John E. Petersen

Recent Articles

• Living With Less
• Jul 1, 2003
• No amount of casino gambling, Sunday liquor sales or sky-high taxes on tobacco and booze will close state budget gaps.

• The Budgetary Abyss
• May 1, 2003
• States are pushing a bow wave of operating deficits ahead of them in hopes that fiscal conditions may brighten.

• Death And Taxes
• Mar 1, 2003
• The demise of the federal estate tax will take with it billions in state revenue--unless states distance themselves from the feds.

• Rating The Body Politic
• Jan 1, 2003
• A key factor in muni bond ratings these days is the quality of governance or 'political risk' of an issuer.

• Rethinking the Rules
• Dec 1, 2002
• Tax and spending changes in recent years call into question the wisdom of prohibiting states from running deficits.

• Of Scandals and Scoundrels
• Oct 1, 2002
• By stupidity or guile, public finance officials--like their corporate peers--can go astray. Fast-buck opportunities are there.

• States and the Markets
• Aug 1, 2002
• While the federal government remains stymied over corporate misdeeds, state officials have come out with guns blazing.

• Here's to Your Health
• Jun 1, 2002
• Either we take steps to halt the escalation of health care costs or we make plans for the higher bills to be paid.

• Guide to Money Management: Searching for Security
• Jun 1, 2002
• Earnings are down, benefits are up. For state and local retirement systems, it's been a year of living very dangerously.

• Can Enron Happen Here?
• Apr 1, 2002
• Several state and local investment funds took a beating in the Enron debacle. It could have been much worse.

• Budgets Flying Blind
• Feb 1, 2002
• With economic uncertainties undermining forecasts of future revenue, local budget makers are reluctant to be optimistic.

• Downturn With a Difference
• Dec 1, 2001
• The present recession, compounded by the war on terrorism, could fundamentally transform the economy.

• Shelter from the Fiscal Storm
• Oct 1, 2001
• This may be a time for states and localities to keep spending up and, if need be, to borrow money to finance new projects.

• The Ayes of Texas
• Aug 1, 2001
• Referendums held in special districts permit multimillion-dollar bonds to be issued based on the casting of a single vote.