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Girard Miller

Girard Miller

Contributor

Girard Miller retired in January 2026 as Governing’s finance columnist, having contribued some 200 biweekly columns after five years of monthly commentary for his “Benefits Beat” series. He expects to continue submitting occasional guest commentaries.

Miller was formerly an investment and public finance professional, and the author of numerous professional publications including the 2019 book “Enlightened Public Finance.” His professional career spanned 45 years of leadership in public finance and investments, which included the presidency of two national mutual funds. He has sponsored collegiate scholarships in his field for 25 years. Now residing in southern California, he can be contacted through LinkedIn.

States and cities have a lot of reasons for inaction on funding retiree medical benefits. Some of their excuses are pretty flimsy.
How Build America Bonds have crowded out 'Benefits Bonds.'
Constitutional curbs for runaway public pension plans
It's time to take a harder line on under-priced "bennies." Here's how.
The downside of "pay-as-you-go"
A threat or an opportunity?
Is the Golden State too big to fail?
Alice-in-Wonderland math can't work for Deferred Option Retirement Plans.
GASB is looking at new rules for making sure we pay for services we use.
National health care reform can't bail out state and local retiree health plans.