Liz Farmer

Recent Articles

• Top Tax Bracket Backlash: California's Higher Earners Weighing Move
• Feb 7, 2013
• Sometimes it’s not good to be the king. And in California, higher earners are feeling a little put upon.
• 4 Comments

• Budget Deficit Falling But Looming Costs Hurt Overall Picture
• Feb 6, 2013
• The national economy will see some improvement in the coming years but the back half of the decade will be characterized by a looming debt burden and growing federal deficit under current economic policy, a new outlook report from the Congressional Budget Office says.
• 2 Comments

• District of Columbia's Chief Financial Officer Retiring
• Feb 1, 2013
• Washington, D.C.’s longtime Chief Financial Officer announced his retirement Friday, just days after the city reported one of its largest budget surpluses in recent memory.

• Kentucky's Outlook Downgraded
• Feb 1, 2013
• Kentucky’s finances received a blow late Thursday after Standard & Poor’s rating service downgraded the commonwealth’s outlook to negative from stable.

• The Income Tax Rebellion: Can It Work?
• Jan 31, 2013
• The loudest collective rallying cry from governors this year is not over the usual themes of growing jobs and having a more competitive economy. This year, the buzz is all about the race to zero.
• 13 Comments

• Post-Disaster New Zealand Finds Use for Vacant Spaces
• Jan 31, 2013
• A town destroyed by two earthquakes shows U.S. states and cities what they can do with areas decimated by natural disasters.

• Iceland Writes the World's 1st Crowdsourced Constitution
• Jan 31, 2013
• Some U.S. cities have dabbled in crowdsourcing -- asking citizens to help solve problems via the Internet -- but replicating Iceland’s approach on such a large scale may be hard.

• Fat Cat Public Retirees? Think Again.
• Jan 30, 2013
• Some say one of the biggest misconceptions about public retirees is that pensions are making people rich.
• 56 Comments

• Experts: States Should Have More Active Role Aiding Distressed Municipalities
• Jan 29, 2013
• Some experts are saying that states should take a more active role in municipal finances even with an improved outlook for city finances in 2013.
• 3 Comments

• Washington, D.C., Not Spending $417 Million Budget Surplus
• Jan 29, 2013
• The District of Columbia announced a $417 million surplus for its 2012 fiscal year, the highest surplus in recent memory and setting up an immediate fight between leaders on saving versus spending the money.
• 2 Comments

• Bucking Trend, Traditional Pensions Back in Discussion in Alaska
• Jan 25, 2013
• A bill before the Alaska legislature would put defined benefits for state employees back in play after pension reform in the state cut out the option.
• 2 Comments

• City Bankruptcies: The Wild West of Financial Law
• Jan 23, 2013
• Unlike corporate bankruptcies, there’s so little precedent for cities filing for bankruptcy protection that case law is being written with each major decision.

• Muni Bond Market a Political Pawn in 2013
• Jan 21, 2013
• Experts say that 2013 will be a minefield of uncertainty for investors as the tax debate in Congress and financial volatility at home raise questions about muni market stability.

• Metro-Area Economies: Don’t Uncross Those Fingers Just Yet
• Jan 18, 2013
• Economists predict a return to steady economic growth in the latter half of this decade but said inaction on Capitol Hill could reverse that.

• Local Governments Strain Under Weaker State and Federal Aid
• Jan 17, 2013
• New York’s local governments are increasingly turning to local tax revenue to make up for sluggish growth in federal and state aid, a trend that experts say is occurring across the country.
• 1 Comments