• Death And Taxes
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   March 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
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   January 2003
• A key factor in muni bond ratings these days is the quality of governance or 'political risk' of an issuer.

• Rethinking the Rules
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   December 2002
• Tax and spending changes in recent years call into question the wisdom of prohibiting states from running deficits.

• Of Scandals and Scoundrels
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   October 2002
• By stupidity or guile, public finance officials--like their corporate peers--can go astray. Fast-buck opportunities are there.

• States and the Markets
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   August 2002
• While the federal government remains stymied over corporate misdeeds, state officials have come out with guns blazing.

• Here's to Your Health
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   June 2002
• Either we take steps to halt the escalation of health care costs or we make plans for the higher bills to be paid.

• Can Enron Happen Here?
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   April 2002
• Several state and local investment funds took a beating in the Enron debacle. It could have been much worse.

• Budgets Flying Blind
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   February 2002
• With economic uncertainties undermining forecasts of future revenue, local budget makers are reluctant to be optimistic.

• Downturn With a Difference
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   December 2001
• The present recession, compounded by the war on terrorism, could fundamentally transform the economy.

• Shelter from the Fiscal Storm
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   October 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
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   August 2001
• Referendums held in special districts permit multimillion-dollar bonds to be issued based on the casting of a single vote.

• The Management Factor
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   June 2001
• How well governments plan for, execute and report their financial affairs is becoming a decisive factor in credit ratings.

• Bet on the Tortoise
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   April 2001
• With the economy weakening, will the bottom drop out of the real estate market--and property-tax collections--again?

• Beware the Bouncing Tax Bill
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   February 2001
• State and local revenues are more exposed to an economic downturn because they're more attuned to nonstop economic growth.

• All Hail the Dowager Queen
• BY: John E. Petersen   |   December 2000
• What she lacks in youthful upside potential, she makes up for in mature dependability: The muni bond's heyday is coming.

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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..."