Home

What's New

Report | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Tax

Picking Up the Tab 2015

Every year, corporations and wealthy individuals use complicated gimmicks to shift U.S. earnings to subsidiaries in offshore tax havens – countries with minimal or no taxes – in order to reduce their federal and state income tax liabilities by billions of dollars. While tax haven abusers benefit from America’s markets, public infrastructure, educated workforce, security and rule of law – all supported in one way or another by tax dollars – they continue to avoid paying for these benefits.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Public Health

MARYLAND PIRG DELIVERS 135,000 PETITIONS TO WALGREENS – CALLS ON RETAILER TO PHASE OUT TOXIC CHEMICALS THAT TRIGGER ASTHMA

Baltimore, MD – Today Maryland health and environmental advocates delivered thousands of petitions from Maryland customers calling on Walgreen’s to adopt a comprehensive policy to phase out toxic chemicals in products. In total the group delivered 135,000 petitions to Walgreen’s from their customers across the country.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

CFPB Begins Payday Regulation Push In Richmond | Ed Mierzwinski

We joined the CFPB in Richmond Thursday for a field hearing on a proposed rule to regulate payday lending and similar high-cost short-term loans. The CFPB's draft rule is comprehensive, covering a variety of loans, but it contains potential loopholes that we and other advocates will urge the bureau to close before it finalizes this important effort. Here's a short blog with some photos from Richmond.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

CFPB Adds Consumer Stories to Public Complaint Database | Ed Mierzwinski

Today, the CFPB took a step to make its excellent public database of consumer complaints even better, by adding complaint narratives (stories), but only with the consumer's consent. It's a step we've long urged. It will enrich our research into the marketplace, help consumers make choices and help good-actor firms avoid bad practices by others.

> Keep Reading
Report | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Budget

Following the Money 2015

Every year, state governments spend hundreds of billions of dollars through contracts for goods and services, subsidies to encourage economic development, and other expenditures. Accountability and public scrutiny are necessary to ensure that the public can trust that state funds are spent as well as possible. 

> Keep Reading

Pages

News Release | Democracy

New Report Details Latest Numbers on Outside Spending, Secret Money, and Super PAC Fundraising for 2012 Elections

WASHINGTON – The Top 5 “dark money” spenders on presidential election ads have reported less than 1% of their spending to the FEC, which is all that is required by the agency’s insufficient standards, according to a new report analyzing the latest campaign filings. 

Today, national public policy organizations Demos and U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) released “Million-Dollar Megaphones: Super PACs and Unlimited Outside Spending in the 2012 Elections,” which provides a detailed analysis of Federal Election Commission (FEC) data and secondary sources on outside spending and Super PAC fundraising for the 2012 election cycle.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Democracy

Florida Victory for Young People

Tallahassee, FL – Civic groups and Florida voters won a huge victory when a federal judge indicated he will permanently remove some of the most restrictive parts of Florida’s new voter registration laws, which have made it harder for student governments and civic groups to help register young people to vote.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Maryland PIRG

Ag Subsidies Pay for 21 Twinkies per Taxpayer, But Only Half of an Apple Apiece

Federal subsidies for commodity crops are subsidizing junk food additives like high fructose corn syrup, enough to pay for 21 Twinkies per taxpayer every year, according to Maryland PIRG’s new report, Apples to Twinkies 2012. Meanwhile, limited subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables would buy one half of an apple per taxpayer.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Maryland PIRG Foundation | Health Care

U.S. Supreme Court Decision to Uphold Health Reform Law Will Benefit Millions in Maryland

Today’s decision is good news for consumers in Maryland. Insurance companies can’t go back to the days of dropping your coverage once you become ill, or denying coverage to sick children. And beginning in 2014, the days of insurers being able to deny anyone coverage for “pre-existing conditions” will be history. 

> Keep Reading
Media Hit | Consumer Protection, Higher Ed

Financial aid award letters often lack transparency and wind up confusing students and parents

With student loan debt exceeding $1 trillion and families increasingly questioning whether a college education is worth it, colleges should be embracing making financial aid award letters clear and uniform. Transparency may not solve the student debt problem, but it can help students and parents make better-informed decisions.

> Keep Reading

Pages

  • An Unnecessary Burden
    A large and growing body of research shows that many chemicals in consumer products are linked to asthma and asthma symptoms.
    Learn More
  • Trouble In Toyland
    Our report highlights the toys that have been recently recalled, explains the hazards they pose, and shines a spotlight on those that may still be available for sale online.
    Get the tips
  • PROTECT YOURSELF
    We've created consumer tips to help protect you from unfair bank fees, identity theft, loan rip-offs and more.
    Get The Tips
  • Why are health experts alarmed?
    Over 93% of doctors are concerned that antibiotic overuse threatens our health. Yet every day factory farms put antibiotics into millions of healthy animals. Why?
    Learn more

Support us

Your tax-deductible donation supports Maryland PIRG Foundation's work to educate consumers on the issues that matter, especially when powerful interests are blocking progress.

Donate Today

Learn More

You can also support Maryland PIRG Foundation’s work through bequests, contributions from life insurance or retirement plans, securities contributions and vehicle donations. 

Find out more