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WASHINGTON – The Top 5 “dark money” spenders on presidential election ads have reported less than 1% of their spending to the FEC, which is all that is required by the agency’s insufficient standards, according to a new report analyzing the latest campaign filings.
Latest Numbers on Outside Spending, Secret Money and Super PAC Fundraising for 2012
In this report, we find that in 2011, over $1.28 billion in taxpayer subsidies went to junk food ingredients, bringing the total to a staggering $18.2 billion since 1995. To put that figure in perspective, $18.2 billion is enough to buy 2.9 billion Twinkies every year - 21 for every single American taxpayer.
PHILADELPHIA — Federal subsidies for commodity crops are subsidizing junk food additives like high fructose corn syrup, enough to pay for 21 Twinkies per taxpayer every year, according to PennPIRG’s new report, Apples to Twinkies 2012. Meanwhile, limited subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables would buy one half of an apple per taxpayer.
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PIRG In The News
This November should be an exciting time on Pennsylvania college campuses. Students across the state, many for the first time, will cast a vote in the presidential election. Unfortunately, many Pennsylvania students will be kept out of our political process.
Thought the student loan crisis was bad as it is? Now add hefty fees into that mix. Providers say students can avoid the fees that pile up when they elect to receive their financial aid on a debit card, but new research from a consumer advocacy group finds that these companies throw up roadblocks to keep the fee revenue rolling in, even as colleges make big bucks off their affiliations with these institutions.
Consumer advocates have long criticized the amount of fees associated with debit cards. Most recently, a report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund found that hundreds of colleges have partnerships with financial companies to put a student’s financial aid on debit or prepaid cards that carry hefty fees. Under some of these deals, official student photo ID cards can double as debit cards.
“This should send a clear message to Congress that this is a common sense nonpartisan issue,” said Rich Williams, higher education advocate for U.S. PIRG.
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Student leaders educate the campus about income inequality during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. -
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We collect petition signatures - lots of them! -
Hunger and Homelessness intern Roua Aboukhadijeh collecting interview footage on campus for a short film on poverty. -
Students campaign for High Speed Rail. -
Fast Trains ARE Cool. -
Students volunteer at a local garden for the National Hunger Cleanup. -
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Volunteers wear the textbook mascot costumes to educate students about affordable textbook alternatives. -
Students posing with the textbook Rebellion books, We Want Cheaper TEXTBOOKS!! -
Textbook Rebel and Mr. $200 drew attention to outrageous textbook prices. -
Six media outlets covered a stop on the Textbooks Rebellion tour to promote affordable alternatives to outrageously expensive textbooks.
