I know it’s the middle of summer in the United States and people don’t usually associate picnics and summer vacation with Tax Day, but it’s 2020 and anything is possible. And, because of COVID-19, this year’s Tax Day was moved from April 15^th to July 15^th. So, you have less than a week to file your taxes. Did you really procrastinate that much that you haven’t filed your taxes? Be sure to follow the Taxpayers Protection Alliance on Twitter ([link removed]) , Facebook ([link removed]) , and Instagram ([link removed]) for a smorgasbord of Tax Day-related content over the next week.
Good News for Smokers Looking to Quit
My father smoked 3 ½ packs of cigarettes a day for 20+ years. He would fall asleep with a cigarette in his mouth. The first thing that he did when he woke up was light a cigarette. I saw him smoke 2 or 3 cigarettes at a time when he was at work. I sat in a smoke-filled car as he took me and my brother to school. In 1999, my father died at the age of 63. I have never smoked in my life but I have seen the damage it’s done. When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced this week that a cutting-edge product called IQOS was approved to be marketed as a “modified risk tobacco product” (MRTP), I was excited to see that people now have another way to quit traditional cigarettes.
This is a historic moment for the FDA since this is the first reduced exposure order ever, and certainly the first MRTP for a new/novel tobacco product. Smokers looking for an alternative to their deadly habit now know that IQOS (and tobacco heating technology) reduces the production of harmful chemicals that are breathed in. The FDA took their time in evaluating the science and determined that there is ample evidence on the safety of IQOS. Innovative tobacco harm reduction products have been shown in countless studies to be far safer than cigarettes and have the capacity to save millions of lives. The decision is a large step in the right direction for public health and risk reduction. The FDA should expand this approach to other harm-reduction products and allow consumers access to all the information that they need about these devices. Millions of lives depend on a level-headed approach grounded in science and data.
I only wish this technology (and these products) would have been available for my Dad. I am glad that smokers now have a real chance to embrace a healthier choice.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Days are Numbered
Earlier this week, President Trump notified the United Nations and Congress that the United States is formally withdrawing from the WHO. This follows Trump’s announcement at the end of May that he would be withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO. Ever since the May announcement, a motley crew of lawmakers (Democrats and Republicans) and talking heads have criticized the decision non-stop and defended the WHO’s many missteps. And now, members of Congress are looking for a legislative “solution” to keep approximately $500 million in taxpayer funds flowing to the global bureaucracy each year. Lawmakers can create a truly pro-public health budget by redirecting taxpayer dollars to other, more worthy organizations such as Doctors Without Borders.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the decision to leave the WHO senseless, dangerous, and illegal. Pelosi also declared that the policy will “be swiftly challenged.” But in fact, it is increasingly dangerous and senseless to continue propping up a bloated and unreliable global bureaucracy. The WHO infamously tweeted on January 14 that Chinese authorities had seen “no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus” despite brave whistleblowers such as Wuhan physician Li Wenliang sounding the alarm about a disease that appeared to be spreading from patient to patient. For his “crime” of spreading awareness about the emerging illness, Li was detained by the Chinese authorities and forced to sign a statement pledging to refrain from further “unlawful acts.” Despite China’s track-record in covering up the disease and waiting two weeks to allow a WHO advance team into the country to analyze cases, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Chinese
President Xi Jinping’s alleged political commitment, leadership, and transparency pertaining to the pandemic response.
The WHO’s systemically flawed response to the pandemic has led to basic inaccuracies in data reporting. In March, Oxford-based “Our World in Data” announced that they had to stop relying on WHO data because of repeated errors and problems with reporting consistencies. As a result, the data platform switched to European Center for Disease Control and Prevention data which publishes daily, accurate worldwide data about COVID-19. Perhaps instead of writing a blank check for the WHO’s inaccurate work, policymakers should beef up funding for sources proven to provide reliable information on the pandemic’s spread. Redirecting funding away from the WHO also sends a powerful message that the politicization of public health is harmful and will not be tolerated. The public deserves impartial information from organizations that aren’t looking to score points with corrupt regimes or settle scores with countries they don’t like. Continuing to fund the WHO will only waste limited tax dollars and
undermine public health at the expense of integrity and best practices.
Blogs:
Monday: TPA Urges House Republicans to Oppose “Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act” (S. 1253) ([link removed])
Tuesday: ‘Return to work’ bonus a tempting solution with significant pitfalls ([link removed])
Wednesday: Lawmakers’ Military Earmarks Are Exploding Like Fireworks ([link removed])
Thursday: Precautionary principle punishes pandemic patients ([link removed])
Media:
July 5, 2020: Houma Today (Houma, La.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “‘Return to work’ bonus poses pitfalls.”
July 5, 2020: The Daily Comet (Thibodaux, La.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “‘Return to work’ bonus poses pitfalls.”
July 6, 2020: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) interviewed me about attempts to regulate social media.
July 6, 2020: The Burlington County Times ran TPA’s op-ed, “‘Return to work’ bonus a tempting solution with significant pitfalls.”
July 6, 2020: RealClearMarkets ran TPA’s op-ed, “Economic Populists On Right Increasingly Sound Like Warren.”
July 7, 2020: Inside Sources ran TPA’s op-ed, “‘Return to Work’ Bonus a Tempting Solution With Significant Pitfalls.”
July 8, 2020: Townhall ran TPA’s op-ed, “Private Prison Contracting can Protect Inmates from Pandemic.”
July 9, 2020: I appeared on WBOB Radio (600 AM and 101 FM; Jacksonville, Fla.) to talk about tax increase proposals floated by the Biden campaign.
July 9, 2020: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) interviewed me about the latest unemployment numbers.
July 9, 2020: The Center Square ran TPA’s op-ed, “Precautionary principle punishes pandemic patients.”
July 9, 2020: FEE ran TPA’s op-ed, “The WHO Doesn’t Deserve a Blank Check from Taxpayers, Especially after Its COVID-19 Debacle.”
Have a great weekend, stay safe, and as always, thanks for your continued support.
Best,
David Williams
President
Taxpayers Protection Alliance
1401 K Street, NW
Suite 502
Washington, D.C. xxxxxx
www.protectingtaxpayers.org ([link removed])
============================================================
** ([link removed])
** Like Us On Facebook ([link removed])
** ([link removed])
** Follow Us On Twitter ([link removed])
Copyright © 2020 Taxpayers Protection Alliance, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this as part of TPA's Weekly Update
Our mailing address is:
Taxpayers Protection Alliance
1401 K Street, NW
Suite 502
Washington, Dc xxxxxx
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
[link removed]
