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News Release | PennPIRG | Tax

Offshore Tax Havens Cost PA Taxpayers $452 per Year

April 12, PHILADELPHIA – With tax day approaching, a new study released by PennPIRG found that the average Pennsylvania taxpayer in 2011 would have to shoulder an extra $452 tax burden to make up for revenue lost from corporations and wealthy individuals shifting income to offshore tax havens.

Report | PennPIRG | Tax

Picking Up the Tab

Some U.S.-based multinational firms or individuals avoid paying U.S. taxes by transferring their earnings to tax haven countries with minimal or no taxes. These tax haven users 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.

Report | PennPIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Transportation and the New Generation

From World War II until just a few years ago, the number of miles driven annually on America’s roads steadily increased. Then, at the turn of the century, something changed: Americans began driving less. By 2011, the average American was driving 6 percent fewer miles per year than in 2004.

News Release | PennPIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Youth Drive Less, Desire More Transportation Options

A new report released today by the PennPIRG Education Fund, in conjunction with U.S.PIRG, demonstrates that Americans have been driving less since the middle of last decade. The report, Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People are Driving Less and What it Means for Transportation Policy, shows that young people in particular are decreasing the amount they drive and increasing their use of transportation alternatives.

News Release | PennPIRG Education Fund and Demos | Consumer Protection

Report: “Pennsylvania Lives at Risk”

Philadelphia, PA – A new report by Demos and PennPIRG finds that Pennsylvanian’s lives, health and livelihoods would be at risk if so-called “regulatory reform” proposals were to become law, slowing or stopping the regulatory process.

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Media Hit | Consumer Protection

PA Matters: Despite Improvements, still “Trouble in Toyland”

The annual “Trouble in Toyland” report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group shows there are still toxic toys on the shelves, despite improvements.

Media Hit | Consumer Protection

FOX 43: Annual Survey Finds Toxic Toys on Store Shelves

Just days before the official start of the holiday shopping season the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group released its 26th annual report on this year’s most dangerous toys.

News Release | PennPIRG | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland

Holiday shopping season is upon us once again. As a parent, relative, or friend, shopping for toys for the children in your life can be a challenge.
We don't always know if the gifts will be a hit but the one thing we count on is that the toys we purchase are safe. Thanks to the hard work of agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and consumer advocates like U.S. PIRG that's largely true. But as our toy shopping researchers have found, that's not always the case.

Media Hit | Budget, Transportation

Inquirer: Despite warnings, Pa. Senate votes to expand red-light camera program

State and local governments should be wary of red-light camera systems because they can be used primarily as revenue schemes, not safety devices, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group said Thursday.

Media Hit | Budget, Transportation

Post-Gazette: Group urges caution in deploying red-light cameras

On the heels of the state Senate's passage of a bill allowing red-light enforcement cameras in Pittsburgh and 18 other cities, a public interest group has warned against using the cameras as cash cows rather than to promote safety.

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Report | PennPIRG Education Fund

Do Roads Pay for Themselves?

Highway advocates often claim that roads “pay for themselves,” with gasoline taxes and other charges to motorists covering—or nearly covering—the full cost of highway construction and maintenance.

They are wrong.

Report | PennPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Trouble In Toyland

The 2010 Trouble in Toyland report is the 25th annual PennPIRG survey of toy safety. In this report, PennPIRG 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.

Report | PennPIRG Education Fund | Health Care

The Young Person's Guide to Health Insurance

Starting this year, under the new health care law, young people will gain access to new, previously unavailable health insurance options. To make the most of those new choices, you need to learn the facts. This guide is designed to help you do that.

Report | PennPIRG | Food

Recipe for Disaster

The recall of more than 500 million eggs from two Iowa egg farms is the largest but not the last of 85 recalls that have taken place in the year since food safety reform moved to the U.S. Senate. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 2749) on July 30, 2009. However, the Senate’s version of the bill – the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) – has languished while waiting for time on the Senate’s floor schedule.

Report | PennPIRG Education Fund | Health Care

Delivering on the Promise

The recently passed federal health care reform law will make significant changes in how health insurance and health care work for consumers, businesses, and local and state governments, as well as how insurers and providers operate. But whether Americans experience improved care, lower costs and greater access depends largely on what happens next.

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Protect Penn. From Toxic Accidents

This accident in Paulsboro, N.J., was a sobering reminder of the threat of toxic accidents. Tell the EPA: protect our communities from toxic threats.

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Take Action
STOP TAX DODGERS

Corporate tax avoidance cost Pennsylvanians $4.4 billion last year. PennPIRG is working to close the loopholes that allow companies to avoid paying the taxes they owe.

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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."

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Add your voice
How Many Tax Dollars In A Twinkie?

Every year, more than a billion taxpayer dollars subsidize high-fructose corn syrup and other key ingredients in junk food at a time when 1 in 3 kids is overweight or obese.

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Priority Action

The vinyl chloride spill in Paulsboro, N.J., was a sobering reminder of the threat of toxic spills. Tell the EPA: Keep our communities safe from toxic accidents.

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