Today, TPA President David Williams testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. The panel was titled: “Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission: Spectrum Auctions Program, Part 2.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) praised Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai for his commitment to opening up a significant portion of the 5.9 GHz band of radio spectrum for unlicensed Wi-Fi use. Chairman Pai announced today that the lower 45 megahertz of the spectrum band would be made available for internet users across the country, while the remaining 20 megahertz would be devoted to cutting-edge vehicle communications technologies
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) praised the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under the leadership of Chairman Ajit Pai, for committing to a public auction of “C-band” spectrum. Axios has reported that, “FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will direct his agency to auction sought-after airwaves for 5G services estimated to be worth up to $60 billion.” The decision comes after months of deliberation between various groups over how best to clear spectrum needed for 5G wireless deployment.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) sounded the alarm on reports that Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee will soon release a “Green Act” filled with subsidies for “alternative” energy sources such as solar, wind, and electric vehicles (EV). In particular, according to Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.), the legislation will expand the EV tax credit from the current per-manufacturer limit of 200,000 vehicles to 600,000 vehicles.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) slammed a renewed proposal by Rivada Networks CEO Declan Ganley to create a nationalized 5G network with his own company at the helm. The proposal, which was first considered by President Trump’s reelection campaign team in March 2019, envisions a wholesale airwaves market controlled by Rivada Networks, and “shared” with wireless companies.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) criticized the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for incurring a $8.8 billion net loss for fiscal year (FY) 2019. USPS has experienced double-digit percentage declines in mail delivery revenues as consumers abandon paper mail for easier, more reliable electronic services. TPA President David Williams expressed alarm over the financials, stating, “for more than a decade, policymakers and citizens across the country have called for the USPS to clean up its act and deliver mail in a transparent, cost-effective manner. After incurring $75 billion in net losses since 2007, out-going Postmaster General Megan Brennan promised Congress that the agency would deliver a ten-year business plan by July 1. But this plan never materialized, and more than 130 days later, taxpayers are as worried as ever about the prospect of a bailout.”
Hopefully, Senator (and presidential hopeful) Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will try to take it easy as he continues to recover from his October 2nd heart procedure. The lawmaker had two stents inserted after doctors found an artery blockage. It’s hard to say for sure which medications Sanders is currently taking post-surgery, but typically, individuals with stents are told to take anti-clotting medications such as clopidogrel (Plavix) or ticagrelor (Brilinta) along with anti-cholesterol medications such as Rosuvastatin (Crestor). While Sanders (and millions of other Americans) benefit from these life-saving medications, he continues to vilify the pharmaceutical industry and push for misguided policies that would make these drugs less accessible to wide swaths of the population. With less price-fixing and regulation, patients suffering from heart disease and other ailments can get back on their feet faster and maybe even get a bump in the polls.
Although taxpayers are footing $750 million of the $1.9 billion cost for Las Vegas’ new stadium for the NFL’s Raiders in the form of a lodging tax, they won’t see a dime of the naming-rights revenue. The Raiders recently announced that Las Vegas Stadium will be known as Allegiant Stadium after the Raiders reached a deal for the naming rights for their new Nevada home. While the deal’s financial terms were not revealed, experts told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Allegiant Travel Co., parent company of local airline Allegiant Air, will probably pay an annual fee of $20 million to $25 million for the rights.
For millions of Americans, taking time to trek to the doctor’s office and waiting to see a healthcare provider is a costly and time-consuming hassle. Fortunately, the rise of telemedicine has allowed patients access to their providers from their homes or offices, for a fraction of the cost of an ordinary consultation. How federal and state rules will accommodate this emerging health technology is a $130 billion question. These kinds of innovative policies have the potential to make countless Americans healthier and better off. What’s more, accommodative Medicare and Medicaid policies could save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars each year. For the sake of millions of consumers and taxpayers, it’s time to take telemedicine into the 21st century.
