Taxes
Covering topics such as bonds, cryptocurrency, federal aid and pensions.
The state will need to reform its antiquated tax code, warily approach bond measures that tie the hands of policymakers, and get serious about spending oversight.
With billions in grants about to start flowing from Washington, they will need comprehensive, timely information on what’s available. They shouldn’t have to wait for the feds to supply it.
Democrats say the Transportation and Climate Initiative, a regional cap and trade plan to reduce vehicle emissions, will help fight climate change. But Republicans are calling the plan just another gas tax.
State, local, territorial and tribal entities have used $150 billion from the Coronavirus Relief Fund — part of the CARES Act — for many things. But with the Dec. 31 deadline approaching, some still have a lot left.
Leaders of several state agencies are seeing large pay increases compared to their predecessors, some getting boosts in the tens of thousands. Officials say they’re trying to achieve parity as compared to other states.
Thousands of Connecticut residents were overpaid in unemployment insurance, meaning they now owe millions. But some lawmakers want the state to waive repayment and reimburse the unemployment fund.
A new report found four tolling sites had problems correctly counting vehicle axles, billing customers twice and overbilling others with commuter payment plans. The problems could be larger than MDTA wants to admit.
Demand for homeless services is increasing. Scores of communities are finding that when providers work in teams and use better data and systems, they can solve the problem person by person.
Scholars have always placed two New Deal era federal agencies at the center of the racist policy that steered private mortgage lenders away from Black neighborhoods. However, new research paints a different picture.
CalPERS has yet to recover the approximately $42 million in pension payments to 22,000 dead people, according to an internal audit. About 1,800 CalPERS recipients die each month, and the agency isn’t immediately notified.
The right kind of public-private partnerships could liberate billions of dollars for other infrastructure and to address critical urban needs. But it’s important to protect public values.
The City Council has voted to redistribute funds from approximately 200 police officer departures and reinvest it in technology projects and other department needs. $3 million will be used for community-based public safety programs.
A New Mexico legislative committee is believed to be the first to try the management approach in a lawmaking context. It’s an effort that bears watching, and some lessons are being learned.
Despite predictions that COVID-19 would crush state tax revenues, most of them didn’t need megabillions in pandemic aid to balance their budgets. But for the most part they seem to be spending the money wisely.
A blockbuster video stars a LEGO re-creation of the city of Arlington, Texas. A city official’s hobby is helping citizens understand how it makes budget decisions.
Several of the state’s Democratic Congress members are working to advance policies such as child care, Medicaid expansion, nutrition assistance, electric vehicle charging and more as a part of the proposed $3.5T budget reconciliation.
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