Government-owned internet networks have become a popular trend among state and local policymakers across the United States. More than 450 communities are estimated to have some form of taxpayer-funded, government-owned internet service, including more than 80 cities with large-scale public fiber-to-thehome broadband networks.
Washington D.C. wastes a great deal of taxpayer money every day, and with the national debt approaching $20 trillion, the need to eliminate waste from government couldn’t be any clearer. Unfortunately, the ways in which public officials think of ways to waste public money never ends. The latest ridiculous idea is the plan to build an aerial gondola system to be used as public transit between D.C. and Virginia over the Potomac River. This public gondola system is being debated at a time when the Washington Metro system routinely catches on fire. The idea for a gondola started last year with the DC/Virginia business community. After it was determined that a feasibility study for the gondola project would cost about $200,000, those advocating for the project privately raised $130,000 and needed $35,000 each from the District of Columbia and Virginia in order to move forward. In 2015 Washington D.C. used their budget plan to test drive the study with taxpayer money. Earlier this year, Arlington County moved forward with the feasibility study by putting up their share of taxpayer funds.
Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) introduced a new feature to the regular podcast called “Member Spotlight.” This Member Spotlight is the first in a series of podcasts that will showcase a member of Congress who has done extraordinary work for taxpayers. Our first Member Spotlight features Rep. Paul Gosar who represents Arizona’s 4th District in the United States House of Representatives (click here to listen). First elected in 2010, Rep. Gosar is a true hero for taxpayers with his tireless work to rein in spending and excessive regulation. Rep. Gosar is a model of what a fiscally responsible member of Congress should be. Rep. Gosar has worked on a number of issues that have been beneficial to taxpayers. One of the first issues addressed was about the national debt, which has now surpassed $19 trillion. Rep. Gosar pointed out that on its current trajectory, the value of the national debt is likely to bypass the entire United States economy in just a few years. He also noted that three entitlement programs account for almost half of all government spending. The discussion then focused on issues that matter to taxpayers in Arizona and all across the United States. Rep. Gosar also highlighted legislation he was working on that dealt with new regulations and the appropriations process.
Washington, D.C. – House Government Oversight Committee Chairman, Jason Chaffetz and the committee’s Ranking Member, Elijah Cummings, introduced a congressional discussion draft for postal reform legislation last Wednesday. Following $56.8 billion in financial losses since 2007 and $125 billion in unfunded liabilities, the proposed legislation is intended to provide financial relief for the financially troubled agency. TPA released a statement last week reacting to the the proposed legislation. Click 'read more' below to see the full statement.
House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) Comprehensive tax reform is long overdue. In fact, the last time there was comprehensive tax reform (1986) Ferris Bueller's Day Off was the number one movie in the United States. Tax reform is not only long overdue, but it is also an important component to jump starting the economy. A terrible jobs report, rising costs, stagnant wages for working families, and a Congress that seems to be paralyzed with inaction much of the year give credence to the message that elected officials need to come together and fix the broken tax code. There is a plan to fix to tax code. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) unveiled a tax reform blueprint (click here) that will serve as the platform for a meaningful conversation on tax reform. The goal is to get the ideas for how tax reform can be done in Congress on the table, and keep the discussions going this year. And then, in 2017, lawmakers can put a real, bipartisan plan together that the House and Senate can send to the White House. Some of the important components of the tax reform blueprint include: a fairer and simpler code for individuals and small businesses, lowering the corporate tax rate, and repealing the Death Tax.
The power of federal agencies continues to expand every day with more and more regulations being passed and implemented. With regulations flowing out of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one federal agency that hasn’t been spotlighted as much is the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). But, don’t let their lack of publicity be misleading because the NLRB is currently waging a war against businesses. Now, the courts must decide on a costly regulation that could change the definition of the term “employee” forever. In August of 2015, by a vote of 3-2, the NLRB moved to hold the Houston-based waste management firm Browning-Ferris responsible for the treatment of contractors that were hired out of California through a staffing agency. The ruling declared Browning-Ferris should be considered a "joint employer" with Leadpoint Business Services, a Phoenix-based staffing agency. This decision ran contrary to decades-old precedent on what the traditional definition is for an employee. Many have warned that it could (and would) have implications for small and large businesses in the future.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) released a list of earmarks stuffed into the fiscal year 2017 Senate Defense Appropriations Act. TPA combed through the Bill and found 235 earmarks totaling $10.1 billion (click here to see the full list). As with the House version, there were many familiar wasteful projects that once again found their way into the Senate bill. Failed programs like the F-35, the Littoral Combat Ship, and the Abrams Tank all had earmarked money included in the Senate bill. The continued waste at the Pentagon shows the real need for more transparency. It is becoming increasingly clear that Congress is continuing to earmark money for their pet projects even though there is an earmark ban in the House and Senate. Click 'read more' below to see the full statement
This article originally appeared on Real Clear Policy on June 12, 2016 With the continued bloat of the federal government, it’s not hard to find examples of redundancy. When the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, mistakes are made, efforts are duplicated, and taxpayers wind up paying the price. There is, perhaps, no better example of this phenomenon than a newly minted United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) catfish regulation program. The program tasks USDA with regulating and inspecting domestic and imported Siluriformes fish, including catfish, before these products end up on retail shelves and restaurant menus — a reasonable and necessary aspiration for food safety. The problem? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already inspects imported seafood. The best way to strengthen food safety is to streamline seafood inspection in one agency — the FDA — that already has the know-how to do the job, not by fracturing the process into two separate agency programs.
This week, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) submitted comments to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) on Negotiated Service Agreements (NSAs). TPA continues to call for reforms at the United States Postal Service (USPS) as there is much work to be done. The recent reported second quarter loss of $2 billion shows that the USPS’s fiscal predicaments continue to be troubling, adding to the massive debt that the agency has accumulated in recent years. It is critical that the USPS get their financial books in order, seat a full Board of Governors, and begin to work with Congress and the White House to start moving towards real reform. Click 'read more' below to see the full comment
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the House moves closer a final vote on more than $500 billion fiscal year 2017 Defense Appropriations Act, it is important to remind lawmakers of the waste that is in the bill. TPA combed through the legislation and found 235 earmarks totaling $11.1 billion (click here to see the full list) that were not requested by the Pentagon and inserted by members of Congress. These earmarks show that Congress’ self-imposed earmark ban is nothing more than a lie to taxpayers. There were many familiar wasteful projects on the list, including the F-35, the Littoral Combat Ship, and the Abrams Tank. All of these programs have been notorious for their waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars and have not been requested by the Pentagon.
