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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Budget

Transparency Shortcomings of Arizona Commerce Authority Cited in New Report

A new report released by the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, Shining a Light on the Arizona Commerce Authority, examines how transparent the Arizona Commerce Authority has been with the grant and tax credit programs it oversees.

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Budget

Shining a Light on the Arizona Commerce Authority

Arizonans deserve to know how their taxpayer dollars are spent – including when their tax dollars are given as subsidies to corporations. However, more than a year after the creation of the Arizona Commerce Authority – the new state entity responsible for distributing the state’s economic development subsidies – the Commerce Authority discloses information online for only a portion of its economic development funds.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Health Care

As Arizona Dept. of Insurance Holds Health Insurance Rate Review Public Meetings, Groups Call for Increased Transparency and Consumer Involvement

This week, as the Arizona Department of Insurance holds public meetings on their proposed health insurance rate review rulemaking in Tucson, Phoenix and Flagstaff, public health and consumer groups will testify to the need for increased transparency and consumer involvement in the rate review process.

 

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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Phoenix-Tucson Rail Creates Jobs, Save Millions

A new report released today by the Arizona PIRG Education Fund highlighted the benefits of connecting Phoenix and Tucson with passenger rail. The report, Connecting Phoenix and Tucson: The Benefits of Intercity Rail in the Sun Corridor, estimates that the economic benefits of intercity rail include: expanding labor market access for businesses, creating at least 30,000 job-years of employment, boosting local economies, and ensuring that the Phoenix-Tucson area remains attractive to young people, who increasingly prefer alternatives to driving.

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Connecting Phoenix and Tucson

Over the past few decades, explosive population growth in Phoenix and Tucson has led the two cities to grow increasingly interconnected, socially and economically. It has also resulted in increasing traffic congestion problems, particularly on Interstate 10, which connects the two cities. With this growth expected to continue in years to come, Arizonans face a pressing need for improved transportation options. Passenger rail between Phoenix and Tucson can help meet the future transportation needs of the Sun Corridor.

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News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Budget

Transparency Shortcomings of Arizona Commerce Authority Cited in New Report

A new report released by the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, Shining a Light on the Arizona Commerce Authority, examines how transparent the Arizona Commerce Authority has been with the grant and tax credit programs it oversees.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Health Care

As Arizona Dept. of Insurance Holds Health Insurance Rate Review Public Meetings, Groups Call for Increased Transparency and Consumer Involvement

This week, as the Arizona Department of Insurance holds public meetings on their proposed health insurance rate review rulemaking in Tucson, Phoenix and Flagstaff, public health and consumer groups will testify to the need for increased transparency and consumer involvement in the rate review process.

 

> Keep Reading
News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Phoenix-Tucson Rail Creates Jobs, Save Millions

A new report released today by the Arizona PIRG Education Fund highlighted the benefits of connecting Phoenix and Tucson with passenger rail. The report, Connecting Phoenix and Tucson: The Benefits of Intercity Rail in the Sun Corridor, estimates that the economic benefits of intercity rail include: expanding labor market access for businesses, creating at least 30,000 job-years of employment, boosting local economies, and ensuring that the Phoenix-Tucson area remains attractive to young people, who increasingly prefer alternatives to driving.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Arizona Dept. of Insurance Issues Rule on Health Insurance “Rate Review”

Today, St. Luke’s Health Initiatives and the Arizona PIRG Education Fund released a new report Getting All the Cards on the Table: The Premise and Promise of Health Insurance Rate Review in Arizona which highlights options Arizona has to increase transparency so consumers have better information and are better protected against unreasonable health insurance rate increases. The report comes on the heels of the Arizona Department of Insurance’s (ADOI) initiation of rulemaking on “rate review” which began on Friday. 

 

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Media Hit | Transportation

Arizona Public Media: Arizonans Driving Less, Despite Population Gains

Americans are driving less for the first time since World War II, according to a new study from the Arizona PIRG Education Fund. In 2007, Arizonans drove more than 62 billion miles. Despite an increase in the state’s population, that figure decreased by almost three billion miles in 2010.

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Result | Transportation

Arizonans Call For Passenger Rail

The Arizona Department of Transportation recently held open houses to gather public input on passenger rail between Phoenix and Tucson. The Arizona PIRG Education Fund provided ADOT, the public, allies and the media with key principles to be considered for a successful rail line — including ridership potential, integration with other public transportation services, and reliable funding.

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Result | Safe Energy

More Clean Energy For Arizona

The Arizona PIRG Education Fund helped lead efforts to have one of the strongest energy efficiency standards in the country enacted in Arizona. While this standard covers Arizona Public Service and Tucson Electric Power, it does not cover the Salt River Project. Working with allies, we successfully secured a commitment from the Salt River Project to also ramp up its energy efficiency and clean energy standards.

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Result | Budget

Budget Transparency Earns High Marks

The Arizona PIRG Education Fund worked with the State Comptroller to ensure some of the best practices in budget transparency websites were brought to Arizona. Due in part to our recommendations, Arizona moved from the bottom into the top five state websites for showing taxpayers how our money is spent.

 

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Budget

Shining a Light on the Arizona Commerce Authority

Arizonans deserve to know how their taxpayer dollars are spent – including when their tax dollars are given as subsidies to corporations. However, more than a year after the creation of the Arizona Commerce Authority – the new state entity responsible for distributing the state’s economic development subsidies – the Commerce Authority discloses information online for only a portion of its economic development funds.

> Keep Reading
Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Connecting Phoenix and Tucson

Over the past few decades, explosive population growth in Phoenix and Tucson has led the two cities to grow increasingly interconnected, socially and economically. It has also resulted in increasing traffic congestion problems, particularly on Interstate 10, which connects the two cities. With this growth expected to continue in years to come, Arizonans face a pressing need for improved transportation options. Passenger rail between Phoenix and Tucson can help meet the future transportation needs of the Sun Corridor.

> Keep Reading
Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Getting All the Cards on the Table:

States do have options to increase transparency so consumers have better information and are better protected against unreasonable rate increases. One important opportunity is through a process called rate review, which can potentially empower consumers by requiring insurers to make information on why rates are increasing publically available.

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Transportation

Transportation & the New Generation

From World War II until just a few years ago, the number of miles driven annually on America’s roads steadily increased. Then, at the turn of the century, something changed: Americans began driving less. By 2011, the average American was driving 6 percent fewer miles per year than in 2004. The trend away from driving has been led by young people.

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Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Democracy

Loopholes for Sale

Recent polls show a large majority of Americans, including small business owners, convinced that profitable corporations are not paying enough in taxes. Citizens for Tax Justice and U.S. PIRG’s Loopholes for Sale pursues the intersection of corporate campaign contributions to members of Congress and the absence of Congressional action to close corporate tax loopholes and raise additional revenue from corporate taxes.

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Blog Post | Financial Reform

CFPB announces major investigation of bank overdraft fee practices | Diane E. Brown

Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will announce overdraft fee investigation, unveil "penalty box" disclosure, and possibly end $39 lattes.

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  • Fighting Unjustified Premium Hikes
    It’s time for health insurers to get serious about lowering the cost of care instead of raising deductibles and hiking premiums.
    Read Our Report
  • Bringing High-Speed Rail to Arizona
    Find out how other states and countries have used public-private partnerships to bring high-speed rail to their citizens, and how Arizona could do the same.
    Get the report
  • Building an Energy Efficient Arizona
    Arizona is at an energy crossroad — with a dirty past and the chance for a clean energy future. Read how Arizona can improve efficiency, reduce pollution and save money.
    Get the report
  • Arizona Earned an A- for transparency
    States across the country have been moving toward making their checkbooks transparent by creating online transparency portals. See how Arizona stacks up to other states.
    Get the Report

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