Taxpayers Protection Alliance

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) was founded in 2011{{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/david-williams1 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820181809/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/david-williams1| archivedate=20 August 2016|title=David Williams |last= |first= |date= |website=Huffington Post UK |publisher= |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}} with David Williams as its president{{cite web |url=http://www.aei.org/publication/are-taxpayers-getting-their-moneys-worth/ |title=Are taxpayers getting their money's worth? |last1=Biggs |first1=Andrew G. |last2=Slobodien |first2=MacMillin |last3=Williams |first3=David |date=27 July 2011 |website= |publisher=American Enterprise Institute |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}} (a title he continues to hold as of June 2022).{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/10/20688778/congress-section-230-conservative-internet-law-content-moderation |title=Conservative groups push Congress not to meddle with internet law |last=Kelly |first=Makena |date=10 July 2019 |website=The Verge |publisher= |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}} In November of that year, the TPA was one of five taxpayer advocacy groups to sign a letter calling for a 10% reduction in pay for Congress members.{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/09/16/congress.salary/index.html |title='Shared sacrifice': Should Congress cut its pay, benefits? |last=Hornick |first=Ed |date=16 September 2011 |website= |publisher=CNN |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}}

In April 2012, the TPA and other groups called on Republican presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich, to relinquish his Secret Service protection. Gingrich lost his protection the following week.{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2012/04/26/151480263/gingrich-and-the-secret-service-who-calls-for-protection-to-end |title=Report: Gingrich's Secret Service Protection To End |last=Sale |first=Anna |date=26 April 2012 |website= |publisher=NPR |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}} Over the course of 2013 and 2014, the organization issued reports on topics like the public costs of LEED certification.{{cite web |url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/opinion/freepress/story/2013/apr/03/it-isnt-easy-or-cheap-being-green/104171/ |title=It isn't easy - or cheap - being green: LEED standards are expensive, ineffective |last= |first= |date=3 April 2013 |website=Times Free Press |publisher= |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}} The group also began levying criticism against municipal broadband projects using fiber-optic cables for connectivity.{{cite web |url=https://gigaom.com/2015/01/15/is-public-broadband-a-threat-to-taxpayers-let-towns-decide/ |title=Is public broadband a threat to taxpayers? Let towns decide |last=Roberts |first=Jeff |date=15 January 2015 |website=GigaOM |publisher= |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}}

In September 2015, the TPA issued a report called "Sacking Taxpayers: How NFL Stadium Subsidies Waste Money and Fall Short on Their Promises of Economic Development" which detailed the amount of money spent by taxpayers on publicly subsidized National Football League stadiums. Later that year, the organization issued a report (in conjunction with the Animal Justice Project) on the taxpayer costs associated with scientific experiments that administer narcotics to animals.{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/nov/5/golden-hammer-150-million-spent-on-tests-that-tort/ |title=$150 million spent on tests that torture animals, don't help humans |last=Howell |first=Kellan |date=5 November 2015 |website=The Washington Times |publisher= |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}} The TPA also issued criticisms of the United States Postal Service{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-the-usps-forever-stamps-arent-living-up-to-their-name/ |title=Why the USPS Forever stamps aren't living up to their name |last=Picchi |first=Aimee |date=8 April 2016 |website=CBS News |publisher= |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}} because it was operating in debt.{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/03/01/debt-plagued-us-postal-service-eyes-bipartisan-bill-solve-woes/97944594/ |title=Debt-plagued U.S. Postal Service eyes bipartisan bill to solve woes |last=Miller |first=Ryan W. |date=1 March 2017 |website=USA Today |publisher= |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}} In 2017, the group started a social media campaign to oppose a proposed municipal broadband project in Louisville, Kentucky, claiming that the cost outweighed the benefits.{{cite web |url=https://www.techrepublic.com/article/pushback-for-high-speed-fiber-project-in-kentucky-highlights-political-battle-over-broadband/ |title=Pushback for high-speed fiber project in Kentucky highlights political battle over broadband |last=Maddox |first=Teena |date=8 June 2017 |website=TechRepublic |publisher= |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}}

In July 2018, TPA president David Williams wrote an open letter to the White House that was critical of the Trump administration's issuance of tariffs as part of the United States' ongoing trade war with China.{{cite web |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/from-hammers-to-hair-clippers-how-the-trumps-trade-war-with-china-affects-you-2018-09-24 |title=From hammers to hair clippers: How Trump's trade war with China will affect you |last=Malito |first=Alessandra |date=30 September 2018 |website=MarketWatch |publisher= |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}} In April 2019, the organization itself wrote a joint letter (with Tariffs Hurt the Heartland) to Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, condemning the tariffs.{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/439000-pro-trade-groups-slam-trump-tariffs-on-tax-day |title=Pro-trade groups slam Trump tariffs on Tax Day |last=Elis |first=Niv |date=15 April 2019 |website=The Hill |publisher= |access-date=17 July 2019 |quote=}}

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• [https://www.protectingtaxpayers.org/ Official website]

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Category:Taxpayer groups

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States

Category:Organizations established in 2011