Taxpayers Protection Alliance

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Not to be confused with Australian Taxpayers' Alliance.
Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Formation2011
TypeAdvocacy group
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.
President
David Williams
Websitewww.protectingtaxpayers.org

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance is a non-profit advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. The group monitors federal spending[1][2] and issues reports, research, and analyses on spending and taxation it believes to be in excess.[3][4]

History[]

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) was founded in 2011[5] with David Williams as its president[6] (a title he continues to hold as of July 2019).[7] In July 2011 in conjunction with Our Generation, the organization issued a report on the salaries and fringe benefits earned by members of Congress entitled "Are taxpayers getting their money's worth?".[8] In November of that year, the TPA was one of five taxpayer advocacy groups to sign a letter calling for a 10% reduction in pay for Congress members.[9]

In April 2012, the TPA and other groups called on Republican presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich, to relinquish his Secret Service protection. Gingrich lost his protection the following week.[10] Over the course of 2013 and 2014, the organization issued reports on topics like the public costs of LEED certification,[11] defense spending,[1] and congressional salaries.[12] The group also began levying criticism against municipal broadband projects using fiber optic cables for connectivity.[13]

In September 2015, the TPA issued a report called "Sacking Taxpayers: How NFL Stadium Subsidies Waste Money and Fall Short on Their Promises of Economic Development"[3] which detailed the amount of money spent by taxpayers on publicly subsidized National Football League stadiums.[2] Later that year, the organization issued a report (in conjunction with the Animal Justice Project) on the taxpayer costs associated with scientific experiments that administer narcotics to animals.[14] The TPA also issued criticisms of the United States Postal Service[15] because it was operating in debt.[16] In 2017, the group started a social media campaign to oppose a proposed municipal broadband project in Louisville, Kentucky, claiming that the cost outweighed the benefits.[17]

In July 2018, TPA president David Williams wrote an open letter to the White House that was critical of the Trump administration's issuance of tariffs as part of the United States' ongoing trade war with China.[18] In April 2019, the organization itself wrote a joint letter (with Tariffs Hurt the Heartland) to Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, condemning the tariffs.[19]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Boehm, Eric (23 January 2014). "Defense contractors spent millions lobbying Congress, get billions in new budget". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b Waldron, Travis (10 September 2015). "Taxpayers Have Spent A 'Staggering' Amount Of Money On NFL Stadiums". HuffPost. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  3. ^ a b Togerson, Derek (10 September 2015). "Study: Building New Stadium Is a Terrible Idea". KNSD. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  4. ^ Mooney, Kevin (28 November 2017). "The Secretive, Taxpayer-Financed Settlement Fund Used by Lawmakers Accused of Sexual Harassment". The Daily Signal. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  5. ^ "David Williams". Huffington Post UK. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  6. ^ Biggs, Andrew G.; Slobodien, MacMillin; Williams, David (27 July 2011). "Are taxpayers getting their money's worth?". American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  7. ^ Kelly, Makena (10 July 2019). "Conservative groups push Congress not to meddle with internet law". The Verge. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  8. ^ Brownfield, Mike (29 July 2011). "Members of Congress Earn Big Salaries and Fringe Benefits". The Daily Signal. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  9. ^ Hornick, Ed (16 September 2011). "'Shared sacrifice': Should Congress cut its pay, benefits?". CNN. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  10. ^ Sale, Anna (26 April 2012). "Report: Gingrich's Secret Service Protection To End". NPR. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  11. ^ "It isn't easy - or cheap - being green: LEED standards are expensive, ineffective". Times Free Press. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  12. ^ Boccia, Romina (9 September 2014). "At $286K, Members of Congress Earn a Lot for How Little They Accomplish". The Daily Signal. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  13. ^ Roberts, Jeff (15 January 2015). "Is public broadband a threat to taxpayers? Let towns decide". GigaOM. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  14. ^ Howell, Kellan (5 November 2015). "$150 million spent on tests that torture animals, don't help humans". The Washington Times. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  15. ^ Picchi, Aimee (8 April 2016). "Why the USPS Forever stamps aren't living up to their name". CBS News. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  16. ^ Miller, Ryan W. (1 March 2017). "Debt-plagued U.S. Postal Service eyes bipartisan bill to solve woes". USA Today. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  17. ^ Maddox, Teena (8 June 2017). "Pushback for high-speed fiber project in Kentucky highlights political battle over broadband". TechRepublic. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  18. ^ Malito, Alessandra (30 September 2018). "From hammers to hair clippers: How Trump's trade war with China will affect you". MarketWatch. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  19. ^ Elis, Niv (15 April 2019). "Pro-trade groups slam Trump tariffs on Tax Day". The Hill. Retrieved 17 July 2019.

External links[]

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