Stop Subsidizing Obesity

PUT JUNK FOOD SUBSIDIES ON A DIET

Our tax dollars should only go to things that serve the public good, yet we’re handing out taxpayer subsidies to big agribusinesses to help subsidize junk food. Huge, profitable corporations like Cargill and Monsanto are pocketing tens of billions in taxpayer dollars, and turning subsidized crops into junk food ingredients — including high fructose corn syrup.

These taxpayer giveaways are all the more absurd at a time when one in three kids is overweight or obese, and obesity-related diseases like diabetes are turning into an epidemic.

Obesity Quick Facts:

• Diets high in saturated fats impair learning and memory.

• Once an adult problem, diabetes associated with obesity is growing among children.

• One in three school-age children is overweight or obese.

• The rate of childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years.

With Congress looking at ways to trim spending and reduce the deficit, cutting this kind of wasteful spending has the potential to bring together allies from across the political spectrum.

But big agribusiness will fight to protect their billions in subsidies. We know, because in 2008, they spent $200 million lobbying and campaign contributions.

No one in Congress wants to be seen standing up for taxpayer giveaways to junk food, and with public concern about obesity and federal spending at all time highs, your support can help us finally beat Big Ag and end subsidies for junk food.

Issue updates

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Media Hit | Budget

Wisconsin's spending transparency earns D-minus

Nine months after lawmakers passed a budget that included a provision to create a website showing state government expenditures of $100 or more, the information is not easily available to anyone with access to a computer.

Report | WISPIRG Foundation | Budget

Following the Money 2012

Wisconsin received a “D-” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to Following the Money 2012: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, the third annual report of its kind by the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG).

News Release | Budget

Wisconsin Receives "D-" in Annual Report on Transparency in Government Spending

Wisconsin received a “D-” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to Following the Money 2012: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, the third annual report of its kind by the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG).

Report | WISPIRG | Budget

Outsourcing Outrages

State leaders have proposed to end the existing requirement for proposals that privatize public functions to show cost-benefit advantages and report on results for Department of Transportation projects over $25,000. Privatization in other states has sometimes saved the public money, but has often led to huge losses and other problems. Politicians may be enticed by the short-term cash offered by privatization, but citizens of Wisconsin deserve to know that there will not be larger long-term losses.

News Release | Budget

Taxpayer Protections at Risk

As the Wisconsin state senate and assembly consider bills removing the requirement for cost benefit analyses for all WISDOT projects over $25,000, a new WISPIRG report finds that numerous government ventures in privatizing or outsourcing public work have ended up being a bad deal for taxpayers and costing more in the long run.

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Media Hit | Budget

Wisconsin's spending transparency earns D-minus

Nine months after lawmakers passed a budget that included a provision to create a website showing state government expenditures of $100 or more, the information is not easily available to anyone with access to a computer.

News Release | Budget

Wisconsin Receives "D-" in Annual Report on Transparency in Government Spending

Wisconsin received a “D-” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to Following the Money 2012: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, the third annual report of its kind by the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG).

News Release | Budget

Taxpayer Protections at Risk

As the Wisconsin state senate and assembly consider bills removing the requirement for cost benefit analyses for all WISDOT projects over $25,000, a new WISPIRG report finds that numerous government ventures in privatizing or outsourcing public work have ended up being a bad deal for taxpayers and costing more in the long run.

Media Hit | Food

WI State Journal: Junk Food Subsidies are especially Galling

In addition to subsidizing urban landowners, wasteful farm programs also subsidized the equivalent of 19 Twinkies per taxpayer per year from 1995 to 2010.

Media Hit | Food

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Additives: You are what you eat

Additives in junk food are contributing to the growing obesity and diabetes crisis, but each year, our tax dollars pay for enough corn syrup and other junk food additives to buy each taxpayer 19 Twinkies, but only a quarter of one Red Delicious apple. "If you want to know why junk food is so cheap, now you know," said Bruce Speight, director of Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group.

Pages

Result | Budget

Making Government More Transparent

WISPIRG advocacy led to the creation of a state website giving Wisconsin taxpayers easily accessible information about state expenditures, providing taxpayers with easily searchable, checkbook-level detail of state expenditures and detailed information about all state contracts.

Report | WISPIRG Foundation | Budget

Following the Money 2012

Wisconsin received a “D-” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to Following the Money 2012: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, the third annual report of its kind by the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG).

Report | WISPIRG | Budget

Outsourcing Outrages

State leaders have proposed to end the existing requirement for proposals that privatize public functions to show cost-benefit advantages and report on results for Department of Transportation projects over $25,000. Privatization in other states has sometimes saved the public money, but has often led to huge losses and other problems. Politicians may be enticed by the short-term cash offered by privatization, but citizens of Wisconsin deserve to know that there will not be larger long-term losses.

Report | WISPIRG Foundation | Budget

Tax-Increment Financing

A new research report released today outlines problems with the growing trend among cities to borrow against future growth and divert tax revenues as a way to attract economic development.

Report | WISPIRG Foundation | Food

Apples to Twinkies

Federal subsidies for commodity crops are also subsidizing junk food additives like high fructose corn syrup, enough to pay for 19 Twinkies per taxpayer every year, according to Apples to Twinkies, a new report by WISPIRG. Meanwhile, limited subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables would buy less than a quarter of an apple per taxpayer.

Report | WISPIRG Foundation | Budget

Toward Common Ground

As the Congressional “Super Committee” begins its search for $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction, a new study released by the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG) and the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) provides the panel with a great place to start: more than $1 trillion of spending cuts with appeal from across the political spectrum.

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