In the first single state effort of the national Green Scissors Campaign, TCS and the Michigan Land Use Institute released the Green Scissors Michigan report May 7-8. Released in four locations throughout the state, the report was endorsed by a coalition of 28 taxpayer, environmental, conservation and deficit reduction groups. The Detroit Free Press editorialized, “Taxpayers for Common $ense and the Michigan Land Use Institute deserve credit for preparing this report.”

The report targets ten federal spending and subsidy programs that either are not needed, or have outlived their usefulness, even as they waste $2.8 billion of taxpayer money.

• Prohibiting funding for five proposed new highways, at a time when Michigan’s greatest infrastructure need is to repair existing roads, would save $2 billion.
• Ending a costly federal tax credit that has spurred the drilling of thousands of natural gas wells in Michigan’s northern lower peninsula would save $750 million.
• A simple upgrade of an existing county road instead of building a new road through the scenic Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore would save nearly $5 million. · Ending support for a quasi-governmental forestry council that has failed to become self sufficient or conduct balanced analysis could save over $540,000 over five years.
• Turning off expensive military communications that have outlasted the Cold War would save $60 million over five years.

125 Years of Mining Giveaways

On May 12, TCS helped Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt celebrate the 1872 Mining Act’s 125th notorious birthday. The Act, a relic of settle-the-West policies, continues to give away billions of dollars of gold and other hardrock minerals without charging royalties.

More Ways to Cut Taxes

Four European countries have been able to cut taxes on wages and income by shifting the tax onto polluting activities, according to a new report by the Worldwatch Institute entitled Getting the Signals Right. The report sustains the call to shift taxes off of labor and investment and onto environmentally harmful activities. Call (202) 452-1999 for a copy.