We all know the saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. This week, however, we learned that the road to public policy hell is paved with … solar panels. Quite literally!
When it was launched in 2016, “green” energy cheerleaders celebrated the world’s first solar road as the future of environmental transportation. Covering more than 3,000 square yards, the road in Normandy, France was supposed to usher in a new era. This week, however, it was reported that the whole project has been an absolute failure. Not only is the road producing less than half the predicted output, the infrastructure is in such poor condition it isn’t even worth repairing and whole stretches are simply being demolished. Who would have thought that driving cars over solar panels might cause them to break?
But the idiocy of building roads out of solar panels isn’t limited to the French. These same shenanigans happened in Idaho, where a $3.9 million solar road prototype (largely funded by taxpayers) was constructed. 25 of the 30 panels installed broke within a week and the project a total failure. Thankfully, the President refuses to venture down this road of failed expectations. We were encouraged to see his comments on energy in Pennsylvania earlier this week eschewing “renewables” and pushing for a free, vibrant energy sector. But stay tuned; there’s always a costly, poorly thought-out energy/infrastructure proposal right around the bend.
Another Month (And Year) of Budget-Busting
Despite the President’s positive statements on energy this week, most media stories this week focused on how President Trump’s tariffs – which are simply tax hikes on US consumers – will likely push the U.S. into a recession and reverse all the economic gains his tax cuts created. But even more alarming economic news went almost unreported. This week the U.S. fiscal deficit for this year has already exceeded the full-year figure for last year. That’s right, so far this year our federal government has spent a staggering $866.8 billion more than it has raised, an increase of nearly $100 billion from this point last year.
But let’s make one thing clear: this isn’t a revenue problem, it’s a spending problem. In fact, tax revenue increased by 3.4 percent compared to last year but spending skyrocketed 8 percent from 2018 totals. Whether it be bloat and waste in the Pentagon, costly “green” schemes and subsidies, or subsidies to wealthy agri-businesses, oversight seems to recede with each passing year. Government Accountability Office and inspector general reports have repeatedly found that Pentagon weapons programs do not have the oversight needed to keep costs under control, and billion-dollar boondoggles such as the F-35 program have a host of deficiencies.
Then there’s the Department of Energy’s “renewable” investments, which more often result in red-ink than green results. The agency’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) direct loan program has doled out $9 billion in loans in its 12 years in existence, yet most loan recipients are either in serious trouble or have gone belly-up. Bureaucrats were reeled in by the hype surrounding companies like Fisker Automotive and Vehicle Production Group, only to see these businesses go bankrupt and taxpayers lose all their hard-earned money. And as these programs and policies continue to go unchecked, future taxpayers are on the hook for ever-increasing liabilities. But the Taxpayers Protection Alliance will continue to fight the good fight and hold lawmakers and bureaucrats accountable.
FDA’s Latest Misguided Crusade
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to double-down on more ill-considered policies, pushing for tobacco “graphic health warnings” which every study says has no impact on smoking rates. In fact, the FDA itself admitted that its warning labels make no dent in smoking rates whatsoever! These findings can be confirmed across the pond; studies of British smokers found the same stubborn results. Disturbingly, it seems that the only observable effect warnings had (according to a 10 year study by the Australian National University) was to increase smoking rates by pregnant teenagers who thought smoking would lead to lower birthrates and make childbirth easier.
As we have said so many times before, if the FDA was serious about reducing smoking rates, it would instead focus on policies proven to work. With the scientific consensus demonstrating that vaping is 95 percent safer than smoking, governments all over the world are encouraging smokers to make the switch. According to a landmark international study, if smokers in the United States switched to vaping over the next ten years, the result would be a staggering 6.6 million fewer premature deaths with 86.7 million fewer life years lost. Rather than continuing this misguided crusade, the FDA needs to embrace reduced-risk products as soon as possible. Millions of lives depend upon it.
Blogs:
Monday: Watchdog Group Slams Postal Service for $2.3 Billion Net Loss
Tuesday: Elizabeth Warren tries to out-Trump Trump on trade
Wednesday: Watchdog Praises Trump for Pennsylvania Energy Speech
Friday: Summer Reading: Harm Reduction
Media:
August 9, 2019: Inside Sources mentioned TPA in their article, “Elizabeth Warren Announces Plan to Promote Municipal Broadband Over Private Companies.”
August 9, 2019: Auburntownship.org ran TPAF investigative reporter Johnny Kampis’ op-ed, “Pew Study Shows How Taxpayers Fund Broadband State to State.”
August 11, 2019: The Observer ran TPAF investigative reporter Johnny Kampis’ op-ed, “Why America Does Not Need a Costly Federal Broadband Internet Plan.”
August 12, 2019: The Epoch Times quoted TPA in their article, “Budget Deal Casts Doubt If Congress Will Ever Control Federal Spending.”
August 12, 2019: Catalyst ran TPA’s op-ed, “Rising Red Ink Is a Good Sign... Except When Government is Doing the Spending.”
August 12, 2019: Post & Parcel quoted TPA in their story, “USPS Reports Net Loss of Nearly $2.3 billion.”
August 13, 2019: The Washington Examiner (Washington, D.C.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Martin O’Malley is wrong: city government is out of control.”
August 14, 2019: Inside Sources ran TPA’s op-ed, “A Market-Based Solution to Protect Patients From Surprise Billing.”
August 14, 2019: Fee.org ran TPA’s op-ed, “It’s Time to Celebrate Markets in Wireless Spectrum, Not Undermine Them.”
August 15, 2019: I appeared on WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) to discuss Sen. Warren’s broadband plan.
August 16, 2019: Inside Sources ran TPA’s op-ed, “Yes, It’s Possible to Protect the Planet Without Gouging Consumers.”
Have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for your continued support.
Best,
Tim Andrews
Executive Director
Taxpayers Protection Alliance
1401 K Street, NW
Suite 502
Washington, D.C. xxxxxx
www.protectingtaxpayers.org
