On November 5, 2019, voters in Fort Dodge, Iowa will vote on a referendum on whether to allow the city to create a government-owned internet utility. The city's highly-paid consultants can't even predict what this government project will cost - only that it will be "tens of millions" of dollars. TPA senior fellow Chip Baltimore has been on the ground in Iowa helping educate residents on why creating this internet utility is a bad idea and urging people to VOTE NO! Click here ([link removed]) to watch the TV ad that is running in Fort Dodge. And, of course, if you live in Fort Dodge, VOTE NO!

TPA’s Tricks and Treats

Ah yes, it’s that time of year again, Halloween, when the handouts are coming from your neighbors and members of Congress. And, of course, that means it’s time for TPA’s Tricks and Treats. The toughest part of putting together this list was finding treats. Check out our website ([link removed]) to see the full list of Tricks and Treats.

Tricks

C-Band “Voluntary Contribution” Just a Floating Apparition

Some believe they see creepy twin girls in a hotel hallway, while others swear they can see slime oozing from the wall. Yet others are even more delusional and believe that a satellite company consortium known as the C-Band Alliance (CBA) will adequately compensate taxpayers if they are given the right by the Federal Communications Commission to auction off a critical bit of (taxpayer-owned) mid-band spectrum known as the C-band. This stretch of broadband is ideal for the deployment of 5G, the new generation of internet that will be at least ten times faster than 4G. TPA has been criticizing this ghoulish sale from Day 1, questioning how a government-granted monopoly not compensating the actual spectrum owner actually constitutes a “sale.” But unlike a ghost, CBA’s biggest problem is a lack of transparency. Hopefully this scary tale doesn’t pan out.

The Conjuring of Sham Vaping Science

In the beginning of most horror movies, things seem to be going well…too well. When vapes stormed onto the international scene roughly a decade ago, regulators were held in check by the courts, and smokers were free to ditch deadly, combustible cigarettes and try reduced-risk products such as e-cigarettes. Smoking rates for teenagers and adults alike dropped precipitously, as cigarette users subbed out their deadly habits for a product that is at least 95 percent safer than tobacco.

But then, the voodoo started. The Food and Drug Administration decided in 2016 that vapes are “tobacco products” (despite the fact that they don’t actually contain any tobacco whatsoever) and gave vaping companies just a few years to submit to a spectacularly spooky process of regulatory approval. The real monster is not vaping, but dangerous black-market THC products that arose as a result of regulatory restrictions on legitimate vaping products. Clearly, public health officials and talking heads have used hocus pocus to take the real issue out of focus.

We Were Promised a USPS Business Plan by Midsommar

Like Dani and Christian, the love and trust between the United States Postal Service (USPS) is quickly falling apart. That’s why out-going Postmaster General Megan Brennan promised consumers and taxpayers a ten-year, comprehensive business plan by Midsommar (July 1). Excitement grew, and some postal policy nerds even traveled to Sweden to see if we can learn any international lessons on how to reform our postal sector, although we were told that such fact-finding did not include any mysterious celebrations in the woods. Well, July 1 (118 days ago) came and went, and Americans still have not seen the plan to reverse the USPS’s $70 billion in net losses since 2007.

Treats

Trump Starts the Sweet Process of Scrutinizing United Nations (UN) Activities

For too long, international observers have had to play the game of monitoring the United Nations’ (UN) despicable activities around the world. The agency’s “peacekeeping” operations result in a proliferation of violence and sexual abuse, while the UN’s “green” schemes fund the infrastructure ambitions of corrupt dictators the world over. The organization, which receives more than $10 billion in US taxpayer funding per year, suffered another blow to its credibility in October by inviting noted human rights abuser Venezuela onto…wait for it…the Human Rights Council. It’s not that the UN has ever exactly displayed a fondness for human rights, kicking out journalists from its conventions and frequently praising despotic regimes. But at last, the Trump administration has signaled that it will no longer overlook these sorry activities financed by hard-working Americans. Trump seeks to slash the UN’s budget and has entirely cut out funding for the Green Climate Fund until further notice. Hope
fully, these cuts remain as taxpayers enjoy a small treat and the UN receives much-needed scrutiny.

Title II Reversal Is More of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup than Candy Corn

It has been resolved: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are better than candy corn. And, with more evidence, the removal of onerous Title II regulations has strengthened the internet with increasing speeds and private investment. We heard it once, we heard it twice, we even heard it thrice. If Title II regulations were ever repealed, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) would turn into poltergeists and rob internet users of the freedom to roam around the web. Well, Title II repeal was officially enacted in June of 2018, and more than a year later, the fortune tellers warning about the end of the internet are still squinting into their crystal balls, trying to pretend the internet is anything but fast and reliable. Title II proponents have turned to discarded candy wrappers waiting for the internet to go back to the bad old days of utility-style regulation, where companies could land in a hot cauldron for the crime of…offering free internet services to consumers. But thanks to a recent federal court
ruling, those nostalgic for government-run internet will turn to dust before old regulations are restored. In October, a judge ruled ([link removed]) that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was legally justified in overturning the “net neutrality” order. The “bones” (think infrastructure) of the internet are now legally protected from arbitrary government rulemaking, and that’s cause if any for a toothy Peanut Butter Cup grin.

Blogs:

Monday: TPA’s Tricks and Treats for 2019 ([link removed])

Tuesday: TPA Sends Letter to Senate Opposing Sen. Schumer’s EV Rebate Proposal ([link removed])

Wednesday: Smarter, Fairer Tax Policies Can Drive U.S.-Poland Friendship Forward ([link removed])

Thursday: TPA’s Tricks and Treats for 2019 ([link removed])

Friday: Congress Should Quit Procrastinating on USMCA ([link removed])

Media:

October 1, 2019: American Banker mentioned TPA in the “Most Read” section of their October 2019 print issue.

October 28, 2019: TPA policy director Ross Marchand appeared on the Andy Caldwell Show on 1440 KUHL radio (Santa Maria, Calif.) to talk about TPA’s Tricks and Treats.

October 28, 2019: I appeared on the Lars Larsen Show (nationally syndicated) to talk about TPA’s Tricks and Treats.

October 28, 2019: Salon24 (Poland) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Lepsza polityka podatkowa w Polsce wzmocni przyjaźń z USA.”

October 28, 2019: TPA policy director Ross Marchand appeared on the Kelly Golden Show on 94.3 WSC radio (Charleston, S.C.) to talk about TPA’s Tricks and Treats.

October 29, 2019: Townhall ran TPA’s op-ed, “Senator Sanders Doing Well, Thanks to Market-Based Medicine.”

October 30, 2019: TPA senior fellow Chip Baltimore appeared on Devine’s Intervention on 1400AM KVFD (Fort Dodge, Iowa) to talk about the municipal broadband referendum.

October 30, 2019: The Center Square ran TPAF investigative reporter Johnny Kampis’ op-ed, “Taxpayers won’t benefit from Vegas stadium naming rights.”

October 31, 2019: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) interviewed me about TPA’s Tricks and Treats.

October 31, 2019: TPA policy director Ross Marchand appeared on “The Steve Gruber Show” on WJIM 1240 (Grand Rapids, Michigan) to talk about TPA’s Tricks and Treats.

October 31, 2019: Catalyst ran TPA’s op-ed, “America Needs Doctors in the Digital Domain.”

October 31, 2019: Townhall ran TPA’s op-ed, “Congress Should Quit Procrastinating on USMCA.”

October 31, 2019: The Washington Times ran TPA’s op-ed, “A red-ink-drenched postal service.”

October 31, 2019: TPA policy director Ross Marchand appeared on the Underscored podcast to debate and discuss competing national ideologies.

November 1, 2019: Publishing executive Steve Forbes mentioned TPA in his Fox Business piece, “What Pelosi's prescription drug plan would mean for you.”


Have a great weekend, 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 © 2019 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]