Last week I told you about $14 million being spent to build a 4G wireless network on the moon. Well, the moon is still in the news with the discovery of water on the moon. My first reaction was, “Ah crap... now that they found water on the moon they’re gonna put an EPA up there.” Well, let’s hope they don’t. This is my favorite Weekly Update because it is time for TPA’s Tricks and Treats.
Tricks
Let’s be honest, 2020 was just one big trick on all of us. The pandemic threw our lives into utter chaos and government officials tried to “fix” the problems. Needless to say, they didn’t do a very good job.
“I (taxpayers) pay dead people”
You don’t need a “sixth sense” to know that the government shouldn’t be sending checks to dead people. Well, guess what, spoiler alert: the government mailed more than $1 billion worth of “stimulus” checks to more than a million dead people. Lawmakers also used the moniker of “relief spending” to personally enrich themselves and deliver hefty benefits to the businesses of wealthy individuals such as Robert De Niro and Kanye West. It’s high time to put this fiscal ghoulishness to rest once and for all and embrace needed spending reforms.
Surprise bill “compromise” would be a Hellraiser for patients
Sometimes, lawmakers are so out-of-touch with doctors and patients that they seem to be…conjured from another dimension. Every year, about 1 in 7 patients receive a surprise medical bill from an out-of-network doctor after being discharged from an in-network medical facility. This problem is especially dire now during the worst public health crisis of our lifetimes. But lawmakers such as Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) have used this spectacularly spooky issue to push for price controls, which would make the problem far worse. Alarmingly, even lawmakers like Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who has previously spoken out against price fixing and wants a free market solution to surprise billing, seem keen to “compromise” and allow for nationwide rate-setting. Policymakers are hellbent on demonizing doctors to score political points, but misguided policies to cut payments to providers would backfire spectacularly and throw the entire U.S. healthcare system onto a burning pyre. Lawmakers ought to refrain from turning our system into a puzzle box for doctors and patients.
Attack of the 50-foot tech regulator
“Populist” policymakers have praised the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit against Google after the agency filed a suit complaining that the company is abusing its market share to stifle the competition. Never mind that consumers and advertisers could easily go elsewhere if they aren’t happy with the search engine’s policies. It’s just that…they usually are. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and co. want to expand this antitrust war to include Amazon and punish the e-commerce giant for…providing products that consumers value. These advocates of supersized government also have their sights set on social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook and want to bury these platforms under an avalanche of liability. It’s time to put some restraints on government and build that shrink-ray…fast.
Treats
I am as surprised as you are that we were able to find any treats.
Quoth the IG, Nevermore, Nevermore
Edgar Allen Poe’s hometown has seen scary times as former Mayor Catherine Pugh sits in jail and Delegate Nick Mosby and his wife (Baltimore City prosecutor) Marilyn Mosby face a tax lien for unpaid taxes. On top of that, Baltimore has yet to ditch its shady, longstanding master lease agreement with Columbia-based finance firm Grant Capital Management. (With apologies to Poe) But, while the city nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at the city’s chamber door. It wasn’t the raven, but rather Baltimore City IG Isabel Mercedes Cumming. Days after being chosen as Baltimore’s IG in 2018, Cumming made clear that “nobody is off limits. Overtime situations, theft of time. Purchase cards. There are so many areas that need to be looked at…I love going after white collar criminals.” Baltimore taxpayers hope that wasteful spending and corruption in charm city will be “nevermore, nevermore.”
Vaccine may be the silver bullet needed to defeat virus
America is trapped in the claws of the deadly coronavirus, which has claimed more than 200,000 lives across the country. Businesses have been wolfing down taxpayer dollars just to stay open and weather unpredictable shutdowns. Fortunately, we may soon have the silver bullet necessary to stop the vicious foe in its tracks. While it’s unclear which company will come out with the first vaccine, the herculean development effort is resulting in some of the fastest research breakthroughs in modern medical history. Despite some tragic setbacks, producers continue to test vaccine candidates on brave volunteers and have committed to stockpiling hundreds of millions of doses of test vaccines – ensuring that the first proven product will quickly be widely available. But in the meantime, policymakers must resist the urge to politicize the vaccine. Things could get hairy real fast if, for example, the U.S. follows House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) lead and refuses to accept the recommendations of United Kingdom regulators. The stakes cannot be higher, but we are on the verge of slaying the coronavirus beast.
BLOGS:
Monday: TPA’s Tricks and Treats for 2020
Tuesday: Watchdog Praises FCC for Taxpayer and Consumer Treats and No Tricks in Reaffirming Internet Open Order and Expanding White Spaces
Wednesday: Profile in Courage: Daymond John
Thursday: Government-Owned Networks (GONs): Myth vs. Reality
Friday: TPA’s Tricks and Treats for 2020
MEDIA:
October 26, 2020: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) interviewed me about the new Supreme Court justice and Obamacare.
October 26, 2020: I appeared on Battle Line with Alan Nathan (nationally syndicated) to talk about healthcare
October 27, 2020: The Epoch Times quoted TPA in their article, “Campaign Strategists: 2020 Race Is Impossible to Predict.”
October 27, 2020: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) interviewed me about lawsuit settlements from the Baltimore police department.
October 27, 2020: The Washington Times (Washington, D.C.) quoted TPA in their article, “Arbitration offers a smart solution to surprise medical billing.”
October 28, 2020: I appeared on the Conservative Commandos radio show to talk about TPA’s Taxpayer Tricks and Treats.
October 29, 2020: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) interviewed me about TPA’s Tricks and Treats.
October 29, 2020: I appeared on WBOB Radio (600 AM AND 101 FM Jacksonville, Fla.) to talk about the economy.
October 29, 2020: Townhall.com ran TPA’s op-ed, “Sen. Rubio Can – and Must – Stand up for Victims of Socialism.”
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
