Institute for Policy Innovation
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The Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) is a think tank based in Lewisville, Texas and founded in 1987 by Congressman Dick Armey to "research, develop and promote innovative and non-partisan solutions to today's public policy problems."[1]
The conservative Capital Research Center ranked IPI as amongst the most conservative groups in the US, scoring it as an "eight" on a scale of one to eight. [2]
IPI has received funding from corporations like Exxon Mobil and organizations like the Kochs' Claude R. Lambe Foundation, Scaife Foundations, the Bradley Foundation, and others. (see "funding" section below).
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Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council
IPI is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). IPI has worked with ALEC on a variety of issues, including school choice, [3] and hosting events.[4]
Bartlett Cleland, Director of the Center for Technology Freedom at the Institute for Policy Innovation, represents IPI as a co-chair of ALEC's Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force as of 2011. [5][6]
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Focus Areas
According to IPI, "Today IPI's work concentrates on such issues as taxation and government spending, economic growth initiatives, and government regulation. Current areas of focus include tax cuts and tax reform, intellectual property, Internet taxes and regulation, pharmaceutical issues, Social Security privatization, and educational choice. We pursue these areas through our IPI Center for Tax Analysis, our IPI Center for Economic Growth, our IPI Center for Technology Freedom, and our IPI Center for Education Freedom. [7]
The IPI was solicited by tobacco companies in 1995 to submit comments in response to proposed federal regulations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration restricting the marketing of tobacco products. IP responded by sending comments in favor of the industry to the FDA. [8]
Funding
On its website IPI states that it is "wholly by contributions from individuals, businesses, and other non-profit foundations. In order to maintain its independence, IPI neither solicits nor accepts contributions from any government agency." [1] IPI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit group which, according to its 2004 IRS return, had revenue of $942,112.
Foundation funders
According to Media Transparency IPI received $ 1,577,575 (unadjusted for inflation) over the period 1990 to 2004. [9]
Between 1990 and 2006, it received the following:
- Armstrong Foundation $62,500
- Barbara and Barre Seid Foundation $5,000
- Carthage Foundation $245,000
- Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation $35,000
- Earhart Foundation $15,000
- Exxon Mobil $22,500
- F.M. Kirby Foundation $97,500
- Gordon and Mary Cain Foundation $2,000
- JM Foundation $40,000
- Jaquelin Hume Foundation $63,000
- John M. Olin Foundation $305,000
- Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation $470,575
- Rodney Fund $5,000
- Roe Foundation $23,500
- Sarah Scaife Foundation $225,000
Personnel
Office bearers
- Tom Giovanetti, President
- Michael E. Williams, Chairman
- Mark Miller Director
- Roger Meiners Director.
The 2004 annual return lists the Chairman and Directors as contributing in an unpaid capacity.
Staff
Current IPI staff (as listed on the organizations website of April 2006) are: [[2]
- Tom Giovanetti, President
- Dr. Merrill Matthews Jr., Resident Scholar
- Bartlett Cleland, Director, IPI Center for Technology Freedom
- Betty Medlock, Editor, Director of Publications
- Sonia Blumstein
- John Zareva
- Barry Aarons, Research Fellow
- Lawrence A. Hunter, Research Fellow
- Peter Ferrara, Senior Policy Advisor, Social Security and Medicare
- Vikki Trantham
On the IRS 990 form for 2004 (pdf) there were only 3 salaries specified as over the $50,000 disclosure threshold:
- Tom Giovanetti (President and Treasurer): $118,000 (50 hours per week)
- Merrill Matthews (Staff): $78,000
- Sonia H. Blumstein, $55,637
IPI Media Releases on IPI, Lobbyists & Funding
- "IPI Rejects Charges of Endorsing “Pay for Play” Op/eds", Media Release, December 16, 2005.
- "Peter Ferrara on Financial Support for His Work", Media Release, December 19, 2005.
- "IPI Statement on Think Tank Involvement With Lobbyists", Media Release, December 20, 2005.
- "IPI Statement on Relationship with Mrs. Susan K. Finston", Media Release, December 21, 2005.
- "IPI Statement on Relationship with Dr. Merrill Matthews", Media Release, December 21, 2005.
- "IPI Statements on Think Tank Involvement With Registered Lobbyists Who Publish Op/Eds", Media Release, December 23, 2005.
Former personnel
- Susan Finston
- Sonia Hoffman, Marketing/Media Relations
- Kelli Emerick, Research Fellow, IPI Center for Technology Freedom
- Stephen Moore, Senior Research Fellow, IPI Center for Economic Growth (former director at the Cato Institute)
IPI Publications
- IPI and the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution (AdTI) had a co-publication on June 1, 1996 called: "Candidates for Corrections Day: The Ten Worst Regulations of the Federal Government". [3] Merrick Carey (then president of AdTI) wrote the chapter 'Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Ideology Before the Facts' in which he refered to 'Science, Economics, and Environmental Policy: A Critical Examination'; a pro-tobacco report published by AdTI in 1994. Some of the other contributors were Steven Milloy and Michael Fumento. It is not clear who paid for this publication but AdTI was at that time receiving donations from the tobacco industry (see AdTI-Funding). While IPI was listed as a co-publisher none of the brief chapters were contributred by its staff.
Contact Information
1660 South Stemmons Freeway
Suite 245
Lewisville, TX 75067
Telephone: (972) 874-5139
Fax: (972) 874-5144
Email: ipi AT ipi.org
Web Site: www.ipi.org
External links
- Sydney P. Freedberg, "Enron allies helped stave off tax haven crackdown", St. Petersburg Times, January 19, 2002, Saturday, South Pinellas Edition, page 1A.
- Tim Lambert, "When Think Tanks Attack", Deltoid, June 23, 2004.
- Howard Sweeney, "TABOR and Colorado's fiscal future", The Denver Post, May 24, 2005.
- Philip Shenon, "On Opinion Page, Lobby's Hand Is Often Unseen", New York Times, December 23, 2005. (Paid access only).
- Institute for Policy Innovation, "IPI Statements on Think Tank Involvement with Registered Lobbyists Who Publish Op/Eds", Media Release, December 23, 2005.
- Georg Greve, FSFE: IPI to the rescue of Microsoft - IPI wanted to join the EU MS-antitrust case but it was rejected
References
- ↑ Institute for Policy Innovation About the Institute for Policy Innovation, organizational website, accessed June 1, 2011.
- ↑ Christopher Morris, Patterns in Corporate Philanthropy, Capital Research Center, Aug. 2002, accessed July 9 2011.
- ↑ Education archives, ALEC website, accessed July 9, 2011.
- ↑ ALEC & IPI Host MEP Member, accessed July 9, 2011.
- ↑ IPI, IPI's Cleland to Head ALEC Telecom-IT Task Force, Apr 1, 2011
- ↑ American Legislative Exchange Council Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force, organization website, accessed May 31, 2011
- ↑ IPI "About Us", accessed July 9, 2011.
- ↑ Tobacco Documents FDA COMMENT: NATIONAL CONTACTS, 1995, COMMENTS TO THE DOCKET AND RELATED ACTIVITIES THINK TANK, accessed July 9, 2011.
- ↑ Media Matters, IPI Funders, accessed July 9, 2011.
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