Yes, I know today is April Fool’s Day.  With Tax Day less than 3 weeks away, I thought that was enough of a prank so no April Fool’s jokes from me.  I wish this was a joke and not reality: President Biden released his fiscal year 2023 budget earlier this week.  As our statement said, “This budget is a slap in the face to taxpayers and consumers. While Presidents’ budgets are obviously wish lists with little chance of becoming law, it’s still concerning to see such outlandish priorities from the Biden administration, especially at a time like this.” Under a government run tax preparation system, taxpayers would have to provide the IRS with intimate financial information to generate a return. There’s one problem, the agency has a bad track record of protecting sensitive personal data. In 2016, hackers breached the IRS’s system and accessed the Social Security information of more than 700,000 taxpayers. Why should we trust the IRS with more data?
 

BONUS INTRO:  VICTORY!! In a stunning victory for consumers and businesses, the Senate rejected David Weil’s nomination to the Department of Labor’s Hour & Wage Division. Weil’s confirmation would have been bad news for the economy, specifically franchisees and independent contractors.  A big shout out to Clara Osterhage who was integral to the success of this project.  Clara is a small business owner in West Virginia that Patrick interviewed earlier this year.  Clara took time out of her busy schedule to talk to us and contact Sen. Manchin (D-W. Va.) to express her concern with Weil and how he could have hurt her businesses.

 
TPA Launches Ad Campaign on Cyber Security

Check out TPA's new ad here.

Russia has always used cyber-attacks as part of their arsenal against their adversaries.  In fact, in the days leading up to the invasion of Ukraine, Russia launched aggressive cyberattacks against the country.   Cyberattacks are also happening in the U.S. The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is very concerned that Congress may be on the verge of passing bills that make devices like iPhones more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Current bills like the American Innovation and Choice Online Act and the Open App Markets Act open the door for major cybersecurity threats from countries like China and Russia and make way for these countries to make great technological advancements against the U.S.. In response to these problematic bills, TPA launched ads calling out Congress for empowering our adversaries in technology. The ads feature Lt. General Keith Kellogg (ret.), who served in the Trump Administration.  Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, says “we cannot let China win the tech race” in the 30-second ad. General Kellogg also noted that, “With the current state of the world, it's vital to protect Americans from bad state actors and that means increasing the privacy and security of American consumers at home. These bills only strengthen and empower our adversaries’ ability to surpass the United States both economically and militarily.”
 
The Open App Markets Act (OAMA), introduced by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) would severely limit the ability for smart phone providers to determine which third party content and software developers get access to their devices. The bill requires companies like Apple and Google to allow expanded side loading on devices, giving developers an alternative to going through the usual app stores provided by said companies. Beyond that, OAMA requires these companies make side loading “readily accessible” to these third parties. This accessibility requirement would undermine the ability for companies to put warnings and protections in place for their customers. These protections are in place to prevent users from having to unwillingly load unwanted software onto their smart devices. This goes further than the merely saying side loading must be available. For example, Google currently does allow some side loading on its Android devices. However, OAMA would force them not only to make it available, but to make it significantly easier for good and bad actors alike. Bills like OAMA also ignore the fact that most protections for users from malware come through app store privacy policies, rather than controls that are inherent to the device itself. For example, Apple has App Store policies that prevent any app that wants access from being able to circumvent the iOS tracking controls. It is significantly more difficult, if not impossible for companies to protect their customers once a malicious actor has gained access to the device absent the screening in the app store.
 
It’s essential that Congress listens to the real concerns of upending software ecosystems and focus instead on protecting Americans’ online privacy
 
Profile in Courage: Maryland Governor Larry Hogan
 
Governor Larry Hogan remains popular even as he continues his push to make the state government smaller and more accountable. Hogan has fought tooth-and-nail against reckless spending programs, nonsensical taxes, and onerous rules that make little sense. And for fighting to make Annapolis (and the whole state) a better place while repeatedly reaching out across the aisle, Gov. Larry Hogan is truly a Profile in Courage.  From an early age, Hogan had an astute appreciation for Maryland politics. The governor-to-be was raised in Prince George’s County and his father (Lawrence J. Hogan, Sr.) proudly served the constituents of Maryland’s 5^th district in Congress. Once in Congress, plenty of lawmakers resign themselves to empty political posturing and cavorting with lobbyists. But not so with Rep. Hogan. Over the years, Hogan furthered his political education in the public sector via administrative roles in Prince George’s County and as Secretary of Appointments under Governor Bob Ehrlich from 2003 to 2007. He also flourished in the private sector, founding a leading land development firm in Maryland. But, Hogan knew he couldn’t stay away from politics for long when Annapolis politicians were regularly making life difficult for Marylanders. Under the tenure of Gov. Martin O’Malley, Maryland directed ten of its largest jurisdictions to adopt “impervious surface fees” (aka the dreaded rain tax). The basic idea was that hard, non-porous surfaces (e.g., paved driveways) were enabling stormwater runoff into the polluted Chesapeake Bay. Hogan saw the tax for what it was, a prohibitively costly policy that diverted money from priorities like education and more effective and direct environmental remediation programs. He stunningly defeated Governor O'Malley’s Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown in the 2014 Maryland gubernatorial election, showing the electoral limits of tax-and-spend policies even in deeply blue states.
 
From day one, Gov. Hogan worked tirelessly to get Maryland back on the right track. Just three months into his tenure, he signed into law a repeal of the “rain tax,” washing away the outrage that helped propel him into office. Hogan also held the line of spending reductions, leading to Maryland projecting a long-time structurally balanced budget. The road to fiscal responsibility has certainly been a bumpy one, and Gov. Hogan certainly hasn’t gotten everything that he’s wanted. Unfortunately, former University System of Maryland chancellor William Kirwan has led the charge for a $4 billion per year education spending boondoggle. There is little evidence that the proposed spending hikes will materially improve education for struggling students. But, as Hogan has repeatedly pointed out, the “Kirwan Plan” means at least a $10,000 tax hike for Maryland households. Hogan’s reservations fell largely on deaf ears, and the $30 billion proposal became law in 2021 without Hogan’s signature.  His (largely inevitable) defeats, however, shouldn’t take away from his significant successes that have made a real difference for Maryland families. Amid the recent, historic surge in gas prices, Hogan knew he had to do something to ease the pain at the pump for millions of Marylanders. He successfully pushed for a first-in-the-nation gas tax holiday that keeps the state from making matters worse. Dozens of red and blue states are quickly following suit.  Gov. Hogan has also championed (and made reality) a provision that drops degree requirement from some state jobs.  This will not only potentially save money, but will also open state jobs to capable folks that may not have otherwise qualified.  Dropping this requirement is a great way to get more people with varying backgrounds involved in state government.
 
Hogan is clearly a compelling leader not only capable of leading his own state, but also showing the way forward for governors and local officials across the country. And for being a source for clarity and bold leadership during these difficult times, Governor Larry Hogan is certainly a Profile in Courage.

BLOGS:
   
Monday: TPA Slams President Biden’s FY 2023 Budget Proposal   
 
Tuesday:  Op-Ed: New ISP Taxes Will Not Help America Build Back Better 
   
Wednesday:  Profile in Courage: Maryland Governor Larry Hogan
 
Thursday:  TPA Launches New Ad Featuring Former National Security Advisor
 
 
MEDIA:
 
March 28, 2022: Governing.com quoted TPA in their article, “Should States Fund Municipal Broadband and Cooperatives?”
 
March 28, 2022: Patrick Hedger joined ‘Real America with Dan Ball’ on OANN to discuss antitrust bills and cybersecurity.
 
March 28, 2022:  WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) interviewed me about problems with the Census.
 
March 28, 2022: The Center Square ran TPA’s op-ed, “App bill boosts developers at the expense of consumers.”
 
March 28, 2022:  The Daily Mail quoted TPA in their story, “The largest increase in the climate spending EVER, civilian climate corps, $10 billion for postal ballots to be sent for free, 18% increase in the IRS budget and $309M for border security: The breakdown of Biden's $5.8 TRILLION 2023 budget.”
 
March 29, 2022: Townhall.com ran TPA’s op-ed, “Democrats Show Their Hand on Antitrust, GOP Should Walk Away.”
 
March 29, 2022: Catalyst ran TPA’s op-ed,  “Why Medical Price Controls Would Be Catastrophic.”
 
March 29, 2022: Broadband Breakfast ran TPA’s op-ed, “New ISP Taxes Will Not Help America Build Back Better.”
 
March 30, 2022: I appeared on the Chris Stigall Show on 990 AM (Philadelphia, Pa.) to talk about cyber security.
 
March 30, 2022:  Real Clear Markets ran TPA’s op-ed, “A Capitol Hill 'Techlash' Threatens the Safety of Your Smartphone.”
 
March  30, 2022: Patrick Hedger joined The Doug Wagner Show (Cedar Rapids, Ia.) to discuss President Biden’s proposed budget and gas stimulus checks.
 
March 30, 2022: Patrick Hedger joined John Solomon on Just the News to discuss President Biden’s budget proposal for FY 2023.
 
March 31, 2022: WBFF Fox45 (Baltimore, Md.) interviewed me about climate change legislation.
 
March 31, 2022: WBFF Fox 45 (Baltimore, Md.) interviewed me about Baltimore agencies up for audit.
 
March 31, 2022:  I appeared on WBOB 600 AM (Jacksonville, Fla.) to talk about President Biden’s fiscal year 2023 budget.
 
March 31, 2022: Politico Morning Tech mentioned TPA in their story, “FCC (finally) faces House lawmakers.”
 
March 31, 2022: Patrick Hedger joined Stacy on the Right on SiriusXM to discuss TPA’s ad campaign.
 
April 1, 2022: Patrick Hedger joined The Kevin McCullough Show (NYC & Nationally syndicated) to discuss Biden’s proposed budget.