Page 346 – Taxpayers Protection Alliance

LEED Watch: Brace Yourselves… LEED v4 Is Coming

Post author:David Williams
Post published:July 17, 2013
Post category:Energy Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA)General Services Administration Michi Iljazi Taxpayers Protection Alliance

GSA HQ in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy Wikimedia Commons) As the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) continues to expose wasteful and unnecessary spending, we have also taken a sharp look at needless regulation. One area of particular interest to TPA for its cost to taxpayers has been the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification system that is owned by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and used by the General Services Administration (GSA) as the exclusive system to certify federal buildings as “green.”. TPA is concerned about a private, non-consensus based non-profit organizations like the USGBC being involved in creating non-science standards that are then relied upon to dictate government policies with broad influence over the entire green building marketplace. The relationship between the federal government and the USGBC when it comes to the issue of LEED certification is something that TPA has been seeking greater transparency on for quite some time now. Not only is the USGBC dictating these policies, they are lining their pockets with taxpayer dollars because the process of LEED certification alone can cost up to $27,000, payable from the taxpayer to the USGBC.

TPA Joins Coalition Urging Open Rule for Defense Spending Bill

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:July 16, 2013
Post category:Appropriations Congress Defense House Michi Iljazi Taxpayers Protection Alliance

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance has always advocated legislative transparency and we were outraged with the actions of the House last week regarding the closed-rule Farm Bill being able to proceed and eventually pass. Apparently, Congress may be at it again, but this time on defense spending as the House of Representatives moves to possibly consider H.R. 2397, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014. Last week, House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R, Texas) indicated that the Committee “may …consider a rule that may limit the amendment process” for the bill while at the same time conceding “this is not the traditional process for this bill.” Ridiculous contradictions aside, this is as disconcerting as it is unproductive. TPA, in an effort led by Taxpayers for Commonsense, signed onto a coalition letter with the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, Americans for Tax Reform, Cost of Government Center, National Taxpayers Union, Less Government, R Street Institute, and Downsize DC to ensure an open-rule process on Defense appropriations as “taxpayers deserve a free and open debate on all the spending bills and large pieces of legislation.” While it's critical for each appropriations bill to have as many amendments considered as possible, DoD is especially important considering the amount of earmarks that are funneled through. In fact, in 2011, TPA found 89 earmarks worth $3 billion in the DoD appropriations bills (click here to read more). This was after Congress agreed to an earmark moratorium. Click read more below to read the full letter

As ‘Tax Reform Duo’ Hits the Road, the IRS Scandal Should be on the Agenda

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:July 15, 2013
Post category:Congress Michi Iljazi Taxes Taxpayers Protection Alliance

Minneapolis, MN was the first stop of the 'Tax Reform Duo' (Courtesy Doug Kerr) Last week, the tax writing Chairs of the Senate and House, Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) will begin their tour across the countrymaking stops at different cities in several states to talk to voters about tax reform. Reaching out to working families, small business owners, and average consumers who are all taxpayers is a great idea and TPA applauds this bi-partisan effort to get tax reform jump started. However, under the guise of ‘tax reform’ Congress must take it upon themselves to pursue reform not just for the tax code that we are required to live by, but the agency that is charged with enforcing the code… the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In May, it was revealed that an Inspector General report had found that the IRS was using inappropriate data to target groups seeking tax-exempt status, potentially basing this targeting solely on the basis of political ideology. The scandal further revealed that not only had this been going on for an extended period of time amounting to multiple years, there were officials in high ranking positions within the agency that knew this was going on while publicly claiming otherwise. Taxpayers Protection Alliance has written about this scandal and we also called for the release of all emails between the IRS’s Cincinnati offices (where the scandal was claimed to have originated) and the IRS brass here in Washington D.C.; as of today we have yet to see that correspondence. It was also revealed that IRS employees were scheduled for $70 million in bonuses.

Broken Promise: House Shamefully Passes Closed-Rule Farm Bill

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:July 12, 2013
Post category:Agriculture Farm Bill House Michi Iljazi Taxpayers Protection Alliance

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance has been covering the actions of both the Senate and House regarding the Farm Bill over the last few months. It was disappointing to see the Senate pass a version without giving any opportunity for an open-amendment process as a way for meaningful reforms, but the House seemed to be a glimmer of hope… or so we thought. Shortly after passage of the Senate Farm Bill, Speaker of the House John Boehner pledged there would be an open process in the Houseand that members of both parties would have the opportunity to submit amendments so that all reforms could be considered in the crafting of their version of the Farm Bill: “The Leader and I will encourage the Rules Committee to provide a fair process that will allow for a vigorous and open debate — the kind of process I pledged we would have more of in the House when I became speaker…”

Report: Billions Wasted Annually On Federal Phone Subsidies

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:July 10, 2013
Post category:Michi Iljazi Taxpayers Protection Alliance Telecommunications

The coast of Maui, HI (Courtesy Wikimedia Commons) Everyone remembers the story last fall of the infamous ‘Obama Phones’ and how it was yet another example of government waste gone wild. Individuals nationwide were given subsidized cell phones costing taxpayers more than $2 billion dollars, and what was worse was the revelation that some individuals taking advantage of the program were in turn selling the phones to make a profit. Now, in a stunning revelation, a study to be released later today (July 10) by Thomas Hazlett, a George Mason University Professor and former chief economist at the FCC, and Scott J. Wallsten, vice president for research and senior fellow at the Technology Policy Institute and senior fellow at the Georgetown University Center for Business and Public Policy, will show that the Federal Communications Commission has thrown away more than $60 billion in the last fifteen years on service extending phone subsidies. The program not only billed these subsidies at a high cost but the service only went to one-half of one percent of total U.S. households.

TPA Joins Coalition Urging Open Process in House on ‘Farm-Only’ Farm Bill

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:July 9, 2013
Post category:Agriculture Congress Farm Bill House Michi Iljazi Taxpayers Protection Alliance

On the heels of the Farm Bill failing a few weeks ago on the House floor, a new “split” bill (separating nutrition and agriculture policy) may be considered by the House and the difference lies in the substance. The new bill being floated is focused mainly on Agriculture Policy, making the Farm Bill a real Farm Bill not just in name, but also in content. The problem however lies in the process and it is important that an open process (one that allows many amendments) be allowed as a way to achieve these meaningful reforms. Today, led by the R Street Institute, TPA joined with American Commitment, American Conservative Union, Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, Campaign for Liberty, Center for Individual Freedom, Club for Growth, Competitive Enterprise Institute, ConservAmerica, Cost of Government Center, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, FreedomWorks, Heritage Action for America, Keep Food Legal, Let Freedom Ring, National Taxpayers Union, Rappahannock Ventures, and Taxpayers for Common Sense in calling for the very 'open process' House Speaker John Boehner originally promised with the Farm Bill. click read more below to see the letter

Read more about the article TPA and the Property Rights Alliance Lead International Coalition Against Unnecessary and Damaging New EU Bureaucracy

TPA and the Property Rights Alliance Lead International Coalition Against Unnecessary and Damaging New EU Bureaucracy

Post author:David Williams
Post published:July 8, 2013
Post category:European Union National Taxpayers Union Taxes Taxpayers Protection Alliance

Led by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance and the Property Rights Alliance (Americans for Tax Reform’s affiliate) an international coalition of free market and taxpayer groups including the Center for Freedom and Prosperity (United States), Europeans for Tax Reform (Albania), Institute for Policy Innovation (United States), Institute of Economic and Social Studies (Slovakia), National Taxpayers Union (United States), R Street Institute (United States), The TaxPayers' Alliance (United Kingdom) and the Taxpayers Association of Europe called on the leaders of the European Conservative and Reformists (ECR) Group to stop an unnecessary and expensive new bureaucracy that could start a trade war with the United States. The EU Commission’s recently adopted Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) bans approximately 10% of all cigarettes sold on the European market today. It forces roughly 10 million smokers to find their product through illegal channels, thereby putting them at risk and hollowing out any potential revenue. In a letter to João Vale de Almeida, the European Union (EU) ambassador to the United States, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) expressed their concerns about how the TPD will affect trade when they noted, “While the United States and the EU's trade and economic relationship is unparalleled and provides significant benefits to those on both sides of the Atlantic, we have serious concerns about the TPD and its impact on transatlantic trade relations.” In the middle of an unprecedented financial crisis, this overzealous TPD proposal ignores the concerns of millions of taxpayers and places hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk. Click read more to see the full letter

Americans Celebrate Independence While State Governments Embrace Dependence…on Higher Taxes.

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:July 5, 2013
Post category:Michi Iljazi State Issues Taxes Taxpayers Protection Alliance

Yesterday (the Fourth of July) was a day of partying, fireworks, and paying homage to ‘the land of the free and home of the brave.’ While TPA was certainly taking part in the festivities, we were also paying close attention to some very troubling news that accompanied the holiday week celebrations. This was the week that many states implemented tax increases in varying areas of their state tax codes and for many taxpayers, this was no reason for a party. Three states in particluar that stand out to TPA are Maryland, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. This week, as part of a transportation bill, Maryland increased their gasoline tax by 3.5 cents, bringing the total tax on gas in Maryland to 27 cents per gallon. Less than a year after voting a massive tax break to casinos. TPA fought the massive tax increases in Minnesota. Though the state rejected an increase in gas taxes earlier this year, they did see a spike in tobacco taxes this week including an increase on cigarette taxes as part of a way to pay for the new Minnesota Vikings stadium. The increase of $1.60 per pack is more than 100% and brings the grand total to $2.83 per pack. In Pennsylvania, A bill is working it’s way up that could spike the gas tax in the Keystone State to nearly 29 cents more per gallon… and could put make the state #1 in that department, a dubious distinction to be sure. In some good news, the Philadelphia City Council rejected a $2 per pack increase on cigarettes.

Any ‘Blank Slate’ on Tax Reform Should Start With the Corporate Tax

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:July 3, 2013
Post category:Michi Iljazi Taxes Taxpayers Protection Alliance

We have been hearing for some time now that the 113th Congress is going to aggressively tackle the issue of tax reform and we have seen signs that they may be at the very least somewhat serious when it comes to actually doing something to fix the complicated system of the United States tax code. The creation of a website and an outreach tour from Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and House Ways and Means Chair Dave Camp (R-Mich.) give some optimism that that the time for meaningful tax reform has arrived, but there was another development last week in the Senate that could also bode well for those looking to take this problem on directly. Last Thursday, Sen. Baucus and Ranking Member on Finance Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced their “blank slate” approach, calling on their entire chamber to offer up their own ideas essentially giving way to an entirely new code for tax law.

TPA Urges Lawmakers to look into EconoSTATS study on Forest Stewardship Council in letter to Congress

Post author:David Williams
Post published:July 1, 2013
Post category:Congress General Services Administration

Eagleville, PA (Courtesy Mortis, Wikimedia Commons) The Taxpayers Protection Alliance has been looking into the United States Green Building Council (USGBC)’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification system for quite some time and since 2010 the General Services Administration (GSA), the federal government’s landlord, has mandated LEED standards for all new federal buildings. This green building certification system can inflate the cost of construction by millions of dollars per building without providing proof of any environmental or energy-efficiency benefits. TPA has also been looking within LEED and there is another green building monopoly – on forest certification programs – that the USGBC is currently deciding whether to keep intact. Currently, the USGBC and LEED only recognize the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for wood products. Past studies have shown that FSC raises consumer costs 15 to 20 percent more while not providing a significant environmental benefit and a new study prepared for EconoSTATS at George Mason University, highlights the negative impacts of a FSC only monopoly on jobs. TPA President David Williams sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to look at this study in order to fully recognize the implications not only for the timber industry, but for other components of the economy as well. Click read more to see the full letter