TPA Supports Amendment to Cut Taxpayer-Funded Sports Sponsorships

On July 17, 2012, The Taxpayers Protection Alliance was proud to support a bi-partisan amendment by Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) and Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) that would end sports sponsorships by the Department of Defense.  According to a letter by Rep. McCollum, “I ask for your support of a bipartisan amendment that eliminates millions of taxpayer dollars we spend on sports sponsorships in the name of military recruitment. In this year alone, Pentagon plans to spend nearly $80 million dollars on sports sponsorships, including but limited to NASCAR, professional bass fishing, and mixed martial arts. At a time of fiscal crisis, wasting taxpayer dollars cannot be acceptable in the Pentagon or anywhere else in the federal government.” Taxpayers should be proud of their bi-partisan efforts to end these needless subsidies as Congress struggles to find spending cuts.  

Read full letter below:

July 17, 2012

Representative Betty McCollum
1714 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

 Dear Rep. McCollum,

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) strongly supports your amendment, co-sponsored by Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), to end taxpayer handouts to sports sponsorships.  It is a step in the right direction as Congress looks for ways to cut spending and still defend the country.

With a total of more than $130 million dollars spent sponsoring Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s National Guard car over the last five years, the car’s owner, Rick Hendrick, is the recipient of one of the most expensive marketing contracts ever doled out by the U.S. government. While the National Guard claims this is “a very effective recruiting tool,” the numbers say differently. In the past year, the National Guard’s NASCAR sponsorship is credited with attracting only 20 qualified candidates, none of whom actually ended up joining the military, according to USA Today.

The National Guard is not alone in its failed sponsorship of NASCAR teams. Driver Ryan Newman’s Army sponsorship is also being called into question. In 2011, the U.S. Army spent just over $7 million on a 12-race agreement to sponsor Newman’s car. Newman cites raising awareness and education as major benefits of the sponsorship but only vaguely mentions it as “helping recruitment-wise.”

Taxpayers should be proud of your bi-partisan efforts to end these needless subsidies as Congress struggles to find spending cuts.   TPA urges all members of Congress to vote for this amendment.

Sincerely,

David E. Williams      
President