HEALTHY KIDS. A recent Peach State Poll finds that Georgians view childhood obesity as a public health priority and support state involvement in curbing it.
PRICES AT THE PUMP. Another Peach State poll release reveals that Georgians have not really changed their lifestyles as a result of high gas prices and have only modestly changed their commuting habits.
TREND-SETTING. Georgians continue to feel positive about their state but are increasingly dissatisfied with the federal government, according to the latest Peach State Poll release.
SATURDAY WITH SONNY. The Vinson Institute served as the base for Gov. Sonny Perdue's October meeting with citizens.
BENCHMARKING PERFORMANCE. Local officials can more effectively evaluate their government services and operations through a benchmarking process that uses comparative data.
TIME TRAVEL. Educators and others interested in Georgia Studies will want to check out the new Georgia history timeline located on the GeorgiaInfo section of the Institute's Web site.
DISTRICT MAPS. The new Georgia Congressional District maps are also posted on the Web site.
MONEY MANAGEMENT. Vinson Institute research faculty have received a grant to conduct the first comprehensive study of how public and private sector workers manage their lump-sum retirement benefits.
WEALTHY TRANSFORMATION. An Institute faculty member has been awarded a grant to study Georgia state and local governmental policies that affect how impoverished families could transform their income to wealth.
A FRESH PERSPECTIVE. Visiting a region in Mexico from which many workers immigrate to Georgia gives local government officials a clearer understanding of the issues involved in serving their needs in the cities and counties where they settle.
RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. With a new office in downtown Atlanta, Vinson Institute faculty and staff can better serve state government clients through instruction, research, and technical assistance.
MORE TRAINING NEWS. Instructional classes for the popular DocuAnalyzer program are on tap for 2006.... Tanya Jackson and Catherine Bennett have joined the faculty of the Governmental Training, Education, and Development Division.
PUBLICATIONS SPOTLIGHT. The new issue of State and Local Government Review explores such topics as the role of interest groups in local politics, the impact of term limits on state legislative elections, managerial perceptions of privatization, and more. For article abstracts and subscription information, visit
NOTE: As the new year starts, it's time to make sure that elected officials have their copies of the Handbook for Georgia Mayors and Councilmembers or the Handbook for Georgia County Commissioners.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE. Helping a delegation of municipal officials from the Chinese province of Sichuan learn more about the varying responsibilities of local government managers in Georgia is just one of the recent activities of the International Center for Democratic Governance.
CITIZENSHIP SPOTLIGHT. While meeting with Echols County officials about a consolidation study, Institute faculty member Harry Hayes learned that area school students are already active citizens.
