Georgia’s Budget Numbers Are ‘What Counts’ Says Analyst

The founding executive director of the nonpartisan Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI), Essig is sometimes considered a liberal advocate by conservatives. Nonetheless, even they usually acknowledge that his analyses are accurate — they just argue that the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

But “the numbers are what counts,” said Essig on “A Closer Look” Thursday. 

Essig argues that he is an analyst first and foremost, whose goal is always to present the full picture, or highlight information that is still needed.

“Georgia has always been a conservative fiscal state, under both Democratic and Republican administrations,” he said.  

In that environment, he has aimed to shed as much light as possible on the impact, and cost/benefit, of state expenditures.

In his conversation with Rose Scott and Denis O’Hayer, Essig shared his views on claims about revenue growth, the effect of austerity cuts on education, Georgia’s current tax system, and strategies for maximizing the benefit from local, state and federal revenues to Georgians.

Essig will leave GBPI and Georgia in April, to join his wife in Michigan where she is taking an academic position at Michigan State University.A conversation with Alan Essig, Part 1.

A conversation with Alan Essig, Part 2.