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Connecticut Public Iinterest Research Group

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Report | ConnPIRG Education Fund | Transportation

A New Direction

The Driving Boom—a six decade-long period of steady increases in per-capita driving in the United States—is over.

> Keep Reading
News Release | ConnPIRG Education Fund | Transportation

New Report: Reduction in Driving Likely to Continue Millennials Lead Change in Transportation Trends

Hartford—As the average number of miles driven by Americans heads into its eighth year of decline, a new report from the ConnPIRG Education Fund finds that the slowdown in driving is likely to continue. Baby Boomers are moving out of the phase in their life when they do the most commuting, while driving-averse Millennials move into that phase. These demographic changes will likely keep driving down for decades, according to the report, “A New Direction: Our Changing Relationship with Driving and the Implications for America’s Future.”

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News Release | ConnPIRG | Budget

Offshore Tax Havens Cost Average Connecticut Taxpayer $1,965 a Year, Connecticut Small Business $5,989

With Tax Day approaching, it’s a good time to be reminded of where our tax dollars are going. ConnPIRG released a new study today which revealed that the average Connecticut taxpayer in 2012 would have to shoulder an extra $1,965 in taxes – more per taxpayer than in any state in the country. - to make up for the revenue lost due to the use of offshore tax havens by corporations and wealthy individuals.

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Report | ConnPIRG | Budget

Picking Up the Tab 2013

Some U.S.-based multinational firms and individuals avoid paying U.S. taxes by using accounting tricks to shift profits made in America to offshore tax havens—countries with minimal or no taxes. They benefit from their access to America’s markets, workforce, infrastructure and security; but they pay little or nothing for it—violating the basic fairness of the tax system and forcing other taxpayers to pick up the tab.

> Keep Reading
News Release | ConnPIRG Education Fund | Budget

Connecticut Receives a “C+” in Annual Report on Transparency of Government Spending

Hartford, March 27 – Connecticut received a “C+” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to “Following the Money 2013: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data,” the fourth annual report of its kind by the ConnPIRG Education Fund.

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News Release | ConnPIRG Education Fund | Transportation

New Report: Reduction in Driving Likely to Continue Millennials Lead Change in Transportation Trends

Hartford—As the average number of miles driven by Americans heads into its eighth year of decline, a new report from the ConnPIRG Education Fund finds that the slowdown in driving is likely to continue. Baby Boomers are moving out of the phase in their life when they do the most commuting, while driving-averse Millennials move into that phase. These demographic changes will likely keep driving down for decades, according to the report, “A New Direction: Our Changing Relationship with Driving and the Implications for America’s Future.”

> Keep Reading
News Release | ConnPIRG | Budget

Offshore Tax Havens Cost Average Connecticut Taxpayer $1,965 a Year, Connecticut Small Business $5,989

With Tax Day approaching, it’s a good time to be reminded of where our tax dollars are going. ConnPIRG released a new study today which revealed that the average Connecticut taxpayer in 2012 would have to shoulder an extra $1,965 in taxes – more per taxpayer than in any state in the country. - to make up for the revenue lost due to the use of offshore tax havens by corporations and wealthy individuals.

> Keep Reading
News Release | ConnPIRG Education Fund | Budget

Connecticut Receives a “C+” in Annual Report on Transparency of Government Spending

Hartford, March 27 – Connecticut received a “C+” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to “Following the Money 2013: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data,” the fourth annual report of its kind by the ConnPIRG Education Fund.

> Keep Reading
News Release | ConnPIRG Education Fund | Budget

Offshore Tax Dodging Blows a $904 Million Hole in Connecticut Budget:

Hartford – With Connecticut in the midst of ongoing budget challenges, ConnPIRG, joined by Representatives Bryan Hulburt, Susan Johnson and Diana Urban, released a new study revealing that Connecticut lost $904 Million due to offshore tax dodging in 2012. Many of America’s wealthiest individuals and largest corporations, including Connecticut companies General Electric, Aetna, Hartford Financial Services, Travelers and United Technologies use tax loopholes to shift profits made in America to offshore tax havens, where they pay little to no taxes.

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News Release | ConnPIRG | Tax

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

With Congress scrambling to agree on ways to reduce the deficit, ConnPIRG pointed 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.  ConnPIRG released new data illustrating the size of this loss with 16 dramatic ways $150 billion could be spent.

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Result | Public Health

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 U.S.D.A. has stopped buying such low-quality meat for school lunches.

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Result | Health Care

Young People Now Covered

This year, the federal health care reforms that ConnPIRG 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. 

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Report | ConnPIRG Education Fund | Transportation

A New Direction

The Driving Boom—a six decade-long period of steady increases in per-capita driving in the United States—is over.

> Keep Reading
Report | ConnPIRG | Budget

Picking Up the Tab 2013

Some U.S.-based multinational firms and individuals avoid paying U.S. taxes by using accounting tricks to shift profits made in America to offshore tax havens—countries with minimal or no taxes. They benefit from their access to America’s markets, workforce, infrastructure and security; but they pay little or nothing for it—violating the basic fairness of the tax system and forcing other taxpayers to pick up the tab.

> Keep Reading
Report | ConnPIRG Education Fund | Budget

Following the Money 2013

Every year, state governments spend tens of billions of dollars through contracts with private entities for goods and services, subsidies to encourage economic development, grants, and other forms of spending. Accountability and public scrutiny are necessary to ensure that state funds are well spent.

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Report | ConnPIRG Education Fund | Budget

The Hidden Cost of Offshore Tax Havens

 When U.S. corporations and wealthy individuals use offshore tax havens to avoid paying taxes to the federal government, it is an abuse of our tax system. Tax haven abusers benefit from our markets, infrastructure, educated workforce, and security, but they pay next to nothing for these benefits. Ultimately, taxpayers must pick up the tab, either in the form of higher taxes, cuts to public spending priorities, or increased national debt. 

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Report | ConnPIRG | Tax

What America Could Do with $150 Billion Lost to Offshore Tax Havens

Many corporations and wealthy individuals use offshore tax havens—countries with minimal or no taxes—to avoid paying $150 billion in U.S. taxes each year.

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Blog Post | Health Care

What’s Next on Health Care Costs? | Abe Scarr

Now that the election is over, talk has turned to the need to work together and get results for America. It’s a tall order, and on the polarized issue of health care, it may seem at first like an impossible task. But I am hopeful that we can make significant progress together. 

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection, Health Care

Here’s that Rx refill you didn’t order | Abe Scarr

Is your pharmacy refilling your prescription without your knowledge or approval, and billing your insurance company for the cost? 
If so, it’s the latest example of waste we shouldn't tolerate in our health care system.

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Blog Post | Ed's Blog

SOPA and PIPA stop innovation and freedom and harm consumers without stopping online piracy | Ed Mierzwinski

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and powerful music, film and publishing titans have gone too far in demanding that the Internet as we know it -- an engine of innovation, freedom, democracy, commerce, idea-sharing and entrepreneurship -- be throttled down so that their legitimate problems with offshore pirates can supposedly be solved. They think every problem is a nail but their only tool is a hammer, a sledgehammer. Their bills won't hammer the nail, but they will hammer you, me and the Internet.

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Blog Post | Ed's Blog

WSJ: Bank of America Ponders Retreat | Ed Mierzwinski

Today's Wall Street Journal offers the story "Bank of America Ponders Retreat." It discusses a BofA emergency plan for retrenchment that would include further branch shrinkage than currently-expected reductions.

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Blog Post | Ed's Blog

Free tax prep at Walmart? It isn't really free, for some 84% or so of you | Ed Mierzwinski

I've been quoted recently (Reuters via Baltimore Sun)  warning consumers that getting your taxes done for "free" in an HR Block kiosk at Walmart and then getting your tax refund on a Walmart prepaid card comes with pitfalls, including (1) fees and (2) the chance that you'll just dump the money on the card into impulse purchases at Walmart, which "is not your friend."

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Tools & Resources

  • The Zero Waste Solution
    Connecticut burns more trash per person than any other state in the country. If we don’t improve recycling rates, we’ll run out of landfill space for incinerator ash in six years.
    Learn More
  • 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.
    Take Action
  • 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.
    Learn more
    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."
    ADD YOUR VOICE

You Can Help

Your donation supports ConnPIRG’s work to build public support for commonsense solutions to Connecticut's waste problems.

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Priority Action

We need to reduce the amount of resources we use, reuse what we can, and recycle the rest.  Call on the governor and his recylcing task force to implement commonsense solutions.

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Consumer Updates

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