Beacon Center of Tennessee » pork

Beacon Center comments on state’s high sales tax

editor — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:40:27 +0000

In an interview with the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Beacon Center’s Justin Owen calls for a reduced sales tax burden by cutting wasteful government spending, but at the same time warns against attempts to replace the current sales tax with a state income tax.

Beacon Center of Tennessee Executive Director Justin Owen countered that, saying, “I certainly think it’s good that we rely heavily on a sales tax instead of an income tax or other types of taxes.”

Dismissing the idea of a general state income tax, Owen said, “first of all, you shouldn’t tax people for generating economic growth and wealth and taxing productivity.”

A sales tax on consumption is “more even-keeled,” he said.

Still, Owen said, officials “may come to some agreement on the sales tax on food. That hits low income and seniors harder. We think we could lower the sales tax on food — if we cut and are not simply shifting taxation.”

Tennessee should look at cutting waste, fraud and abuse, reducing the size of state government or turning some functions over to the private sector, he said.

Read the entire article here.

Wasteful federal spending hits close to home

editor — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:47:48 +0000

As Washington hits gridlock on the debt ceiling battle, the federal government continues to send millions of dollars to local communities for “non-traditional transportation purposes,” such as sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting, notes TNReport.com. Tennessee Center for Policy Research President Justin Owen takes issue with the spending.

“At a time when our state and nation face a fiscal crunch, it appears that spending on ‘aesthetic’ and ‘cultural’ aspects of transportation is code for wasteful spending on political pet projects. Now is not the time to be spending millions of taxpayer dollars on pretty flowers and fancy lights,” [Owen said].

Click here to read the entire article by TNReport.com, titled “Federal cash funding sidewalks, bike-trails.”

2011 Pork Report uncovers $371 million in government waste

editor — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:25:14 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Center for Policy Research today released its 2011 Tennessee Pork Report, exposing that state and local governments across Tennessee wasted $371 million over the past year. For the sixth consecutive year, Tennessee’s premier free market think tank partnered with taxpayer watchdog Citizens Against Government Waste to document waste, fraud, and abuse at all levels of Tennessee government.

Examples of wasteful spending outlined in the 2011 Pork Report include:

$140 million to pay a European company to relocate to Memphis;
$14.5 million on an unnecessary solar energy program run by the state;
$2.5 million to provide tax credits to Nissan Leaf purchasers, which could lead to an increase in state gas taxes;
$131,000 to send utility district employees on exotic trips around the globe; and
$95,000 wasted by Nashville’s criminal court clerk who only works three days each week.

“Yet again, state and local governments failed to live up to taxpayers’ expectations by wasting their hard-earned money,” said Justin Owen, president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. “With our economy in dire straits, the last thing government officials should be doing is offering handouts to corporations, dreaming up whimsical environmental programs, and using taxpayer money for their personal use. It’s time for them to become better stewards of Tennesseans’ money.”

In addition to exposing wasteful government spending habits, the report also offers three effective solutions to eliminate waste and promote more responsible, transparent government. The report serves as an informative and valuable resource for policymakers and taxpayers alike.

“Tennesseans should arm themselves with the Pork Report and hold their elected officials accountable for government waste,” said Ben Cunningham, spokesman for Tennessee Tax Revolt, who participated in the report’s release. “Only then can we truly cut the fat in government.”

The litany of examples of government waste, fraud, and abuse in the 2011 Pork Report come from state and local government budgets, media reports, appropriations bills, state audits, and independent research conducted by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research.

An electronic version of the report can be found at: http://www.tennesseepolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011-Tennessee-Pork-Report.pdf. Hardcopies can be purchased by calling (615) 383-6431 or emailing info@tennesseepolicy.org.

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research is an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization committed to achieving a freer, more prosperous Tennessee through the ideas of liberty. Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

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Corporate welfare hits a snag in Nashville

editor — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 08:00:24 +0000

July 18, 2011

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research continues its efforts to expose the problems with corporate welfare since releasing the 2011 Tennessee Pork Report in late June. In a recent interview with WSMV Channel 4 News, TCPR president Justin Owen discusses how a company planning to relocate to Nashville almost cost taxpayers $1.6 million. Watch the entire video below.

Deal to bring 900 jobs to Nashville on hold

Calling all watchdogs… email us your story!

contributor — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 03:16:38 +0000

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research and TennesseeWatchdog.org want to hear from you. We are introducing a new way for citizens to report government malfeasance at the federal, state or local level. Because we rely heavily on the work of “citizen watchdogs” across the state, TCPR has established an e-mail account designed exclusively for people to report instances of government waste, fraud and abuse. Anyone who has a tip about government officials and employees abusing taxpayer money and/or the public trust may contact tips@tennesseepolicy.org with the information. The names, identities and contact information of anyone who sends us tips will remain absolutely confidential.

Bredesen jumpstarts car company with gov’t money

contributor — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:05:42 +0000

The Nashville Business Journal picks up the recent TennesseeWatchdog.org story about tax credits going to Tennesseans who purchase electric cars. In the story, TennesseeWatchdog.org editor Chris Butler explains how only certain electric car manufacturers benefit, while others are left out of the mix. Read the story at TennesseeWatchdog.org.

Taxpayers foot new West TN port

contributor — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 15:20:32 +0000

Despite acknowledging that private funds could have paid for a new port on the Mississippi River in West Tennessee, local officials secured $13 million in stimulus money to pay for the project. Further, while proponents claim that large companies such as ConAgra will bring business to the area, a company spokesman denies any such agreement. Read the entire story by TennesseeWatchdog.org editor Chris Butler here.

Ash spill money pays for pet projects

contributor — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:52:02 +0000

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research’s Chris Butler investigates how local politicians in Roane County are spending money allocated for compensating those harmed by the December 2008 Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash spill.

Elected officials in Roane County, Tenn. are using a disastrous ash spill in 2008 as an excuse to fund some of their most coveted (and expensive) pet projects – none of which had anything to do with the ash spill.

Those officials are using $43 million of government money to fund, among other things, the renovation of an abandoned theater, which lies in the center of an economically-depressed part of the county.

Two government officials in the county, coincidentally, are members of a board that was created with the sole purpose of renovating that theater.

Read the entire story on our TennesseeWatchdog.org website.

Mini Pork Report Film: The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

contributor — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:18:43 +0000

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research will be releasing short films on various examples of waste in the 2010 Tennessee Pork Report.

This week TCPR unveiled the film exposing examples of politicians abusing tax dollars for their campaigns. Focusing on Vic Lineweaver’s pens, this video also reviews John E. Piper’s 2010 Census mailers, which look strikingly similar to campaign ads during an election year. View the video by clicking here.

Mini Pork Report film: Music City Star

contributor — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:33:05 +0000

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research will be releasing short films on various examples of waste in the 2010 Tennessee Pork Report.

Watch this week’s short film covering the commuter train that proves costly to taxpayers and the environment.