Page 366 – Taxpayers Protection Alliance

TPA Joins Opposition to Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Nuclear Facility

Post author:David Williams
Post published:June 25, 2012
Post category:David Williams Defense Nuclear Taxpayers Protection Alliance

On June 22, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance signed a letter (read here) with 10 other groups to Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Ranking Member John McCain (R-Ariz.) with concerns about the funding of the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Nuclear Facility (CMRR-NF) in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. President Obama requested no funding and the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittees in both Chambers provide no funding for this project. The Administration, the Appropriators, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory itself believe that this nearly $6 billion proposed facility is not needed at this time. The project is a waste of taxpayer money and should be canceled. According to theweek.com, “’Pit production enabled by CMRR-NF is not needed to maintain U.S. nuclear weapons for decades to come’ writes former Sandia Laboratories Vice President Bob Peurifoy. ‘As a result, the Nuclear Facility might just sit there with nothing to do.’ Not only is CMRR-NF unnecessary; there's also evidence that the project won't create jobs, undermines America's commitment to reduce its nuclear arsenal through the new START treaty, and could be vulnerable to earthquakes.”

Oil Companies Pay More Than Their “Fair Share” of Taxes

Post author:Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Post published:June 20, 2012
Post category:Corporate Tax Drew Johnson Oil Taxes Taxpayers Protection Alliance

“It’s time for oil companies to pay their fair share in taxes.” In recent months, that refrain has been expressed in some form or another in the halls of Congress, on stump speeches and even in President Obama’s State of the Union Address. From listening to some federal lawmakers, it’s hard to believe oil and natural gas companies pay any taxes at all. In truth, oil companies don’t pay their fair share. They pay far more. The top corporate income tax rate in the U.S. is 35%. America’s three largest oil companies, ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips, pay taxes in excess of 40%. ExxonMobil pays a tax rate of 45%, shelling out over $12 billion in federal taxes in 2011.

Congress needs to get the FM Chip off Our Shoulders

Post author:David Williams
Post published:June 19, 2012
Post category:David Williams Taxpayers Protection Alliance Telecommunications

It’s becoming quite the “in” thing in Washington for industries to request a government carve out once their product is no longer “in” – as far as consumer purchasing trends go. Enter the broadcasters. This group, like many before it, is imploring Congress to create a mandate. In this case, the mandate will force all mobile devices to include FM chips. With fewer and fewer radios purchased, broadcasters have good reason for concern about the future prospects of their product. Thanks to the technological advances of services like Internet radio and online purchasing and downloading of music, consumers have new, more convenient options to allow them to hear their favorite tunes on their terms.

Freeing Spectrum Frees Consumers

Post author:David Williams
Post published:June 13, 2012
Post category:Broadband David Williams Taxpayers Protection Alliance

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to approve the transfer of spectrum licenses from SpectrumCo. and Cox to Verizon Wireless. On June 8, 2012, a coalition of 14 taxpayer and free market groups, including the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, urged FCC Chairman Julius Genachowsk to approve the transfer (see letter here). According to the letter, “The move will increase competition in the mobile market, give consumers more choices in wireless providers, and expand access to affordable mobile services.” Spectrum auctions and transfers, such as this one, present a unique set of circumstances that aren’t seen every day. Different from other sorts of products or services, spectrum is readily available and just waiting to be used by a company to better meet consumers’ needs. Unlike many other products seeking to enter the marketplace, spectrum does not require additional technological advances or other sorts of preparation in order for a company to utilize it. The technological advances and improvements come as a result of companies possessing more access to broadband and finding ways to bring this resource to its customers in the most cost-effective manner. With unyielding demand for wireless services, it is flat out irresponsible of the FCC to delay in allowing new spectrum on to the market.

Time for Taxpayers to Walk the Other Way

Post author:David Williams
Post published:June 12, 2012
Post category:David Williams Regulation Taxpayers Protection Alliance

There are plenty of examples where government programs come up short, but one area where we usually can count on the government to come through is in its creation and implementation of nanny-state regulations. As recent examples make clear, there’s certainly no shortage of government dictates that walk us closer and closer down the path toward a nanny state. From what size soda you’re able to purchase to how you can transport your pet, each example seems more egregious than the next. And just when you think you’ve heard the worst of them, a new one comes along to rear its ugly head: the “Safe Routes to School” program. Like most government programs, the title of this program is at best innocuous and vague. And even after examining its stated purpose: “to reduce vehicle usage, increase foot traffic, and consequently create healthier children and a cleaner environment,” a lot of questions remain unanswered. For example, a lot of ambiguity surrounds what constitutes a safe route and who determines what a safe route is. Perhaps still the most confounding element of this program is demonstrated by the amount of money the government has spent on it since 2005 – a whopping $1 billion!

Maryland Shouldn’t Gamble With Corporate Welfare

Post author:David Williams
Post published:June 11, 2012
Post category:Casinos Corporate Welfare David Williams Taxes Taxpayers Protection Alliance

Over the past several months, Maryland officials have discussed expanding gambling throughout the state. Like many other areas throughout the country, Maryland sees existing video lottery terminal (VLTs) and table games at gaming facilities as a partial solution to budget woes that were often caused by runaway spending. However, Maryland’s proposed solutions will only create greater inefficiencies in the economy and taxpayers will continue to bear the brunt of the state’s misguided fiscal policy. In May, the state legislature passed a massive income tax increase that will hit many families that are far from “rich.” The new, top state-local income rate will rise to 8.95 percent -- the fourth-highest rate in the nation. This hike will not just affect individuals and couples; small business owners’ profits are taxed as personal income. Additionally, the state increased the marriage penalty for working couples, which will significantly hit families with children, and also shifted pension obligations from the state to localities. Governor Martin O’Malley may now call a second special session of the legislature in July to possibly give tax breaks to casino interests. Earlier this year, members of the legislature proposed a 10.4 percent decrease in the rate for casino/“racino”/slot machine operators. This is being done to presumably entice a vendor to build a new casino in Prince George’s County, and also to cut taxes on (VLT) operators in the state. While this is being advertised as economic development, it is in fact corporate welfare.

Military Bands Are Not Sweet Music to Taxpayers

Post author:Jessica Wright
Post published:June 11, 2012
Post category:Defense House National Defense Authorization Act Taxpayers Protection Alliance

In May, the House of Representatives passed an amendment limiting Pentagon spending on military bands. The amendment, part of the fiscal year (FY) 2013 Defense Authorization Bill, will limit the military to a $200 million budget for music bands if passed by the full Congress. The amendment was spearheaded by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), who recently showed her allegiance to taxpayers by co-sponsoring an amendment that ends military sponsorship of pro-sports (read previous blog posting here). The Pentagon has allotted $388 million for their music arsenal in FY 2013, which McCollum says is unacceptable in a time of financial crisis. According to a May 21, 2012 Washington Post article, “The Army maintains 99 bands and intends to spend $221.1 million on them next year. That’s up $3.3 million from this year. The Navy has 14 bands that will cost an estimated $55.6 million next year, while the Marine Corps has 12 bands that will cost $53.6 million in 2013.”

The General Services Administration Gets Bonus Scrutiny

Post author:David Williams
Post published:June 7, 2012
Post category:David Williams General Services Administration Taxpayers Protection Alliance

The General Services Administration (GSA) is on track to supplant Disney® as the Happiest Place on Earth with a million dollar Vegas extravaganza in 2010 (read more here) and now a report that 84 GSA employees received $1.1 million in bonuses since 2008. The question is whether these folks are extraordinary workers or their bosses are incredibly generous. The issue though isn’t really about the motivation behind bonuses. The problem is about who received the bonuses and where the money for the bonuses came from, the taxpayer. After peeling the surface back further, we learn that the employees received the bonuses “while the inspector general was probing these individuals for wrongdoing or misconduct,” as Federal Radio News reported.

California High Speed Train Needs to Slow Down

Post author:David Williams
Post published:June 6, 2012
Post category:David Williams State Issues Taxpayers Protection Alliance

In politics, there are not a lot of issues that people agree on. The one area that there is such an agreement is for government to be transparent and accountable and California’s beleaguered $68 billion bullet train project may be bringing people together in a most unexpected way since people from both sides of the tracks on this project (pun intended) are concerned about the lack of transparency and shenanigans surrounding the train. Since the project’s beginnings, lawsuits and questionable dealings have surrounded the train. It’s risen to such a level that not only is a congressional committee concerned, but the Government Accountability Office has also started to investigate the expenditure of federal funds for the project. According to California Watch, these concerns have led to requests from lawyers and others suspicious of the bullet-train project to pore over “the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s trove of documents, looking for evidence.” The article also noted that “So it’s an unusual time to purge five years’ worth of bullet train project e-mails, critics say. Nevertheless, that’s what the agency is contemplating. In February, the rail authority filed papers with the state saying it intended to enact a new policy to destroy its e-mails after 90 days. Then, on May 1, in response to a request for information from a project critic, the rail authority said it could not produce e-mails that were older than 90 days, citing the new policy.”

Proposition 29 is Bad for Consumers, Taxpayers and the State of California

Post author:David Williams
Post published:June 4, 2012
Post category:David Williams Deficit Taxes Taxpayers Protection Alliance

Tomorrow (June 5), California voters will get a chance to vote “yes” or “no” on Proposition 29. If the proposition passes, California’s tobacco tax will increase by $1.00 per pack, making the total tax $1.87 per pack. The additional revenue is supposed to be used for cancer research, smoking reduction programs, and tobacco law enforcement. Prop 29 might be enticing to vote for but the reality is that this is a fiscal ruse on Californians. Funds raised by Prop 29 won’t have to be spent in state and now there is information that previously collected tobacco money wasn’t spent wisely and if passed, consumers and taxpayers are locked into a 15-year mistake. According to a May 29, 2012 article in the Anchorage Daily News “Between 1998 and 2010, just 6 percent of the money collected from a massive lawsuit settlement and from cigarette taxes went to tobacco interdiction and education programs, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week, far below federal spending guidelines for effectively curbing tobacco use.” In addition, according to Cal Watchdog, “And, Prop 29 was written to remain in place for 15 years, without the possibility of changes–not even by voters. “ Californians can’t afford to make a 15-year mistake.