Massachusetts received an “A-” in government spending transparency, according to Following the Money 2012: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, our (MASSPIRG's) third annual report of its kind. State … [Read more...]
30 Companies Paid More to Lobby Congress Than They Did in 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 – MASSPIRG and Citizens for Tax Justice reveal 30 corporations that spent … [Read more...]
Yet Another Report Finding Profitable Corporations Paying Few State Taxes
A comprehensive new study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy finds that of profitable Fortune 500 corporations 68 companies paid no state corporate income tax in at least one of the last three years and 20 of them averaged a … [Read more...]
Junk Food Subsidies
The Twinkie Tax If you asked most Americans where they thought their tax dollars should go, “making high fructose corn syrup cheaper to produce” probably wouldn’t come out too high on the list. And yet, we’ve spent billions over the … [Read more...]
Massachusetts Earns a “B+” in Annual Report on Transparency of Govt Spending- But Still Lagging
Massachusetts is ranked 6th among the leading states with the most open spending; joining Kentucky, Texas, Indiana, Arizona, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oregon. This year the Executive Office of Administration and … [Read more...]
MA Quasi-publics in Need of Transparency
Massachusetts' 42 quasi-public agencies operate largely under the budget radar despite performing vital government functions, some which have been on the front pages recently. Increasingly, the public, including lawmakers, local officials … [Read more...]