Phil Britt

Phil Britt (spenterprises@wowway.com) writes from South Holland, Illinois. (read full bio)

IRS Taxpayer Advocate Calls for Simpler Tax Code

Phil Britt

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March 25, 2013

As taxpayers enter crunch time to hit the April 15 income tax filing deadline, many of them likely agree the federal government’s four-million-word tax code is too long and complex.
Big Banks See Big Profits, But Banking Industry Worries Remain

Phil Britt

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November 20, 2012

Major banks recently reported their best year since 2006, but bankers worry about future economic and regulatory conditions.
Chicago Mayor Warns of Huge Pension Shortfall

Phil Britt

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October 31, 2012

The City of Chicago needs $1.5 billion a year beginning in 2016 to shore up its pensions for municipal workers across police, fire, water, and other municipal departments as well as for elected off
Banking Risks Reflected in Moody’s Downgrades

Phil Britt

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August 20, 2012

Credit ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service recently downgraded the ratings of 15 major banks in a move that was expected to harm the financial results of these institutions.
Student Debt Tops $1 Trillion, Creating Another Economic Drag

Phil Britt

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August 03, 2012

Outstanding student loan debt in the United States topped $1 trillion in 2011—$864 billion of federal student debt and approximately $150 billion of private student loan debt, according to the Cons
Moody's, Others Worry About Municipal Bankruptcies to Come

Phil Britt

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July 24, 2012

First Stockton, then San Bernardino. Moody’s Investors Service worries more could be on the way.
FCC Allocates MBAN Spectrum

Phil Britt

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July 06, 2012

The Federal Communications Commission has established service rules for the world's first spectrum allocation for Medical Body Area Networks.
Appeals Court Affirms Limits on Debt-Collection Robocalls

Phil Britt

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July 04, 2012

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled companies employing automatic dialing technology must receive the consent of cell-phone subscribers before attempting to contact them.
FCC Extends Cable ‘Viewability’ Rule

Phil Britt

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July 03, 2012

Under an order adopted unanimously by the Federal Communications Commission, all cable companies with hybrid, digital-analog systems must continue carrying stations' analog signals until Dec.
Highway Toll Increases, Diversions Prompt Senate Hearing

Phil Britt

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June 08, 2012

Highway toll revenues are increasingly being diverted to pay for projects and other expenses unrelated to roads, bridges, and tunnels used by motorists who pay the tolls, the nation's largest auto
AT&T Shareholders Will Vote on Wireless Net Neutrality in 2013

Phil Britt

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June 08, 2012

A tiny percentage of AT&T shareholders has succeeded in placing on next year’s annual shareholder’s ballot a corporate policy position on wireless network neutrality.
FCC Issues Narrowbanding Deadline Waiver

Phil Britt

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June 07, 2012

Public-safety radio networks operating on the T-Band will not be subject to the narrowbanding deadline scheduled for the end of this year, the Federal Communications Commission stated in a public n
Seattle Pulls Plug on Muni Wi-Fi

Phil Britt

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June 06, 2012

Seattle, Washington has ended its municipal wi-fi experiment after seven years of trying to make free broadband work, discontinuing its wi-fi service April 29.
FCC Rules Against Comcast in Bloomberg Dispute

Phil Britt

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May 29, 2012

The Federal Communications Commission ruled in Bloomberg TV's favor in a dispute with Comcast, saying the cable provider must provide the business news network with more desirable channel positions
Illinois Auditor Slams State’s College Tuition Program

Phil Britt

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May 18, 2012

The College Illinois!
Home Prices Hit 10-Year Lows

Phil Britt

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May 14, 2012

Home prices hit new post-bubble lows nationally in February, reaching their lowest levels since 2002, according to the most recent S&P/Case-Shiller home price report.
Bankers Address Crisis Prevention, Morgan Reports $2B Trading Loss

Phil Britt

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May 11, 2012

Just a few hours after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke addressed the Fed’s 48th Annual Conference on Bank Structure and Competition in Chicago, JP Morgan Chase announced it had suf
Industry Groups Testify on HD Must-Carry Rules

Phil Britt

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May 10, 2012

The American Cable Association and the National Association of Broadcasters are asking the Federal Communications Commission to reexamine the agency’s rules regarding broadcast carriage and retrans
Three States Called Upon to Reclaim T-Mobile Subsidies

Phil Britt

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April 30, 2012

Good Jobs First, a national resource center on economic development accountability, has called on officials in Kansas, Oregon, and Texas to explore all possibilities for recapturing taxpayer subsid
Public-Private Partnerships Praised at Chicago Conference

Phil Britt

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April 11, 2012

Public-private partnerships can help solve some of the “horrific” problems currently being faced by governments, according to Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation of Chicago.