**Georgia Watch had no hand in the making of Do No Harm – we were sponsoring a screening of the film that has since been canceled by it’s producers due to unforeseen issues.

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
July 12, 2009, by Jim Galloway

Georgia is on the verge of its very own Michael Moore moment. The question is whether that moment will be allowed to happen.

In September 2003, fax machines owned by Albany’s business and political elite began spitting out a series of anonymous newsletters that detailed the inner workings of the nonprofit Phoebe Putney Health System — southwest Georgia’s largest hospital group…more

Georgia remained the state with the seventh-highest rate of foreclosures, according to RealtyTrac’s May 2009 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report released on Wednesday. more

Southern Co. is among a group of four energy companies that will get billions in federal funding to build new nuclear reactors, according to a story in Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal. more

Almost 1.7 million Georgians have no health insurance. Most of the uninsured are part of working families, and two-thirds have incomes less than half of the federal poverty line. Many were among the 1.3 million working Americans who had lost health insurance the previous year. Others were surprised to find their health insurance depleted or their insurers refusing to approve needed procedures or medicines...more

WASHINGTON — As Washington considers overhauling the nation’s health care system, a new poll finds considerable concern about health costs, with nearly half of all Americans worried about paying for future care. more

INDIANAPOLIS — Employers who offer health insurance coverage could see a 9 percent cost increase next year, and their workers may face an even bigger hit, according to a report from consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. more

WASHINGTON — Nationwide home sales may have finally hit bottom, new data shows, but a host of thorny problems are hindering any recovery. more

As a physician, I see every day the type of overuse of medical care described in “Something’s Got to Give in Medicare Spending” (Economic View, June 14). more

To the Odom family of Durham, N.C., Dr. Gloria M. Trujillo is a savior. Johnny Odom, at 57, has congestive heart failure, diabetes, kidney failure, high blood pressure, gout, high cholesterol and blindness in one eye. His daughter, Tonia, 35, has rheumatoid arthritis, and her 10-year-old son has asthma, a seizure disorder, high blood pressure, prediabetes and sleep apnea…more

Emory University said Monday that it is suspending its $1.5 billion medical expansion project, citing general uncertainty about the economy. more

Health care reform is a big, nasty, complicated, sensitive subject. And everybody wants something different out of it. more

Please check back for information on the rescheduling of Do No Harm, a documentary by Rebecca Schanberg that chronicles the actions of two whistle blowers at Phoebe Putney Hospital in Albany, Georgia who uncover inconsistent financial practices.

For more info on the film visit www.donoharmdoc.com or check out Georgia Watch’s 2008 report, A Crisis of Affordable Care: Phoebe Putney, which details our own findings on discrepancies at Phoebe Putney regarding over-charging and exorbitant executive compensation.

By KRISTI E. SWARTZ

kswartz@ajc.com

A coalition of watchdog groups Wednesday formally called on the state to be more open with how it spends federal stimulus money…more

By Angela Speir Phelps

The phrase “a chicken in every pot” was a slogan used during Herbert Hoover’s presidential campaign in 1928. A year later, the Great Depression began. We are very blessed that we are not suffering as those who came before us did, but it’s tough times these days. more

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Sometimes, the governor’s office receives a simple call from Washington.

Sometimes, a state agency gets a “check’s in the mail” shout-out from a federal counterpart.

And still other times, the information simply pops up on a Web site, with no bells or whistles…more

New figures released in early June put Georgia seventh nationally in the number of home foreclosures. The report from Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac Inc. said 11,521 homes in Georgia received foreclosure notices in April, an increase of 21.68 percent over April 2008. The numbers bring Georgia’s 2009 total to 44,979. more

In January 2007, Court Watch released its first annual report analyzing consumer-related decisions issued by the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Georgia Court of Appeals.

Contributors to the research and production of this report include 2007 Court Watch Fellowship recipient Nathan Gaffney and the Court Watch Advisory Committee.

The “2007 Annual Report” identifies and profiles the most noteworthy consumer-related decisions released by the appellate courts throughout the year, and identifies emerging trends.

more

The Georgia Public Service Commission decides what are fair and reasonable rates for services under its jurisdiction. It must balance Georgia citizens’ need for reliable services and reasonable rates with the need for utilities to earn a reasonable return on investment. The commission protects consumers’ interests while abiding by legal standards in setting rates. All matters scheduled for public hearing are heard by the commissioners or in special cases, by an appointed hearing officer in open session. more

A major focal point of the Consumer Energy Program is a ground-level campaign to emphasize cases that will come before the PSC. Knowing our PSC members and staying updated on pending cases will ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability in the decisions being made by the Commission that impact our environment and the economy. Every time you turn on your lights, pick up a phone or set your thermostat, the PSC has had some impact on that service and its cost. Check back periodically to see our positions on the following cases.

more

By MARGARET NEWKIRK, AARON GOULD SHEININ

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, March 01, 2009

In a deepening recession, a Republican-dominated Legislature with a strong aversion to increasing taxes last week approved a bill allowing Georgia Power to charge customers early for nuclear reactors…more

Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) sponsored Senate Bill 31, which is now known as the Georgia Power tax. The controversial bill moved swiftly through both chambers and lander on Governor Perdue’s desk long before the session ended. more

A wetland never forgets it’s a wetland

In Georgia, for every two acres of trees cut down, about one acre of roads, parking lots, driveways and rooftops is added. Construction changes the way our land handles rainy weather, often increasing the size of floodplains for many streams, and creating new wetlands by changing drainage patterns.

more

Doug Everett – PSC Chairman
Commissioner District 1
deverett@psc.state.ga.us

more

Georgia Association of Flood Plain Management

The formation of GAFM is the result of the concerted efforts of numerous individuals and organizations sharing a common desire to forward the cause of sound floodplain management. Membership in GAFM is open to all professionals, public and private entities, students and citizens interested in or involved in floodplain, watershed, stormwater, wetlands and hazard mitigation management and/or related disciplines within the State of Georgia. more

Are you paying too much for insurance? Are you tired of getting the run-around from your insurance companies? Download the I-Can Roadmap and learn how to steer clear of insurance pitfalls.

The less you know about your rights as an insurance consumer, the more of your money insurance companies will get. We can help you face your insurance companies on a level playing field. more

It shouldn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that insurance companies are the reason doctors’ insurance rates have skyrocketed. Yet, doctor and hospital lobbying groups in Georgia have ignored the data about rising insurance rates and rising insurance industry profits. more

The first few years of our new century brought hardship for American businesses and investors. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, the stock market slumped, the airline industry still hasn’t recovered, thousands of Georgians lost their jobs, gave up expected pay raises, lost health insurance coverage, and fought for ways to keep their families’ budgets on track. more

The insurance industry can no longer blame rising premiums on “frivolous” or “jackpot” claims, according to new reports of record-shattering profits. more