Taxpayers for Common Sense
Encyclopedia
Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS) is a nonpartisan
federal budget watchdog organization based in Washington, D.C.
in the United States
. TCS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; its 501(c)(4) affiliate is Taxpayers for Common Sense Action (TCS Action). The current president of TCS is Ryan Alexander. Founded in 1995 by Jill Lancelot and Rafael DeGennaro, TCS works to ensure that the federal government spends taxpayer money efficiently and responsibly.
TCS creates complete databases of the earmarks
that appear in Congressional
spending bills. TCS is credited with labeling the Gravina Island Bridge
proposal in Ketchikan, Alaska
as the "Bridge to Nowhere."
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
federal budget watchdog organization based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. TCS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; its 501(c)(4) affiliate is Taxpayers for Common Sense Action (TCS Action). The current president of TCS is Ryan Alexander. Founded in 1995 by Jill Lancelot and Rafael DeGennaro, TCS works to ensure that the federal government spends taxpayer money efficiently and responsibly.
TCS creates complete databases of the earmarks
Earmark (politics)
In United States politics, an earmark is a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees...
that appear in Congressional
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
spending bills. TCS is credited with labeling the Gravina Island Bridge
Gravina Island Bridge
The Gravina Island Bridge, commonly referred to as the "Bridge to Nowhere", was a proposed bridge to replace the ferry that currently connects the town of Ketchikan, Alaska, with Gravina Island, an island which contains the Ketchikan International Airport as well as 50 residents. The bridge was...
proposal in Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....
as the "Bridge to Nowhere."