U.S.PIRG

Campaigns

• No $3 Billion Tax Break for JPMorgan's Wrongdoing

  VICTORY UPDATE: We saw a partial victory on this campaign. The DOJ made a $2 billion portion of the settlement - the portion that is explicitly considered to be a "fine" - non-deductible for JPMorgan. This is excellent news and will save taxpayers $700 million. This is an exciting step in the right direction, though it's still far too little - we still have a long way to go to permanently end these tax breaks for corporate misdeeds. Background: JPMorgan is negotiating $13 billion in settlements with the Department of Justice for mortgage lending abuses they allegedly committed during the housing crisis. However, taxpayers could end up underwriting more than $3 billion of those settlements. That's because JPMorgan is likely to claim the settlements as tax deductions. Even though settlements like these are thought of as punishment for corporate wrongdoing, companies claim their settlement costs as tax write-offs all the time. They treat it as just another business expense. We can’t let that happen. The financial crisis caused by banks’ irresponsible practices landed us in a recession that we’re still struggling to recover from. Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay any more for JPMorgan’s bad actions. Just last week, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which houses Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, made a separate $5.1 billion settlement with JPMorgan. And, sadly, the FHFA let JPMorgan take that settlement as a write-off - effectively handing JPMorgan a $1.5 billion tax deduction. We need the Department of Justice to do better. The DOJ has the power to include a provision in JPMorgan's settlement that prohibits them from taking the settlement as a tax write-off. We just need to convince the DOJ to do the right thing. They've done it before, including with one of BP's settlements for the Gulf oil spill.

  154,054 of 200,000 Signatures

  Created by James Dubick, U.S. PIRG
• No More Tax Deductions for BP Oil Spill

  On Monday, October 5th, the Department of Justice announced the 'final' terms of a settlement with BP over its role in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The proposed settlement would require BP Oil Company to pay $20.8 billion in damages as a result of gross negligence, but only $5.5 billion of that settlement will be non-tax deductible. As a result, BP could take a tax deduction on $15.3 billion of the settlement payments. Of the $42 billion BP has paid to address the Deepwater Horizon disaster since oil first started spilling in 2010, about 80% has qualified for tax deductions, effectively shifting the cost of BP’s “gross negligence” onto taxpayers. These write-offs send the wrong message. They diminish the value of settlements as a deterrent to future misbehavior. They are also costly for the public because taxpayers must make up for the lost revenue through cuts to public programs, higher tax rates, or more federal debt. It's time to demand an end to holding taxpayers accountable for corporate misconduct: no more write-offs for corporate wrongdoing.

  16,802 of 20,000 Signatures

  Created by Andre Delattre, US PIRG
• KFC: Help Save Antibiotics!

  According to the CDC, more than 2 million Americans get sick from antibiotic-resistant infections each year, and 23,000 people die. Yet, more than 70 percent of antibiotics sold in the United States go to livestock and poultry operations, which routinely mix huge quantities of antibiotics into the feed of animals that aren’t sick. This practice increases the likelihood that all kinds of bacteria will develop resistance to antibiotics, meaning our life-saving medicines won't work. As the national Colonel of fried chicken, KFC has tremendous power to change the chicken market and put an end to this dangerous practice... but they won't do it unless they know that consumers demand it. Please, sign now!

  5,886 of 6,000 Signatures

  Created by US PIRG
• Congress: Stop the Amtrak Funding Cuts

  Last night, an Amtrak train tragically derailed, leaving at least seven people dead. The very next day, Congress took an initial vote to cut $262 million from Amtrak’s budget [1]. This is a devastating cut to an agency that is already radically underfunded. The exact cause of last night's accident is yet unknown, but safe trains don't pay for themselves. Is this risk worth the consequences? Tell Congress: Stop the Amtrak funding cuts. [1] Hours after deadly crash, House panel votes to cut Amtrak budget, Politico: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/amtrak-budget-house-panel-crash-117904.html

  6,216 of 7,000 Signatures

  Created by U.S. PIRG
• Stop the "Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act"!

  We have a right to know whether our food contains genetically modified organisms. But the so-called Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act would do nothing to make our food safer and would prevent consumers from getting more accurate information by blocking states from labeling GMO foods. That’s why it’s so alarming that the U.S. House just passed a bill intended to keep consumers in the dark. Among the public, a strong bipartisan majority favors GMO labeling. Blocking state labeling laws is not only anti-consumer; it’s undemocratic as well. We have the right to know what we're eating. Tell the Senate to block the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act.

  38,052 of 40,000 Signatures

  Created by Anya Vanecek, U.S. PIRG
• Label Meat from Animals Raised On Antibiotics

  “Without urgent, coordinated action by many stakeholders, the world is headed for a post-antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries, which have been treatable for decades, can once again kill.” - World Health Organization It’s not on the label, but the danger is real. Raising livestock and poultry on routine antibiotics is causing the growth and spread of superbugs—antibiotic-resistant bacteria—that could soon become one of the world’s #1 killers. We have a right to know when our food threatens our health. Seventy percent of medically-important antibiotics are used on livestock and poultry, often on animals that aren’t sick. This overuse can grow and spread drug-resistant bacteria, aka superbugs. If the meat that consumers purchase contributes to this rising public health crisis, that should be clear to see. Tell the USDA to label meat raised with routine antibiotics.

  25,679 of 30,000 Signatures

  Created by U.S. PIRG
• Get Big Money Out of Nebraska Elections

  When the Supreme Court ruled in "Citizens United v FEC", they opened the door to a torrent of corporate and special interest election spending. The Court’s decision allowed the creation of Super PACs, which became a vehicle for flooding elections with unlimited and sometimes untraceable money. As a result, in the 2012 presidential election, just 32 mega-donors -- giving an average of $9.9 million each -- were able to match the total giving of the Obama and Romney campaigns’ 3.7 million small donors. "Citizens United" handed a megaphone to a wealthy few, threatening to drown out the voices of everyday citizens. In Nebraska, federal campaign spending rose 56% between 2008 and 2012. Outside spending in Nebraska's 2012 U.S. Senate race exceeded $9 million, with 44.4% of that spending coming from undisclosed or only partially disclosed sources. Sixteen states and more than 500 municipalities have already passed local resolutions calling on Congress to pass a constitutional amendment that would overturn "Citizens United" and clarify that money does not equal speech. We have an opportunity to make Nebraska the 17th state to pass a resolution before the legislative session ends in March. It’s time for Nebraska to join the movement to protect our democracy.

  779 of 800 Signatures

  Created by Andre Delattre
• McDonald's - Help Save Antibiotics

  According to the CDC, more than 2 million Americans get sick from antibiotic-resistant infections each year, and 23,000 people die. Yet, more than 70 percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States are used in livestock and poultry operations, which routinely mix huge quantities of antibiotics into the feed for healthy animals. This practice increases the likelihood that all kinds of bacteria will develop resistance to antibiotics, meaning our life-saving medicines won't work. As one of the largest purchasers of meat in the world, McDonald’s has tremendous power to change the food market and put an end to this dangerous practice.

  27,056 of 30,000 Signatures

  Created by Anya Vanecek
• Don't Let BP Write Off Oil Spills As Tax Deductions

  BP has paid about $42 billion to address the Deepwater Horizon disaster since oil first started spilling in 2010. About 80% of those payments have qualified for tax deductions, effectively shifting the cost of BP’s “gross negligence” onto taxpayers. The practice of writing off settlement agreements is both legal and common—but it doesn’t have to be. Should BP be able to write off its payments made to address the Gulf Coast oil spill? Should Wall Street banks be allowed to deduct their settlements for mortgage abuses as business as usual? Tell the Justice Department no tax deductibility for BP in the upcoming Gulf spill settlement and to make other future settlements for corporate misconduct non-deductible as well. These write offs send the wrong message. They diminish the value of settlements as a deterrent to future misbehavior. They are also costly for the public because taxpayers must make up for the lost revenue through cuts to public programs, higher tax rates, or more federal debt. When settlements become write-offs, Americans pay both for the cost of corporate misbehavior, and secondly to subsidize the tax write-offs. It’s time to demand an end to this practice: no more write-offs for corporate wrongdoing.

  20,548 of 25,000 Signatures

  Created by U.S.PIRG
• Demand Real Penalties for Volkswagen

  It turns out the company that brought us the Beetle, the flower-powered microbus and “Fahrvergnügen" is also a cheater. The good news: The EPA and other government officials acted quickly to investigate and order a recall, and VW has agreed to stop selling new diesel car. But are you thinking what I’m thinking? Didn’t GM just get away with what critics called a slap on the wrist for hiding a fatal ignition-switch defect linked to at least 174 deaths? The company faces no criminal charges and will pay a $900 million fine — out of $156 billion in revenue last year alone — and that's after we bailed out GM with $50 billion in taxpayer funds. This must change. Tell Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Justice and Congress to hold Volkswagen accountable for threatening our health and safety. If you want VW, GM and other major corporations held accountable when they break the law and endanger the public’s health and safety, please sign this petition. Our friend and ally Clarence Ditlow of the Center for Auto Safety has a saying about GM: “There’s no problem too big that money can’t solve.” It’s time to stop letting big corporations buy their way out of accountability. Let’s stand up to these powerful interests and fight for our health and safety. NOTE: Facing public pressure, VW CEO Martin Winterkorn's recently resigned. So we will be delivering this petition to Volkswagen headquarters in Herndon, VA.

  7,989 of 8,000 Signatures

  Created by US PIRG