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News Release | NMPIRG | Higher Ed

Responding to Students, Congress Extends Low College Loan Rate

Statement of Rich Williams, NMPIRG Higher Education Advocate, on the Congressional passage of bipartisan legislation to prevent subsidized Stafford student loan interest rates from doubling:

Congress listened to students and their families and delivered a bill that stops student loan interest rates from doubling. Students already face unprecedented student loan debt and adding an additional $1,000 more would not only crunch individual borrowers, but would have further weighed down the recovering economy. We applaud Congress for coming together to pass this much-needed legislation.

News Release | NMPIRG | Transportation

Transportation Bill is a Step Backwards

Statement by Phineas Baxandall, NMPIRG’s Senior Transportation Analyst, regarding the disappointing federal Transportation Bill as released from conference committee today.

News Release | NMPIRG | Health Care

Supreme Court Upholds Health Reform

Today’s decision is good news for consumers. Insurance companies can’t go back to the days of dropping your coverage once you become ill, or denying coverage to sick children. And beginning in 2014, the days of insurers being able to deny anyone coverage for “pre-existing conditions” will be history.

Report | NMPIRG Education Fund | 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.

News Release | NMPIRG | Tax

Offshore Tax Havens Cost Average New Mexico Taxpayers $206 a Year, Each New Mexico Small Business $1,106, New Study Finds

With tax day approaching, a new study released by New Mexico PIRG found that the average New Mexico taxpayer in 2011 would have to shoulder an extra $206 tax burden to make up for revenue lost from corporations and wealthy individuals shifting income to offshore tax havens. The report additionally found that to cover the cost of the corporate abuse of tax havens in 2011, small businesses in New Mexico would have to foot a bill of over $1,106 on average.

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News Release | NMPIRG | Tax

Offshore Tax Havens Cost Average New Mexico Taxpayers $206 a Year, Each New Mexico Small Business $1,106, New Study Finds

With tax day approaching, a new study released by New Mexico PIRG found that the average New Mexico taxpayer in 2011 would have to shoulder an extra $206 tax burden to make up for revenue lost from corporations and wealthy individuals shifting income to offshore tax havens. The report additionally found that to cover the cost of the corporate abuse of tax havens in 2011, small businesses in New Mexico would have to foot a bill of over $1,106 on average.

News Release | NMPIRG Education Fund | Budget, Democracy, Tax

Release of New Report: Loopholes for Sale

A new report released Wednesday, March 21 by U.S. PIRG and Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ) found that thirty unusually aggressive tax dodging corporations have made campaign contributions to 524 (98 percent) sitting members of Congress, and disproportionately to the leadership of both parties and to key committee members. The report, Loopholes for Sale: Campaign Contributions by Corporate Tax Dodgers, examines campaign contributions made by a total of 280 profitable Fortune 500 companies in 2006, 2008, 2010 and to date in 2012.

News Release | NMPIRG Education Fund | Democracy

New Report: New Mexico Receives C+ “GRADE” in Annual Report on Transparency of Government Spending

Albuquerque, NM March 14 – New Mexico received a “C + Grade” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to Following the Money 2012: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, the third annual report of its kind by the New Mexico Public Interest Research Group (NMPIRG).

News Release | NMPIRG Education Fund | Tax

Thirty Fortune 500 Companies Paid More to Lobby Congress than they Did in Federal Income Taxes

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 – NMPIRG Education Fund and Citizens for Tax Justice reveal 30 corporations that spent more to lobby Congress than they did in taxes.

News Release | USPIRG | Tax

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Senator Carl Levin Introduces Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act

The Stop Tax Havens Abuse Act is introduced to close corporate tax loopholes and save taxpayers the $100 Billion in lost revenue from tax dodgers.

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Result | Consumer Protection

Challenging Predatory Lending

To protect vulnerable consumers, NMPIRG has joined with AARP, the Department of Defense and Navajo chapters to fight predatory lending. There are four payday lenders for every one McDonald’s in New Mexico.

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Report | NMPIRG Education Fund | Democracy

Following the Money 2012

The ability to see how government uses the public purse is fundamental to democracy. Transparency in government spending promotes fiscal responsibility, checks corruption, and bolsters public confidence. In the past few years, state governments across the country have made their checkbooks transparent by creating on- line transparency portals. These government-operated websites allow visitors to view the government’s checkbook—who receives state money, how much, and for what purposes.

Report | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland

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.

Report | NMPIRG Education Fund | Budget

Caution: Red Light Cameras Ahead

Privatized traffic law enforcement systems are spreading rapidly across the United States. As many as 700 local jurisdictions have entered into deals with for-profit companies to install camera systems at intersections and along roadways to encourage drivers to obey traffic signals and follow speed limits. Local contracting for automated traffic enforcement systems may sometimes be a useful tool for keeping drivers and pedestrians safe. But when private firms and municipalities consider revenues first, and safety second, the public interest is threatened.

Report | USPIRG Education Fund | Health Care

Making the Grade

This report assesses the progress that the states have made, and for the states that have begun to set up their health care exchange, evaluates them on the myriad policies and criteria that will determine whether it is ultimately successful in improving health care for consumers.

Report | Food

Apples to Twinkies

America is facing an obesity epidemic – one that’s hitting children especially hard. Childhood obesity rates have tripled over the last three decades, with one in five kids aged 6 to 11 now obese.

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Blog Post | Financial Reform

CFPB to announce overdraft fee investigation, unveil "penalty box" disclosure, possibly end $39 lattes. | Alex Corkett

The new CFPB took over in July 2011 as primary supervisor and enforcer for the (over 100) biggest banks. Director Cordray's inquiry into checking account overdraft practices is an important step that will also require greater fee transparency, so consumers are more aware of bank practices.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

OPINION POLL: SMALL BUSINESSES SAY WEAK CUSTOMER DEMAND, NOT REGULATIONS, THEIR PROBLEM | Alex Corkett

National poll finds 78 percent of small businesses say regulations needed to protect small businesses from unfair competition, level playing field with big business; 86 percent see regulations as necessary part of a modern economy.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Toxic Toys Found at Houston Port | Alex Corkett

An article published in the Houston Chronicle on Monday January 23rd revealed that 25,000 children’s toys have been confiscated at the Port of Houston in the past two years, because the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found them to be unsafe.

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FIGHT HIGH Rx Costs

Prescription drugs cost too much. Brand-name drug companies have been paying off generic drug makers to delay competition and keep prices high, and it's costing us billions. Together, we can stop them.

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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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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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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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PRIORITY ACTION

When Big Pharma pays off their competition to keep them from selling lower priced generic drugs, we all pay. Each year this costs Americans an added $3.5 billion.

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

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