Dear Senator, On behalf of the millions of taxpayers and consumers we represent, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) asks members of the Senate to vote in the manner prescribed below on amendments to H.R. 3684, the infrastructure package. Given the size and scope of this legislation, changes made during the amendment process will have far-reaching implications for taxpayers and the nation.
In a predicted turn of events, the cost of the City of West Des Moines, Iowa’s Google Fiber conduit project continues to skyrocket. At a recent meeting, the City Council approved a third contract expansion for the project’s consultant. The initial consulting contract was for $1,101,407. The most recent expansion increased the consulting fees to a total of $3,482,582, an increase of 316 percent.
As cases of COVID-19’s Delta variant surge, there’s a crisis of confidence emerging around vaccines. The U.S. enthusiastically embraced vaccines from (almost) day one, but now the country faces difficulty vaccinating the last 50 percent or so of Americans. Vaccine reluctance started with politicians such as then-vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris and is now being driven by increasingly loud conservative voices who warn of the dangers of vaccination without any evidence. And the increasing call for renewed coronavirus restrictions is setting the stage for future vaccine weariness. Underneath all of these narratives and the exhausting rhetoric is a simple truth: vaccination is the only ticket back to how things were before 2020. The sooner the country realizes this, the sooner the country can ditch fearmongering and pseudoscience.
Following the release of a $1.2 trillion bipartisan deal on infra-structure spending, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) remains concerned about the reckless spending in the bill and prospects for even more substantial spending bills in the coming months. Of particular concern is the reported $3.5 trillion spending package Demo-crats are discussing passing through reconciliation with tax increases.
Following the release of a $1.2 trillion bipartisan deal on infra-structure spending, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) remains concerned about the reckless spending in the bill and prospects for even more substantial spending bills in the coming months. Of particular concern is the reported $3.5 trillion spending package Demo-crats are discussing passing through reconciliation with tax increases.
Like it or not, economics plays a central role in everybody’s life. Knowing a thing or two about the “dismal science” is key to everything from household budgeting to understanding the impact of tax reform. Yet, this all-important discipline is understood by few and maligned by many. Fortunately, a handful of bold economics educators and public intellectuals such as recently deceased scholar Dr. Steven Horwitz have dedicated their lives to keeping the public in the know about the field. Dr. Horwitz made it his life’s work to make the discipline “accessible” for people and take economics away from the tedious mathematical models that sow confusion. And for advancing the public’s understanding about such a critical subject with his trademark empathy and patience, Dr. Steven Horwitz was truly a Profile in Courage.
The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) remains concerned that Senators have once again returned from the negotiating table without considering the consequence of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill on taxpayers or consumers. We applaud the Senators trying to narrow the definition of infrastructure and reign in reckless spending, but this bill still contains bad policy such as $65 billion in broadband spending.
Broadband remains a focal point in discussions as Congress continues to debate the various provisions in the infrastructure package. Recently, advocates for greater broadband access nationwide were given reason to cheer, and it has nothing to do with government spending taxpayer dollars. A recent surveyed conducted by CTIA Ashows that access to fifth generation networks (5G) has increased rapidly over the last year. This trend promises to deliver better connectivity across the country and expanded access to data and messaging.
All eyes are on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), as the agency mulls changing the way that mail is delivered. USPS leadership has proposed relaxing current service standards for first-class mail and periodicals, meaning that fewer Americans would be able to rely on two and three-to-five-day delivery turnarounds. Predictably, there’s been no shortage of opposition to this changing of service standards.
Today, Martin Cullip joined the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) team as an International Fellow for the Consumer Center. UK-based Cullip brings more than a decade of experience on free market and consumer issues, as well as a global perspective and passion for tobacco harm reduction.
