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Blog Post | Transportation

US House Transportation Bill for the 19th Century, not the 21st Century Bruce Speight Phineas Baxandall

With much fanfare and 854 days late, the U.S. House last week introduced bills to fund our nation's transportation system for the next five years. The new rules for spending $260 billion over five years would be tilted more toward highways with less going to buses, rail, biking and pedestrian trails. Given the nation's urgent need to reduce our addiction to oil, that in itself would have been a tragedy.

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News Release | WISPIRG | Transportation

House Proposal Threatens to Defund Public Transportation

Statement of WISPIRG’s Kyle Bailey on the House Ways and Means Committee title (H.R. 3864) of the surface transportation bill to fund all federal investment in transportation over the next five years.

Media Hit | Democracy, Tax

WI Public Radio: PROPOSED LAW AIMS TO CONTROL CORPORATE SPENDING ON POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS

A new WISPIRG report focuses on thirty wealthy corporations that spent $2 billion lobbying for a wide range of legislation, yet paid little if any corporate taxes. WISPIRG spokesman Bruce Speight says in most cases they paid no taxes, "Twenty-nine of the 30 so deftly exploited the tax loopholes in our tax code that they boasted negative tax rates meaning they are getting money back from our government."

Report | WISPIRG Foundation | Democracy, Tax

Representation Without Taxation

Marking the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United vs. FEC case – which opened the floodgates to corporate spending on elections – this report takes a hard look at the lobbying activities of profitable Fortune 500 companies that exploit loopholes and work to distort the tax code to avoid billions of dollars in taxes.

News Release | WISPIRG | Democracy, Tax

Thirty Fortune 500 Companies Paid More to Lobby Congress than they Did in Federal Income Taxes

With the second anniversary approaching of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case – which opened the floodgates to corporate spending on elections – WISPIRG and Citizens for Tax Justice reveal 30 corporations that spent more to lobby Congress than they did in taxes.

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News Release | WISPIRG | Transportation

House Proposal Threatens to Defund Public Transportation

Statement of WISPIRG’s Kyle Bailey on the House Ways and Means Committee title (H.R. 3864) of the surface transportation bill to fund all federal investment in transportation over the next five years.

Media Hit | Democracy, Tax

WI Public Radio: PROPOSED LAW AIMS TO CONTROL CORPORATE SPENDING ON POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS

A new WISPIRG report focuses on thirty wealthy corporations that spent $2 billion lobbying for a wide range of legislation, yet paid little if any corporate taxes. WISPIRG spokesman Bruce Speight says in most cases they paid no taxes, "Twenty-nine of the 30 so deftly exploited the tax loopholes in our tax code that they boasted negative tax rates meaning they are getting money back from our government."

News Release | WISPIRG | Democracy, Tax

Thirty Fortune 500 Companies Paid More to Lobby Congress than they Did in Federal Income Taxes

With the second anniversary approaching of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case – which opened the floodgates to corporate spending on elections – WISPIRG and Citizens for Tax Justice reveal 30 corporations that spent more to lobby Congress than they did in taxes.

Media Hit | Financial Reform

Capital Times: Obama Takes Bold Action to Protect Consumers

President Obama announced a bold and important step to protect consumers from financial tricks and traps by announcing a recess appointment of his well-qualified nominee, Richard Cordray, to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Media Hit | Consumer Protection

Capital Times: New study shows toxics in toys, poisons in paint

Popular children's toys, including Playmobil play figures, are on a list of 650 brand name products containing two hormone-disrupting chemicals, according to a new report.

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Result | Consumer Protection

Keeping Kids’ School Lunches Safe

For years, Wisconsin’s schoolchildren ate substandard chicken and beef—of such poor quality that fast-food chains wouldn’t even serve it. WISPIRG stood up for kids, and the USDA set stronger standards for school lunches.

Result | Budget

Making Government More Transparent

WISPIRG advocacy led to the creation of a state website giving Wisconsin taxpayers easily accessible information about state expenditures, providing taxpayers with easily searchable, checkbook-level detail of state expenditures and detailed information about all state contracts.

Result | Health Care

More Affordable Health Care

We fought hard to make sure the new health care law favors programs that reward quality care and includes steps to contain costs and cut red tape. We continue our work to keep those measures strong.

Result | Financial Reform

A VICTORY FOR CONSUMERS OVER WALL STREET

Even after the financial crisis, lobbyists for the big banks and credit card companies furiously opposed proconsumer provisions in the Wall Street reform law. Over their objections, WISPIRG helped convince Congress to create a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Result | Consumer Protection

Protecting Wisconsin Kids from Toxic BPA

WISPIRG played a key role in 2010 in making Wisconsin the third state to ban bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxic chemical linked to cancer and obesity, from baby bottles and sippy cups.

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Report | WISPIRG Foundation | Democracy, Tax

Representation Without Taxation

Marking the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United vs. FEC case – which opened the floodgates to corporate spending on elections – this report takes a hard look at the lobbying activities of profitable Fortune 500 companies that exploit loopholes and work to distort the tax code to avoid billions of dollars in taxes.

Report | WISPIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection

Poison in Paint, Toxics in Toys

For the first time more than 650 brand name household products that contain one of two toxic chemicals of high concern, NPEs (nonylphenol ethoxylates) and BPA (bisphenol A), have been publicly identified. Twenty-five manufacturers reported their use of NPEs and BPA in consumer products sold in Maine under a 2008 state law on chemical safety.

Report | WISPIRG Foundation | Tax

Corporate Tax Dodgers in the Fifty States, 2008-2010

This report uses data from the annual financial reports filed by some of the biggest and most profi table Fortune 500 corporations to shed light on this question—and to identify strategies for ensuring that state corporate income taxes will continue to play an important role in state tax systems going forward.

Report | WISPIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland 2010

Dangerous or toxic toys can still be found on America’s store shelves, the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG) announced in its 25th annual Trouble in Toyland report.

Report | WISPIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland 2011

Dangerous or toxic toys can still be found on America’s store shelves, according to the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group’s (WISPIRG) 26th annual Trouble in Toyland report.

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Blog Post | Transportation

US House Transportation Bill for the 19th Century, not the 21st Century Bruce Speight Phineas Baxandall

With much fanfare and 854 days late, the U.S. House last week introduced bills to fund our nation's transportation system for the next five years. The new rules for spending $260 billion over five years would be tilted more toward highways with less going to buses, rail, biking and pedestrian trails. Given the nation's urgent need to reduce our addiction to oil, that in itself would have been a tragedy.

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Blog Post | Financial Reform

President’s Recess Appointment Gives Watchdog Teeth It Needs To Protect Consumers From Wall Street or Payday Lender Financial Shenanigans Bruce Speight Ed Mierzwinski

Kudos to President Obama for standing up for consumers this week by making a recess appointment of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The President’s action means that the CFPB now has all its powers to protect the public from unfair financial practices, whether by banks or other financial firms, such as payday lenders and credit bureaus.

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YOUR TAX DOLLARS BECOME TWINKIES

Billions of taxpayer dollars have subsidized the ingredients in junk food. We're calling on Congress to end agribusiness handouts.

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STOP TAX DODGERS

Corporate tax avoidance cost Wisconsinites $1.6 billion last year. WISPIRG is working to close the loopholes that allow companies to avoid paying the taxes they owe.

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