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News Release | PennPIRG Education Fund | Budget

PA Receives a “B-” on Government Transparency

Philadelphia, PA March 14 – Pennsylvania received a “B-” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to Following the Money 2012: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, the third annual report of its kind by the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG).

Blog Post | Tax

Statement on White House Plan to Close Tax Loopholes Alana Miller Phineas Baxandall

Statement by Alana Miller, Program Associate for the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group in response to the White House announcement proposing to eliminate tax loopholes and preferences.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Today, CFPB to announce overdraft fee investigation, unveil "penalty box" disclosure, possibly end $39 lattes | Ed Mierzwinski

Would you knowingly agree to pay a $35 fee each time you used your debit card at point of sale, simply to allow you to purchase a $4 latte with only $2 in your account? Even the banks didn't think so, that's why they made “standard overdraft protection” a feature of your checking account that you didn't need to choose. Banks also changed the default switch on debit and ATM cards to allow overdrafts

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Report | PennPIRG Education Fund | Democracy

Business Spending on Super PACs

Contrary to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, for-profit businesses should not be permitted to spend treasury funds to influence elections. First, most businesses are constrained to participate only to maximize private profit, rather than out of regard for the public good. More important, this spending undermines political equality by allowing wealthy institutions to translate economic success into political power.

Report | PennPIRG Education Fund | Democracy

Auctioning Democracy

Scholarly and public opinion research demonstrates that big-money dominance of campaigns skews American politics because wealthy donors have different life experiences and policy preferences than average-earning citi- zens.

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Media Hit | Financial Reform

Post-Gazette: Please protect consumers, Sen. Toomey

For more than two months, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau -- a centerpiece of the 2010 Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act -- has been up and running. It's the nation's first federal financial regulator with the singular duty of protecting consumers -- including, specifically, members of the armed services -- from unfair financial practices.

Media Hit | Consumer Protection

Inquirer: Bank elsewhere to avoid fees

With its latest fee, Bank of America has made the decision to balance its books on the backs of its customers, instead of changing its business model to be more consumer-friendly. ("Bank of America to charge $5 debit card fee," Friday). Chase and Wells Fargo are also testing a $3 debit card fee in certain markets.

Media Hit | Budget, Transportation

Report ranks PA bridges worst in country

(Philadelphia) -- A recent report ranks Pennsylvania number one in the nation for its number of structurally deficient bridges. The Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group published the study saying more than 26 percent of the state's bridges are rated structurally deficient. Group associate Alana Miller says the state should focus on fixing existing bridges, rather than building new ones.

Media Hit | Budget, Transportation

Keeping turnpike helps

One benefit of publicly held capacity is that it can be redeployed to other public needs in case of emergencies like extreme weather events. If the Pennsylvania Turnpike had been privatized last year, the private operator wouldn't likely have sacrificed their shareholders' interests by lending critical machinery and crews to help municipalities after the storm (Cheers & Jeers: Flood woes; Sept. 17).

News Release | Budget, Transportation

Data Shows Pennsylvania’s Bridges Are Worst in the Country on Eve of Obama Bridge Speech

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 22 – With President Obama calling for robust investments in repairing America’s crumbling roads and bridges today, PennPIRG released data documenting the number of “structurally deficient” bridges in the state.

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Report | U.S. PIRG | Health Care

The 3 Trillion Dollar Question

Without health care reform, the United States is projected to spend over $40 trillion on health care in the next decade. Experts estimate that thirty percent of that spending – up to $12 trillion dollars – will be wasted on ineffective care, pointless red tape, and counterproductive treatments that can actually harm patients.

Report | PennPIRG Education Fund | Health Care

The Small Business Dilemma

When it comes to health care, American small business owners are getting a raw deal. While the current insurance marketplace offers some options to larger employers, it too often leaves small business owners on the outside looking in. They face unpredictable changes in costs, and far too often they are forced to choose between covering employees and the very survival of their businesses.

Report | PennPIRG Education Fund | Health Care

Health Care in Crisis

Unless the new Congress and Administration act to reduce health care costs, the yearly cost of the average employer-paid family health policy in America is projected to more than double from $11,794 in 2006 to $26,879 by 2016 even after adjusting for inflation. If recent trends continue, wages and household incomes will simply not keep up with these high costs. Nor will the business sector be immune to this crisis. Unchecked, this cost epidemic could also severely impact the small businesses that drive job creation in the American economy.

Report | PennPIRG Education Fund | Budget, Transportation

Private Roads, Public Costs

Road privatization is a growing issue in the United States as politicians and transportation officials grapple with budget shortfalls. Toll road privatization takes two forms: the lease of existing toll roads to private operators and the construction of new roads by private entities. In both instances, private investors are granted the right to raise and collect toll revenue, a right that can amount to billions of dollars in profits for the shareholders.

Report | PennPIRG Education Fund | Safe Energy

The High Cost of Nuclear Power

Nuclear power is among the most costly approaches to solving America’s energy problems.
Per dollar of investment, clean energy solutions – such as energy efficiency and renewable resources – deliver far more energy than nuclear power.

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Protect Penn. From Toxic Accidents

This accident in Paulsboro, N.J., was a sobering reminder of the threat of toxic accidents. Tell the EPA: protect our communities from toxic threats.

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Take Action
STOP TAX DODGERS

Corporate tax avoidance cost Pennsylvanians $4.4 billion last year. PennPIRG is working to close the loopholes that allow companies to avoid paying the taxes they owe.

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Take Action
Reclaim Democracy

The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision ushered in an era of unprecedented spending by big money in our elections, but we're working to return our democracy back to the principle of "one person, one vote."

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Add your voice
How Many Tax Dollars In A Twinkie?

Every year, more than a billion taxpayer dollars subsidize high-fructose corn syrup and other key ingredients in junk food at a time when 1 in 3 kids is overweight or obese.

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Priority Action

The vinyl chloride spill in Paulsboro, N.J., was a sobering reminder of the threat of toxic spills. Tell the EPA: Keep our communities safe from toxic accidents.

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Your donation supports PennPIRG's work to stand up for consumers on the issues that matter, especially when powerful interests are blocking progress.