trauma funds are essential but not approved; water conservation and supply was a non-issue; transportation funding and MARTA were left in the dark; a win for the Governor on Georgia Department of Transportation governance; and confirmation of last year’s homeowners tax relief grant with a huge property tax increase later this year.

Guest column by Doug Shipman,
Executive director of the Center for Civil and Human Rights

When Billy Payne stated during a speech in 2006 that the opportunity to build a civil and human rights oriented institution was bigger than the Olympics, more than a few heads turned.

Only recently has an understanding of the opportunity Atlanta and Georgia now possesses come into clear focus. Great places have a theme that binds their collective memory and current action together.

Guest Column by JIM JACOBY,
Developer of Atlantic Station

With the passage of time, it is easy to forget the economic insecurity and fear that followed Sept. 11, 2001. The appalling human tragedy of that awful moment in our nation’s history dwarfs the financial market shock of Sept. 15, 2008.

But one cannot avoid a sense that we have been here before. I am confident that we will rise to the occasion once again.

Guest Column by SAM WILLIAMS,
President of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

Georgia desperately needs a voter-approved transportation sales tax to deal with congestion in metro Atlanta and provide more resources around the state.

That is the answer to a call that has both been set forth in many transportation reports and by frustrated motorists in the metro area.

However, we first need the legislature to give us the tools we need to take action

By Guest Columnist Kevin Green
Executive Director of the Clean Air Campaign

With the headlines piling on more bad news, sometimes it’s tough to notice the good things. The dialogue about our bleak economy, mounting job losses and state budget crises commands our attention like a bad car wreck on the side of the road. There are certainly tough times ahead, much of which is beyond our ability to influence in the short term.

But let’s stop rubbernecking for a moment and acknowledge some encouraging

By Guest Columnist JOE BANKOFF;
president of the Woodruff Arts Center

People sometimes politely wonder why I would leave the law practice to work in a large not-for-profit arts organization like the Woodruff Arts Center. Me included. If timing is everything – then (with apologies to Charles Dickens) it is both the worst of times and the best of times.

The events of September 2008 are having even greater impact on our society than those of September 2001. In 2001 we had an instantaneous shock and a common foreign enemy. Today we are living with a series of “after shocks” that are getting more – not less – intense.

By Guest Columnist LYNNETTE YOUNG
CEO of Damespoint Consulting, which manages Sustainable Atlanta

What does “sustainability” really mean? And how does it apply to what we do everyday? Can businesses working together accomplish sustainability for themselves as well as our city?

Good questions. And ones we get asked often at Sustainable Atlanta. So let me start by sharing what green business is all about, and then I’ll let you in on some really good news!

Stay tuned to this space to read commentaries and analysis from many of our region’s civic leaders and interested citizens. If you have ideas you would like to share, or if you know of someone who can contribute to improving our region and state; please let me know. Email me at: maria@saportareport.com. It would be great to have color photo of those contributing to this feature.