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News Release | U.S. PIRG | Transportation

House Transportation Bill is a Step Backwards, Lacks a Serious Funding Mechanism

“America needs serious transportation reform. While the recent Senate transportation bill failed to move the ball forward on needed transportation reform, today’s House bill takes big strides in the wrong direction."

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News Release | PIRGIM Education Fund | Safe Energy

Nuclear Power Plants Threaten Drinking Water for 1.5 Million Michiganders

The drinking water for over 1.5 million people in Michigan could be at risk of radioactive contamination from a leak or accident at a local nuclear power plant, says a new study released today by the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan Education Fund and the Environment Michigan Research and Policy Center. 

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Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | Safe Energy

Too Close to Home

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which took place in March 2011, delivered a reminder to the world that nuclear power comes with inherent risks. Among the risks demonstrated by the Fukushima crisis is the threat of water contamination—including contamination of drinking water supplies by radioactive material.

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Media Hit | Tax

MLive.com: Three Fortune 500 companies in Michigan spent more on lobbying than they paid in taxes

Three Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Michigan spent more on lobbying in recent years than they paid in federal taxes, according to a new study released today by the Public Interest Research Group.

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Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | 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. 

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News Release | U.S. PIRG | Transportation

House Transportation Bill is a Step Backwards, Lacks a Serious Funding Mechanism

“America needs serious transportation reform. While the recent Senate transportation bill failed to move the ball forward on needed transportation reform, today’s House bill takes big strides in the wrong direction."

> Keep Reading
News Release | PIRGIM Education Fund | Safe Energy

Nuclear Power Plants Threaten Drinking Water for 1.5 Million Michiganders

The drinking water for over 1.5 million people in Michigan could be at risk of radioactive contamination from a leak or accident at a local nuclear power plant, says a new study released today by the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan Education Fund and the Environment Michigan Research and Policy Center. 

> Keep Reading
Media Hit | Tax

MLive.com: Three Fortune 500 companies in Michigan spent more on lobbying than they paid in taxes

Three Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Michigan spent more on lobbying in recent years than they paid in federal taxes, according to a new study released today by the Public Interest Research Group.

> Keep Reading
News Release | PIRGIM | Tax

Thirty Fortune 500 Companies Paid More to Lobby Congress Than They Did in Federal Income Taxes, PIRGIM Study Shows

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 – PIRGIM, with allies from the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, revealed 30 corporations that spent more to lobby Congress than they did in taxes—including three companies headquartered in Michigan.

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Media Hit

Detroit Free Press: Spell out tough standards for emergency managers

More than eight months have passed since new legislation granted new powers to emergency managers in Michigan's most fiscally troubled municipalities and school districts. And yet the controversies surrounding emergency managers continue to grow.

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Result | Food

Researching How Tax Dollars Become Twinkies

PIRGIM research found that since 1995, $17 billion in agricultural subsidies have gone to corn syrup and other junk food ingredients. That’s enough to buy 2.8 billion Twinkies, and vastly more than has gone to apples and other fresh fruits and vegetables.

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Result | Consumer Protection

Kids' 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.

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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 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 PIRGIM 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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Result | Health Care

Young People Now Covered

This year, the federal health care reforms that PIRGIM 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 | PIRGIM Education Fund | Safe Energy

Too Close to Home

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which took place in March 2011, delivered a reminder to the world that nuclear power comes with inherent risks. Among the risks demonstrated by the Fukushima crisis is the threat of water contamination—including contamination of drinking water supplies by radioactive material.

> Keep Reading
Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | 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. 

> Keep Reading
Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland: The 26th Annual Survey of Toy Safety

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.

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Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | Health Care

Making the Grade: A Scorecard for State Health Insurance Exchanges

States have an important opportunity to improve their health care marketplaces through the creation of an exchange. And the health reform law gives the states substantial leeway to define critical aspects of the exchange, including who is eligible to buy coverage through it, how aggressively it will set standards and negotiate with insurers, and who will run it.

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Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | Food

Apples to Twinkies

The rise in childhood obesity has many causes, but one of the most important is the increased prevalence of high-fat, heavily sweetened junk food.  And shockingly, American taxpayers are spending billions to subsidize junk food ingredients, making the problem worse.

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Tools & Resources

  • 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.
    Learn more
    Take Action
  • STOP TAX DODGERS
    Corporate tax avoidance cost Michiganders $2 billion last year. PIRGIM is working to close the loopholes that allow companies to avoid paying the taxes they owe.
    Learn more
    Take Action
  • Dangerous Toys On Store Shelves?
    Find out what to watch out for — from toxic chemicals to choking hazards — in our “Trouble In Toyland” report.
    Learn more
    Get the report
  • BEAT HIGH BANK FEES
    Consumers can change the way big banks do business, and fortunately, you can still find many low fee and low cost options.
    Learn more
    GET TIPS

Priority Action

The Stop Tax Havens Abuse Act would put an end to the price and profit shifting that allows publicly traded companies to engage in pervasive tax avoidance.

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