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Report | MoPIRG Foundation | Budget

Following the Money 2013

MoPIRG Foundation’s fourth annual evaluation of state transparency websites finds that states are closer than ever before to meeting the standards of “Transparency 2.0” – encompassing one-stop, one-click checkbook transparency and accountability

Media Hit | Budget

Budget Solution is Hiding in the Caymans

Should we really cut food safety, law enforcement, and education while the nation’s largest, most profitable corporations use loopholes to avoid paying the taxes they should pay?

News Release | MoPIRG Foundation | Tax

Offshore Tax Dodging Blows a $843 Million Hole in Missouri Budget

With Missouri in the midst of a budget crisis, MoPIRG Foundation, joined by small business owners, released a new study revealing that Missouri lost $843 Million due to offshore tax dodging in 2012. Many of America’s wealthiest individuals and largest corporations, use tax loopholes to shift profits made in America to offshore tax havens, where they pay little to no taxes.

Report | MoPIRG Foundation | Tax

The Hidden Cost of Offshore Tax Havens

In 2011, states lost approximately $39.8 billion in tax revenues from corporations and wealthy individuals who sheltered money in foreign tax havens. Multinational corporations account for more than $26 billion of the lost tax revenue, and wealthy individuals account for the rest.

Media Hit | Budget

Kansas City's Report Card Is In

Ever wonder what goes on during a city council meeting? Or how much money was made from parking meters last year? The answers to some questions like these are available to the public online, but every city in the United States differs on how much information they share.

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Media Hit | Budget

Kansas City's Report Card Is In

Ever wonder what goes on during a city council meeting? Or how much money was made from parking meters last year? The answers to some questions like these are available to the public online, but every city in the United States differs on how much information they share.

News Release | MoPIRG Foundation | Budget

Kansas City Receives a “C” Grade for Spending Transparency

Kansas City received a “C” grade for spending transparency, according to a new report released today by MoPIRG. The report reviews Kansas City’s progress toward comprehensive, one-stop, one-click budget accountability and accessibility.

News Release | MoPIRG Foundation | Budget

Saint Louis Receives Failing Grade for Spending Transparency

The city of St. Louis received a failing grade for spending transparency, according to a new report released today by the MoPIRG Foundation. The report reviews Saint Louis’ progress toward comprehensive, one-stop, one-click budget accountability and accessibility.

News Release | MoPIRG | Budget

First Step to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff: Close Offshore Tax Loopholes

With Congress scrambling to agree on ways to reduce the deficit, MoPIRG joined with Lew Prince, a St. Louis small business owner, today to point out a clear first step to avoid the “fiscal cliff”: closing offshore tax loopholes. Many of America’s largest corporations and wealthiest individuals use accounting gimmicks to shift profits made in America to offshore tax havens, where they pay little to no taxes. This tax avoidance costs the federal government $150 billion in tax revenue each year. MoPIRG released new data illustrating the size of this loss with 16 dramatic ways $150 billion could be spent.

News Release | MoPIRG | Democracy

New Analysis: Tiny Number of Wealthy Contributors Match Millions of Small Donors, Will Continue to Set Agenda In Washington

A new analysis of data through Election Day from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and other sources by MoPIRG Foundation and Demos shows how big outside spenders drowned out small contributions in 2012: just 61 large donors to Super PACs giving on average $4.7 million each matched the $285.1 million in grassroots contributions from more than 1,425,500 small donors to presidential candidates.

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Report | MoPIRG Foundation and Demos | Democracy

Billion Dollar Democracy

The first presidential election since Citizens United lived up to its hype, with unprecedented outside spending from new sources making headlines.

Dēmos and MoPIRG Education Fund analysis of reports from campaigns, parties, and outside spenders to the Federal Election Commission found that our big money system distorts democracy and creates clear winners and losers.

Report | MoPIRG Foundation and the Center for Media and Democracy | Democracy

Elections Confidential

Elections Confidential describes how secret donors poured hundreds of millions into the 2012 election through “social welfare” non-profits that are really political vehicles and via shell corporations formed as conduits to hide a funder’s identity.

The first post-Citizens United presidential election cycle was bought and paid for by a handful of wealthy donors, but the corrosive influence of money in politics was amplified by the fact that we don’t know who—or what—actually provided much of the funding.

Report | MoPIRG | Budget

What America Could Do With $150 Billion Lost to Tax Havens

Tax avoidance costs the federal government $150 billion in tax revenue each year. Illinois PIRG released new data illustrating the size of this loss with 16 dramatic initiatives for which the $150 billion could have paid and also by demonstrating the impact of this amount on the fiscal cliff.

Report | U.S. PIRG, DEMOS | Democracy

DISTORTED DEMOCRACY: POST-ELECTION SPENDING ANALYSIS

A new analysis of data through Election Day from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and other sources by U.S. PIRG and Demos shows how big outside spenders drowned out small contributions in 2012: just 61 large donors to Super PACs giving an average of $4.7 million each matched the $285.2 million in grassroots contributions from more than 1,425,500 small donors to the major party presidential candidates.

Report | MoPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland 2012

The 2012 Trouble in Toyland report is the 27th annual MoPIRG survey of toy safety. In this report, MoPIRG provides safety guidelines for consumers when purchasing toys for small children and provides examples of toys currently on store shelves that may pose potential safety hazards.

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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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YOUR TAX DOLLARS BECOME CORN SYRUP

At a time when one-in-three kids is overweight or obese, over a billion taxpayer dollars go to high-fructose corn syrup and junk food ingredients.

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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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BUILDING A BETTER HEALTH CARE MARKETPLACE

Now the fight for health care reform is in Missouri.

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