In the News

Most Southwest Idaho Forests Have Burned Since 1985

Wildfires since 1985 have burned 69 percent of the Payette National Forest and more than 50 percent of the Boise National Forest, a new...

The Fair Act of 2013

Alexander interview July 23, 2013 The Fair Act of 2013, a bill sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), would establish a partnership...

Landrieu disappointed at Obama administration

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said Tuesday it was tragic that the Obama administration opposed legislation that would generate...

Lack of revenue bill support criticized

WASHINGTON - Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska slammed the Obama administration Tuesday for opposing their...

The FAIR Act Is Bad Fiscal Policy

Today I am in the Senate testifying before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee on proposed legislation to shift some of the federal...

How House Tackles WRDA Could Signal Surface Transport Approach

The approach the U.S. House of Representatives takes in tackling the long-delayed Water Resources Development Act over the coming months...

Republican bill would limit environmental reviews of offshore drilling

The federal government would be forced to make decisions on offshore drilling before fully scrutinizing how the work would affect coral and...

Watchdog: Man caves hidden in government warehouse

Contractors at an Environmental Protection Agency warehouse were careless with inventories, and used government furniture and appliances to...

After deadly storms, how can costs be controlled?

The nation is still reeling from deadly tornadoes across the Midwest and preparing for hurricane season, but advocacy groups continue to...

Lawmakers clash over catastrophe fund

There’s a bill in Congress that would create a catastrophe fund to put money aside ahead of time to respond to natural disasters, but not...

New oil shale decision avoids mistakes of the past

Who hasn’t heard the old saying “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it?” That often-quoted adage was written by 19th...

Obama pick for Interior head faces hearing; agency under fire

Outdoor retail executive Sally Jewell, President Barack Obama's pick to lead the U.S. Interior Department, will face her first big public...

Fiscal reform needs accountability, less agency overlap

Government fiscal reform needs to come in the form of accountability, prioritizing by need and training if long term success is to be seen,...

US coal export trade raises alarms for Western states

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Western states that rely on receipts from coal sales to help fund their governments are concerned the mining industry...

Report: No Future in Oil Shale, Utah’s “Rock That Burns”

VERNAL, Utah - It isn't working out and it's costing taxpayers money. Those are two reasons a congressional watchdog group opposes oil shale...

Group Says Billions of Dollars Risked on Oil Shale Speculation

The nonpartisan budget watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense reported this week that billions of taxpayer dollars have been risked over...

Subsidies for Oil Shale Development: Billion-Dollar Boondoggle?

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - As Congress looks to avoid the looming "fiscal cliff," opponents of a proposal recently introduced in Congress (H.R....

Will Big Oil Keep Its Subsidies in a Fiscal Cliff Deal?

America's most profitable industry banks billions in subsidies—but there's little talk in Washington of putting these handouts on the chopping block. ...

Watchdog group opposes $50 million oil shale subsidy

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan budget watchdog group, is protesting a Texas congressman's proposal to...

About to run aground on EPA rules, coal-fired ferry seeks to rewrite the law

When is an earmark not really an earmark? A fresh bit of Congressional finagling raises that question in regard to yet another...

Snake-Oil Deficit Savings

Like things you spot in your side-view mirror, many of the budget numbers flitting around the debt talks are larger than they appear....

Coloradans speak out against subsidizing oil shale

Grand Junction, Colo. (KKCO) – People in Colorado are speaking out at a house science subcommittee meeting in Washington D.C. on...

Worse Than Solyndra!

Remember how the failure of solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra, which had received $535 million in federal loan guarantees, supposedly showed...

Taxpayer group irked by GOP plan to subsidize oil shale research

DENVER — A Texas Republican’s proposal to subsidize research on developing oil from oil shale is prompting objections from taxpayer...

Report calls out oil shale subsidies

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed legislation that will hand out $50 million of increased subsidies...

Study: Taxes Paid for Failed Oil Shale Subsidies

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- A nonpartisan taxpayer group says their new study brings to light just how many failed oil shale experiments were...

Watchdog group opposes oil shale research subsidy

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — A national government watchdog organization wants to put an end to subsidies for research and development of...

Oil Shale Subsidy Called a Boondoggle by Taxpayer Watchdog

 A federal subsidy that would funnel $50 million to the oil-shale-development industry -- which is still not commercially viable, and may...

Taxpayers for Common Sense slams oil shale subsidies

WASHINGTON — A new report by a nonpartisan taxpayer advocacy group is calling for the end of subsidies for oil shale development, saying...

Oil shale bill rankles taxpayer advocacy group

DENVER—A taxpayer advocacy group is objecting to a Texas Republican's proposal to subsidize research on developing oil from oil...

Columbia River Crossing Bridge knocked by taxpayer group

The watchdog taxpayer group, Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS), has included the Columbia River Crossing Bridge in its list of what it terms...

Group’s goal is to curb harmful, wasteful spending

Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2012 Dear EarthTalk: What is the "Green Scissors" campaign, which I understand can help the environment and has...

You can reduce the deficit without touching entitlements. But that won’t make it more popular.

You can reduce the deficit without touching entitlements. But that won’t make it more popular. The Washington Post Posted by Suzy Khimm...

Ryan Alexander, Taxpayers for Common Sense, discusses how the U.S. could avoid the fiscal cliff with cuts almost twice the size of sequestration.

How to Avoid Fiscal Cliff With Less Pain CNBC Mon 01 Oct 12 | 04:50 PM ET Ryan Alexander, Taxpayers for Common Sense, discusses how the...

How to cut $2 trillion, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense

How to cut $2 trillion, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense Washington Business Journal Date: Tuesday, October 2, 2012, 6:20am...

Fiscal Cliff: Candidates Fiddle While America Does a Slow Burn

Fiscal Cliff: Candidates Fiddle While America Does a Slow Burn October 2, 2012   “Continued split government is just one reason to...

Taxpayer group maps out an escape plan for 2013’s ‘fiscal cliff’

Taxpayer group maps out an escape plan for 2013's 'fiscal cliff' By Erik Wasson - 10/01/12 12:42 PM ET   The nonpartisan Taxpayers for...

US group urges $2 trillion alternative to fiscal cliff “time bomb”

US  group urges 2 trillion altenative to fiscal cliff "time bomb" By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON | Sun Sep 30, 2012 4:55pm EDT (Reuters)...

Carbon tax would halve deficit in 10 years

Carbon tax would halve deficit in 10 years Jean Chemnick, E&E reporter Greenwire: Wednesday, September 26, 2012   A report by the...

4 Reasons Why All Americans Should Worry About Wind Industry Layoffs

4 Reasons Why All Americans Should Worry About Wind Industry Layoffs By Raz Godelnik | September 25th, 2012   Last week the American...

Bipartisan “Green Scissors” Campaign Aims to Save the Environment—and Taxpayer Dollars

By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss Dear EarthTalk: What is the “Green Scissors” campaign, which I understand can help the environment and has...

‘No More Solyndras Act’ Takes a Beating from All Sides (US News)

Solyndra has long been a favorite buzzword of Republicans looking to criticize the Obama administration for everything from irresponsible use of taxpayer money to an energy policy that plays favorites....

Green Scissors for Congress

When you’re in a hole, you stop digging. And when you’ve got a $1.3-trillion deficit and $15.7 trillion in debt, you’ve got to start...

Greening the Federal Budget - and Saving a Bundle

June 27, 2012 -- A leading environmental group, a centrist taxpayer watchdog and a libertarian small-government think tank on Tuesday...

Rep. Jerry Lewis backs defense bill’s Inland earmarks as worthwhile (Press-Enterprise)

By BEN GOAD Washington Bureau  WASHINGTON - A $636 billion military spending bill passed Thursday by the House contains more than $70...

Corruption in Congress: Rep. John Murtha again? (Examiner)

Once again, the name of Rep. John Murtha has come under scrutiny as more defense contractors associated with him are being investigated.  This...

Syria: Excuse 535 To Not Cut the Deficit

Volume XVIII No. 37 Possible action in Syria has become the most recent excuse du jour for Pentagon boosters...