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Report | OSPIRG Foundation | 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. The time has come for America to hit the “reset” button on transportation policy—replacing the policy infrastructure of the Driving Boom years with a more efficient, flexible and nimble system that is better able to meet the transportation needs of the 21st century.

News Release | OSPIRG Foundation | Tax

Critical Information on Economic Development Tax Subsidies Remains Out of Public View

Critical details for over $665 million in economic development tax subsidies are still mostly out of reach for Oregonians. A new study released today by OSPIRG Foundation examined the reports made available on Oregon’s transparency website as a result of a two-year old transparency law, and found that only a small fraction of economic development subsidy programs covered by the law provide a report for public review.

Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Budget, Tax

Revealing Tax Subsidies 2013

OSPIRG Foundation's new study examines the first two years of annual reports made available by the law on the Oregon Transparency Website. It evaluates how well the law is being followed, and the degree to which the new information helps the public determine the value of these programs.

News Release | OSPIRG | Tax

Department of Justice Orders Release of More Hidden Tax Subsidy Data

In response to a petition filed by OSPIRG, the Oregon Department of Justice has ordered the Oregon Department of Revenue to release employment data about Enterprise Zones, a major tax subsidy program estimated to cost Oregon taxpayers over $75 million in the next two years.

News Release | OSPIRG Foundation | Health Care

$80 Million In Health Insurance Waste Cut Since 2010

Since 2010, close scrutiny of health insurance rate hikes has cut over $80 million in waste and unjustified costs from health insurance premiums in Oregon, according to an OSPIRG Foundation report released today. The report also identifies changes to Oregon’s rate review program that would effectively tackle the biggest driver of costs: waste in the health care delivery system.

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News Release | OSPIRG | Tax

Offshore Tax Havens Cost Average Oregon Taxpayer $816 a Year, Oregon Small Business $2,350

With Tax Day approaching, it’s a good time to be reminded of where our tax dollars are going. The average taxpayer in Oregon in 2012 would have to shoulder an extra $816 in taxes to make up for the revenue lost due to the use of offshore tax havens by corporations and wealthy individuals, according to a new study released today by OSPIRG.

News Release | OSPIRG | Budget, Tax

Department of Justice Orders Release of Hidden Tax Subsidy Data, Clarifies Public Has Right to Know How Subsidy Dollars are Spent

Yesterday, the Oregon Department of Justice ordered a state agency to release data about a major tax subsidy program estimated to cost Oregon taxpayers $322 million over the next two years, saying that there is a “strong public interest” in disclosing the information.

News Release | OSPIRG Foundation | Tax

Offshore Tax Dodging Blows a $506 million Hole in Oregon Budget

With Oregon facing tough budget choices, OSPIRG Foundation, joined by Main Street Alliance, released a new study revealing that the State of Oregon lost an estimated $506 million due to offshore tax dodging in 2012. Many of America’s wealthiest individuals and largest corporations use tax loopholes to shift profits made in America to offshore tax havens, where they pay little to no taxes.

News Release | OSPIRG Foundation | Tax

Portland Receives a “D-” for Spending Transparency

The City of Portland received a grade of “D-” for spending transparency, according to a new report released today by OSPIRG Foundation. The report reviews Portland’s progress toward comprehensive, one-stop, one-click budget accountability and accessibility.

News Release | OSPIRG | Tax

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

With Congress scrambling to agree on ways to reduce the deficit, OSPIRG released a new analysis, pointing out a clear first step to avoid the “fiscal cliff”: closing offshore tax loopholes. OSPIRG’s data illustrates the size of the revenue lost when corporations don't pay their taxes, with 16 dramatic ways the $150 billion a year could be spent.

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Result | Health Care

Young People Now Covered

This year, the federal health care reforms that OSPIRG 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.

Result | Consumer Protection, Health Care

Plan to cut health care waste moves ahead in Oregon

Members of the Oregon Health Policy Board approved a plan to cut health care administrative waste and save Oregonians $100 million per year in the process.

Result | Consumer Protection, Higher Ed

Wasteful student lender subsidies cut. Winner: students.

Congress finally ended wasteful subsidies to student lenders that diverted billions of dollars annually away from helping more students go to college.

Result | Democracy

Oregon Voter Registration enters the 21st Century

Voter Registration enters the 21st Century in Oregon with Governor Kulongoski's signing of the Online Voter Registration Act today.

Result | Budget, Democracy, Tax

Google Government Coming to Oregon

The Oregon Legislature gave final approval to HB 2500 this morning, which sets up a one-stop website for taxpayer spending.

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Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Tax

The Hidden Cost of Offshore Tax Havens

When U.S. corporations and wealthy individuals use offshore tax havens to avoid paying taxes, it is an abuse of our tax system. This new report reveals that the State of Oregon lost an estimated $506 million due to offshore tax dodging in 2012.

Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Tax

Transparency in City Spending

Cities across the country have been moving toward making their checkbooks transparent by creating transparency portals and posting recipient-specific spending data online. This report evaluates the progress of America’s 30 largest cities, including Portland, toward a standard of comprehensive, one-stop, one-click budget accountability and accessibility.

Report | USPIRG Education Fund | Democracy

Elections Confidential

“Elections Confidential” describes how secret donors poured hundreds of millions into the 2012 election through social-welfare groups that are really political vehicles and via shell corporations formed as conduits to hide a funder’s identity. The first post-Citizens United presidential election cycle was bought and paid for by a handful of wealthy donors, but the corrosive influence of money in politics was amplified by the fact that we don’t know who – or what – actually provided much of the funding.

Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Democracy

Outside Spending, Outsized Influence

The 2012 elections were by far the most expensive in history thanks primarily to the tidal wave of outside, special interest money triggered by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.The federal House races in Oregon, where outside groups spent over $1.1 million, were no exception.

Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Democracy

Billion-Dollar Democracy

The first presidential election since Citizens United lived up to its hype, with unprecedented outside spending from new sources making headlines. Demos and OSPIRG Foundation analysis of reports from campaigns, parties, and outside spenders to the Federal Election Commission found that our big money system distorts democracy and creates clear winners and losers: favoring wealthy donors over average citizens and powerful special interests over the public interst.

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Blog Post | Democracy

Voters Rejected Big Money, Called for Reform | Evan Preston

Voters in Oregon and across the country stood up against big money in November's elections and called for reform.

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Blog Post | Health Care

A new way of shopping for health insurance gets a trial run | Jesse Ellis O'Brien

For the first time, the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange brought in consumers and outside experts to review their designs for their online marketplace. I was there, and here’s some of what I learned.

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Blog Post | Health Care

Here’s that Rx refill you didn’t order | Jesse Ellis O'Brien

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 | Consumer Protection

The CFPB is now taking your credit bureau complaints | Ed Mierzwinski

Excellent news! The CFPB is now taking complaints about credit bureaus and credit reports. And unlike the FTC, the CFPB has been given tools so that it will be able to "help consumers with individual-level complaint assistance on issues with their credit report."

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

The Dos and Don'ts of Campus Banking | Celeste Meiffren

Given the confused campus card marketplace, students often have a hard time finding the right card and end up with an account littered with fees and inconveniences. Here is a list of Dos and Don'ts to enable students to navigate the marketplace and be aware of the tricks and traps of these cards.

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FIGHTING UNJUSTIFIED PREMIUM HIKES

It’s time for health insurers to get serious about lowering the cost of care instead of raising deductibles and hiking premiums.

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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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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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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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