• Official: Bankruptcy Possible for Harrisburg
• BY: The Associated Press   |   Pennsylvania   |   February 7, 2012
• HARRISBURG, Pa. — The state official in charge of figuring out how to fix an enormous financial shortfall in Pennsylvania's capital city said in a proposed recovery plan released Monday that "significant and difficult" steps lie ahead, and Harrisburg may end up seeking bankruptcy protection.

• Former Philly Schools Super's Unemployment Claim Denied
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   Pennsylvania   |   February 3, 2012
• Former Philadelphia schools superintendent Arlene Ackerman, who left her post with a controversial buyout worth nearly $1 million from the district, had her unemployment claim denied by the state of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

• Can Fiscal Sanity Be Mandated?
• BY: Charles Chieppo   |   February 2, 2012
• California may be about to find out, if an initiative that’s breathtaking in scope gets onto the ballot.
• 4 Comments

• Providence Mayor Warns of Possible Bankruptcy
• BY: The Associated Press   |   Rhode Island   |   February 2, 2012
• PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Mayor Angel Taveras painted a bleak picture Thursday of the city's finances, saying Providence faces "devastation" and could go bankrupt if retiree benefits aren't cut and tax-exempt institutions like Brown University don't pay more in lieu of taxes.

• R.I. Governor Seeks $400K More for Central Falls Receiver
• BY: The Associated Press   |   Rhode Island   |   February 1, 2012
• The cost of the state-appointed receiver and legal fees related to bankruptcy proceedings in the Rhode Island city of Central Falls is nearly $400,000 more this fiscal year than budgeted, and the total spent on the receivership is expected to reach $2.26 million by July.

• OMB Controller Werfel Shares Lessons of Recovery Act
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   February 1, 2012
• U.S. Controller Danny Werfel discussed key lessons from the Recovery Act to attendees at Governing's Outlook in the States and Localities conference.
• 1 Comments

• The Cost-Benefit Imperative
• BY: Susan K. Urahn   |   February 1, 2012
• A group of states is adapting a successful model to target scarce funds for the greatest return on investment.
• 1 Comments

• Putting Results First
• BY: Todd Newcombe   |   February 1, 2012
• Done properly, cost/benefit analysis can help governments make better decisions.

• The Future of Federal Spending
• BY: Mike Maciag,Ryan Holeywell   |   February 2012
• A slew of different players are considering major changes to how federal spending is tracked and all of their efforts will likely impact state and local governments.

• Are Consumer-Driven Health Plans Really Saving Money?
• BY: David Levine   |   February 2012
• CDHPs are slowly becoming the next big thing in health-care cost control, but studies show that they only save about 1 percent over traditional plans.

• Why Does Our Infrastructure Resemble a Third World Country’s?
• BY: Alex Marshall   |   February 2012
• One explanation may be our budgeting process.
• 20 Comments

• CBO Estimates Falling Deficits in 2012,
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   Nation   |   January 31, 2012
• If current fiscal policy is maintained, the federal budget deficit will dip slightly in 2012 before falling significantly in the coming years, according to a budget and economic outlook released Tuesday by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
• 1 Comments

• Did the Stimulus Do Anything for Transparency?
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   February 2012
• The economic impact of the stimulus is unclear and highly debated. But one thing is for sure: it's done more to promote government transparency than any piece of legislation in recent memory.
• 1 Comments

• Iowa and Nebraska State Parks Struggle With Tight Budgets
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   Midwest   |   January 30, 2012
• Iowa and Nebraska, Midwest states known for their picturesque vistas, are straining to make money for their state parks go as far as it can, the Omaha World-Herald reports.