• The Effect of Federal Budget Cuts on States and Localities
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   January 2011
• When the federal government starts reducing its deficit, watch out below!
• 3 Comments

• The Effects of the Housing Market on Government Finance
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   November 2010
• Plunging real estate values have devastating consequences for government finance.
• 2 Comments

• Could Credit Default Swaps Undermine the Fiscal Stability of Municipal Bonds?
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   September 2010
• Could credit default swaps undermine the fiscal stability of state and local bond issuers?

• The Similarities Between Sacramento and Athens
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   July 2010
• Some see California's future in Greece's current woes.
• 1 Comments

• Sinking Ships of State
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   May 2010
• Deep cuts in state and local spending may exert an undertow on the nation's recovery.
• 3 Comments

• Fairy Tale Pension Projections
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   March 2010
• Assumptions about return rates and risky investments foreshadow big problems.
• 2 Comments

• Defining State Debt
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   January 2010
• State borrowing takes on so many forms that it's hard to figure out what the total is.

• A Boost for the Muni Bond Market
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   November 2009
• Build America Bonds are like the cash-for-clunkers program: They bring buyers in.

• California: Paying the Price for Indulging Citizens
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   September 2009
• The Golden State's voters opted for more schools, roads and research, but then refused to pay for them.
• 2 Comments

• Breaking Bonds
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   July 2009
• A subsection of the federal recovery act may kill off the muni bond as we know it.
• 3 Comments

• Buffett's Bad Bet
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   May 1, 2009
• The financial genius overestimates the risk of default on insured muni bonds.

• Spend Now, Save Later
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   March 1, 2009
• After the fun and games of a stimulus bump, stringency lies ahead.

• Revenue Revisions
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   January 1, 2009
• States and localities should use the current fiscal trauma to adjust and amend the ways they raise money.

• All Systems in Distress
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   November 1, 2008
• Even if the Wall Street bailout works, state and local governments will have fiscal problems for a long time.

• The Big Bill
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   September 1, 2008
• In Massachusetts, there is an ongoing disconnect between enjoying the good things in life and paying for them.

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Comments

• Do Tax Breaks for Senior Citizens Pay for Themselves?
  
  "I am much more receptive to empirical data, and the evidence I see here in Wisconsin...."
• A Third Way for Public Pensions: Adjustable Pension Plans
  
  "Hi Robert, when a member of the Colorado PERA pension system retires, their base pension..."
• What's Wrong with Kansas' Tax Reform?
  
  "There's an exodus in Kansas too. In fact, one out of three counties in this state will..."