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In Your Backyard - June 10, 2008Georgia
Gov. Suspends Gas Tax Hike Gov. Sonny Perdue's (R) recent decision to freeze a gas tax hike that was supposed to take effect July 1 will save Georgia motorists $70 million to $80 million over the next year. The Department of Revenue recalculates the state gasoline tax every six months based on the price per gallon, so as fuel costs rise, so does the tax. Perdue's suspension of this rise was met with bipartisan support. Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Idaho
State Tax Commission to Review Corruption Claims An in-house whistleblower exposed the Idaho State Tax Commission's favoritism of large corporations, claiming the Commission cuts large companies secret deals on what they owe the state. The Commission plans to review tax settlements it's reached with large corporations, but defends its actions saying that complex tax questions sometimes necessitate settlements. Separately, state Sen. Brent Hill, an accountant, pledged at least an informal legislative inquiry into the matter. Source: Associated Press Massachusetts Pharmaceutical Sales Techniques Caught in Healthcare Fight Pharmaceutical companies stand to lose if the state House passes a controversial new Senate bill. Under state law, residents are required to have health insurance coverage and the state provides insurance for those who cannot afford their own. However, in order to decrease the $829 million cost of the program, a new Senate bill is looking to industry to cut costs and pass on savings to patients, including creating a statewide, electronic medical records database, allowing patients to choose nurse practitioners as primary-care providers, and prohibiting pharmaceutical company sales agents from offering gifts to physicians. Source: The Boston Herald Minnesota
Diesel Prices Threaten Small Trucking Companies The soaring price of diesel fuel has made for tough times in the trucking industry, particularly small companies. Diesel rose more than 60% from $2.89 per gallon last year to $4.68 currently. At current prices, one trucker reports it costs about $1,400 to fill his truck in Duluth. Small trucking operations are hit hardest, with many having gone under in the last year. During the first quarter of 2008, 935 trucking companies, each with a fleet of at least five trucks, went out of business, according to the American Trucking Association. Source: Duluth News Tribune Nevada
Yucca Mountain's Fate Depends on Presidential Election The presidential candidates have turned the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump project outside of Las Vegas into a campaign issue, meaning its creation now depends not on the scientists reviewing the application in Washington but by the next resident of the White House. The Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama promised to withdraw the project's newly submitted application if elected, while Republican nominee John McCain said he would do what it takes to build the waste dump in Nevada. Source: Las Vegas Sun |
 
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