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News Release | RIPIRG Education Fund | Budget

Unlikely Allies Uncover $1 Trillion in Savings for Super Committee

As the Congressional “Super Committee” begins its search for $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction, a new study released today by the Rhode Island Public Interest Research Group (RIPIRG) and the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) provides the panel with a great place to start: more than $1 trillion of spending cuts with appeal from across the political spectrum.

Report | MoPIRG and Citizens for Tax Justice | Financial Reform

Representation Without Taxation

Marking the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission case, this report takes a hard look at the lobbying activities of profitable Fortune 500 companies that exploit loopholes and distort the tax code to avoid billions of dollars in taxes.

News Release | MoPIRG and Citizens for Tax Justice | Financial Reform

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 – Missouri Public Interest Research Group (MoPIRG) and Citizens for Tax Justice reveal 30 corporations that spent more to lobby Congress than they did in taxes.

Report | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland

The 2011 Trouble in Toyland report is our 26th annual survey of toy safety. In this report, we provide safety guidelines for consumers when purchasing toys for young children and provide examples of toys currently on store shelves that may pose potential safety hazards.

Report | MoPIRG | Consumer Protection, Transportation

Caution: Red Light Camera Ahead

Privatized traffic law enforcement systems are spreading rapidly across the United States. As many as 700 local jurisdictions have entered into deals with for-profit companies to install camera systems at intersections and along roadways to encourage drivers to obey traffic signals and follow speed limits.

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News Release | RIPIRG Education Fund | Budget

Unlikely Allies Uncover $1 Trillion in Savings for Super Committee

As the Congressional “Super Committee” begins its search for $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction, a new study released today by the Rhode Island Public Interest Research Group (RIPIRG) and the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) provides the panel with a great place to start: more than $1 trillion of spending cuts with appeal from across the political spectrum.

News Release | MoPIRG and Citizens for Tax Justice | Financial Reform

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 – Missouri Public Interest Research Group (MoPIRG) and Citizens for Tax Justice reveal 30 corporations that spent more to lobby Congress than they did in taxes.

News Release | MoPIRG | Food

Apples to Twinkies: Comparing Federal Subsidies of Fresh Produce and Junk Food

SAINT LOUIS, MO –The Missouri Public Interest Research Group (MoPIRG) show in a new report Apples to Twinkies, how taxpayers have been subsidizing junk food additives, like high fructose corn syrup, for decades. Federal subsidies for commodity crops have flooded markets with cheap, nutritionally empty junk food. These subsidies are enough to pay for 19 Twinkies per taxpayer every year. Meanwhile, subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables buy less than a quarter of an apple per taxpayer per year.

News Release | MoPIRG | Consumer Protection

Advocates Call on Congress to Cut Wasteful Subsidies, Not Public Priorities

As the U.S. Senate began negotiations to stave off a federal government shutdown, representatives from MOPIRG were joined by Environment Missouri state advocate Ted Mathys and St. Charles mayor Patricia York at a press event at St. Louis City Hall to urge the Senate to focus their spending cuts on wasteful handouts to narrow special interests.

News Release | MoPIRG | Transportation

Obama Budget Seeks Major Boost in Transportation Investment

Statement by MoPIRG Senior Tax and Budget Analyst Phineas Baxandall, on the Obama administration’s FY 2012 transportation budget proposal, which includes a major increase in transportation funding and an $8 billion annual investment in high-speed rail.

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Result | Consumer Protection

KIDS’ SCHOOL LUNCHES NOW SAFER

For years, America’s schoolchildren have been eating beef, chicken and other foods that would have been rejected as substandard even by fast food chains. Thanks in part to our advocacy, the USDA has stopped buying such low-quality meat for school lunches.

Result | Health Care

Young People Now Covered

This year, the federal health care reforms that MoPIRG worked to win have started to pay off for young people. In the past, teens saw their premiums soar or were denied coverage when they turned 19, even if they’d been insured their whole lives. Now, they can remain on their parents’ plans until age 26.

Result

A History Of Action In The Public Interest: the early 2000's

A sampling of the state PIRGs' accomplishments

Report | MoPIRG and Citizens for Tax Justice | Financial Reform

Representation Without Taxation

Marking the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission case, this report takes a hard look at the lobbying activities of profitable Fortune 500 companies that exploit loopholes and distort the tax code to avoid billions of dollars in taxes.

Report | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland

The 2011 Trouble in Toyland report is our 26th annual survey of toy safety. In this report, we provide safety guidelines for consumers when purchasing toys for young children and provide examples of toys currently on store shelves that may pose potential safety hazards.

Report | MoPIRG | Consumer Protection, Transportation

Caution: Red Light Camera Ahead

Privatized traffic law enforcement systems are spreading rapidly across the United States. As many as 700 local jurisdictions have entered into deals with for-profit companies to install camera systems at intersections and along roadways to encourage drivers to obey traffic signals and follow speed limits.

Report | MoPIRG | Health Care

Making the Grade: A Scorecard for State Health Insurance Exchanges

When it comes to health care, there are few magic-bullet solutions for the many problems consumers face in the marketplace: insurers don’t compete for their business, leading to higher prices and lower quality. Important information about coverage is buried in the fine print, making it hard to know what’s really covered or which plan is right. And costs are continuing their unsustainable rise.

Report | MoPIRG | Financial Reform

Tax-Increment Financing: The Need for Increased Transparency and Accountability in Local Economic Development Subsidies

Tax-increment financing (TIF) has been a widely used tool for municipalities seeking private investment. TIF allows cities and towns to borrow against an area’s future tax revenues in order to invest in immediate projects or encourage present development. When used properly, TIF can promote enduring growth and stronger communities for blighted neighborhoods; but TIF can also end up wasting taxpayer resources or channeling money to politically favored special interests.

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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 agribusinesses handouts.

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STOP TAX DODGERS

Corporate tax avoidance cost taxpayers $100 billion last year. We're working to close the loopholes that allow companies to avoid paying the taxes they owe.

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BUILDING A BETTER HEALTH CARE MARKETPLACE

Now the fight for health care reform is in Missouri.

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DANGEROUS TOYS ON STORE SHELVES?

Find out what to watch out for — from toxic chemicals to choking hazards — in our “Trouble In Toyland” report.

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PRIORITY ACTION

Some of the nation’s best-known companies — including GE, Google and Goldman Sachs — have avoided paying the taxes they owe, costing us $100 billion last year.

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