Posts Tagged ‘taxpayers’
This money train has few riders
Tennessee Center for Policy Research’s Justin Owen warns against spending billions of taxpayer dollars on high-speed rail from Nashville to Atlanta in Friday’s Tennessean.
by Justin Owen
You know how to tell when people really want something? They are willing to pay full value for it. This...
August 20th, 2010 | Commentary | Read More
Pre-K program unnecessary
Elizabeth Cook, research associate at the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, explains the perils of the state pre-Kindergarten program in Monday’s Tennessean.
by Elizabeth Cook
As summer comes to an end, students across Tennessee are heading off to their first day of school. This year,...
August 16th, 2010 | Commentary | Read More
Pork Report highlighted by the Chattanooga Times Free Press
The Chattanooga Times Free Press notes the Tennessee Center for Policy Research’s inclusion of government funding for local chambers of commerce in the 2010 Pork Report.
“Chambers of Commerce serve a vital function for economic growth in local communities. However, rather than fund these...
July 18th, 2010 | Recent News | Read More
TCPR Launches “Mini Pork Report” Videos
Throughout the summer, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research will launch a series of “Mini Pork Report” videos. The videos will highlight some of the most popular targets for government waste identified in the 2010 Tennessee Pork Report. Visit our website each week for the release of a...
July 14th, 2010 | Feature | Read More
2010 Pork Report makes media waves
The 2010 Tennessee Pork Report was released yesterday by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research and Citizens Against Government Waste. Below is a round-up of the media attention the report has received thus far.
WSMV, Channel 4 News (Nashville) – Pork Report says state wasted $260 million
WSMV,...
June 30th, 2010 | Recent News | Read More
Public Transit Proves Costly to Taxpayers and the Environment
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Center for Policy Research today released a policy report in conjunction with transportation expert Randal O’Toole. The report, titled Tackling Public Transit in Tennessee, affirms that Tennessee’s public transit system has provided little in the way of cost or environmental...
June 3rd, 2010 | Feature, Policy | Read More
If You Build It, They Still Won’t Come
Justin Owen, director of policy at the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, explains why the proposal by the Metropolitan Planning Organization for a mass transit system in Middle Tennessee will prove inefficient and costly. This article originally appeared in Sunday’s Tennessean.
By Justin...
June 1st, 2010 | Commentary | Read More
Budget Talks Cost $98K A Week In Per Diem
Channel 4 News interviews Justin Owen of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research about extended budget talks in the state’s legislature and how it costs taxpayers even more.
It’s like a giant vacuum sucking money out of the taxpayers’ pocket every day they are in the Legislature past...
June 1st, 2010 | Recent News | Read More
TCPR discusses fish hatchery boondoggle on NewsChannel 5
In its top story on the 10:00 news, NewsChannel 5 interviews Justin Owen of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research about how a fish pond broke down state budget negotiations.
Owen said the price tag for the fish hatchery project does not pay off in the number of jobs it creates. “You do the math. ...
May 28th, 2010 | Recent News | Read More
TNReport Notes TCPR’s Anti-Fish Pork Efforts
TNReport interviews Justin Owen of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research about the state’s plan to build a $17 million fish hatchery in House Speaker Kent Williams’ district.
This is a prime example of government gone wild… the Tennessee Constitution doesn’t say anything in there...
May 21st, 2010 | Recent News | Read More
Taxpayers Pay for Government Mistakes
By Shaka Mitchell
If there is one thing we can all learn from the disastrous toxic ash spill in Kingston, it’s that when government-run companies fail, no one is held accountable, but everyone pays. Albert Einstein famously said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting...
January 7th, 2009 | Commentary | Read More
State Taxpayers Fund Legislators’ Party
Tennesseans fund legislators’ fun.
State Taxpayers Fund Legislators’ Party
Up to $1.4 million in state tax dollars will be used to finance tours, meals and other goodies for legislators and lobbyists from across the country when Tennessee hosts the annual meeting of the National Conference of...
August 10th, 2006 | Commentary | Read More
Trimming the Fat from the State Budget Would Save Taxpayers Millions
By Drew Johnson
The Tennessee Center for Policy Research’s 2006 Tennessee Pork Report shows plenty of room for improvement when it comes to state government spending.
It’s May, which means that it’s budget time at the Tennessee State Capitol. Last year, state legislators spent $4,460 for every...
May 5th, 2006 | Commentary | Read More








