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News Release | Ohio PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

OHIOANS RELIEVED BY DECISION NOT TO PRIVATE TURNPIKE

COLUMBUS –With the recent decision by the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission to support Governor Kasich’s plan for the Turnpike, consumer watchdog organization Ohio Public Interest Research Group (Ohio PIRG) joins others around the state in breathing a collective sigh of relief that privatization is officially off the table.

News Release | Ohio PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

OHIO PIRG STATEMENT ON KASICH’S TURNPIKE DECISION

Ohio Turnpike is one of Ohio’s most valuable public assets, built by the people and for the people. We are glad that Governor Kasich intends to retain public control and make use of the public's lower capital costs. This is a wiser, more sensible option than privatization.

Report | Ohio PIRG Education Fund | Budget

What America Could Do with $150 Billion Lost to Offshore Tax Havens

Many corporations and wealthy individuals use offshore tax havens—countries with minimal or no taxes—to avoid paying $150 billion in U.S. taxes each year.

Media Hit | Consumer Protection

Parents Warned To Avoid Dozen Dangerous Toys Found On Store Shelves

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The U.S. Public Interest Research Group is warning parents about toys that can be dangerous.

Media Hit | Consumer Protection

Annual toy-safety survey: Dangerous playthings could spoil holiday joy

Parents hitting the stores for holiday gifts this season might want to check more than their children’s wish list.

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Media Hit | Transportation

State Weighs Options with Turnpike Lease Deal

As the state nears the end of a study into how it can wring billions out of the Ohio Turnpike, a consumer advocacy group Thursday questioned whether such a deal makes sense and how it might be structured.

News Release | Financial Reform

New Survey Shows Free Checking Widely Available At Small Banks But Banks Still Hiding Fees from Consumers

A survey of hundreds of banks and credit unions in 24 states and the District of Columbia found that free checking remains available at more than 6 out of 10 small banks and credit unions but was only found at one-quarter of surveyed big banks (those with over $10 billion in deposits). The survey released today by the Ohio Public Interest Research Group also revealed that fewer than half of branches surveyed obeyed their legal duty to fully disclose fees to prospective customers on the first request, while 12% provided no fee information at all.

News Release | Ohio PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

As Ohio Awaits Study of Turnpike Future, Consumer Group Outlines Need for Answers

With the state-commissioned KPMG report on the Ohio Turnpike due any day, a new report by consumer watchdog organization Ohio Public Interest Research Group (Ohio PIRG) released today confirms that privatizing would not create new value but would merely borrow against future toll revenue.

News Release | Ohio PIRG Education Fund | Democracy

New Analysis: Tiny Number of Wealthy Contributors Match Millions of Small Donors, Will Continue to Set Agenda In Washington

A new analysis of data through Election Day from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and other sources by Ohio PIRG Education Fund and Demos shows how big outside spenders drowned out small contributions in 2012: just 61 large donors to Super PACs giving on average $4.7 million each matched the $285.1 million in grassroots contributions from more than 1,425,500 small donors to presidential candidates.

News Release | Ohio PIRG Education Fund and Demos | Democracy

Big Money and Secret Spending Distorting Democracy

A new analysis of pre-election data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and other sources by Ohio PIRG Education Fund and Demos shows that outside spending in the first presidential election since Citizens United is living up to its hype: new waves of “outside spending” have been fueled by dark money and unlimited fundraising from a small number of wealthy donors. Outside spending organizations reported $1.11 billion in spending to the FEC through the final reporting deadline in the 2012 cycle. That’s already a 200% increase over total 2008 outside spending.

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Report | Ohio PIRG | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland: The 25th Annual Survey of Toy Safety

The 2010 Trouble in Toyland report is the 25th annual Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) survey of toy safety. In this report, U.S. PIRG provides safety guidelines for consumers when purchasing toys for small children and provides examples of toys currently on store shelves that may pose potential safety hazards.

Report | Ohio PIRG | Transportation

A Track Record of Success

As America moves toward construction of new high-speed rail networks in regions throughout the country, we have much to learn from experiences abroad. High-speed rail lines have operated for more than 45 years in Japan and for three decades in Europe, providing a wealth of information about what the United States can expect from high-speed rail and how we can receive the greatest possible benefits from our investment.

Report | U.S. PIRG and the National Taxpayers Union | Budget

Toward Common Ground

Our nation faces unprecedented fiscal challenges, as the commitments we’ve made now and into the future far outpace our fiscal capacity. Congress, the President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, and citizens across the country must grapple with very difficult decisions about how we can put our fiscal house in order. It will be critical to reach out across party lines and across ideological persuasions to achieve common-sense reforms that can bring us closer to balance.

Report | Ohio PIRG | Health Care

The Young Person's Guide to Health Insurance

Starting this year, under the new health care law, young people will gain access to new, previously unavailable health insurance options. To make the most of those new choices, you need to learn the facts. This guide is designed to help you do that.

Report | U.S. PIRG | Transportation

Connecting the Midwest

Intercity passenger rail in the Midwest can be part of the solution. The Midwestern states have put forward a bold vision for efficient, rapid passenger rail service linking the entire region. The federal government is allocating more than $2.7 billion in funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to bring that vision closer to reality with rail projects in six Midwestern states.

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FIGHT HIGH Rx COSTS

Prescription drugs cost too much. Brand-name drug companies have been paying off generic drug makers to delay competition and keep prices high, and it's costing us billions. Together, we can stop them.

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STOP TAX DODGERS

Corporate tax avoidance cost Ohioans $4.8 billion last year. We're working to close the loopholes that allow companies to avoid paying the taxes they owe.

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Reclaim Democracy

The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision ushered in an era of unprecedented spending by big money in our elections, but we're working to return our democracy back to the principle of "one person, one vote."

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Add your voice
YOUR TAX DOLLARS BECOME CORN SYRUP

At a time when one-in-three kids is overweight or obese, over a billion taxpayer dollars go to high-fructose corn syrup and junk food ingredients.

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Priority Action

The CUT Loopholes Act would put an end to the price and profit shifting that allows publicly traded companies to engage in pervasive tax avoidance.

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