MuniLand

An excellent, short overview of the problems public pension funds face, by Carolyn Presutti of the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Good Links

The Economist: Some public pension fund wonkishness

Reuters: States ask Congress not to impose any new unfunded mandates

Kaiser Family Foundation: Tracking states’ implementation of health insurance exchanges

U.S. Census Bureau: What states earned from lotteries and gambling

Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board: MSRB releases 2012 Rule Book

Bond Buyer: More muniland rule-breaking by Citi, Morgan Stanley and RBC

Bloomberg: States giving out “jobs development” funds and not always verifying results

@Twitter Talk

@WestWingReport West Wing Report  ”Wealth can only be accumulated by the earnings of industry and the savings of frugality.” – John Tyler

@WSJ Wall Street Journal  Food Stamp Facts. 2011: 44.7 mil people in program w $71.8B benefits paid. 2008: 28.2 mil people w $34.6B benefits paid  on.wsj.com/yQwnaU

@IpreoMuni IpreoMuni  January ends with modest jump. Here’s next week’s muni deal calendar: bit.ly/yQKc42 #muniland

@GOVERNING GOVERNING  How has employment for different areas of local government shifted over time? View data here: bit.ly/ADX6dX

@GreeneBarrett Barrett and Greene  Interesting side note to @SunshineReview of state/local salaries in 8 large states – PA = most transparent/responsive; FL was least

@PewStates PewCenterOnTheStates  Stateline: California revenue estimates are “an even bigger question mark than usual” ow.ly/8yf9V

@StatesAndCities Bloomberg State/Muni  Calpers Is Selling One-Fifth of Land Portfolio to U.S., Japanese Builders:  ow.ly/8xKA3

@DebGH Deb Gersh Hernandez  Ind. lawmaker warns that redevelopment commissions can become “shadow govt” w/out oversight.  indy.st/ztfpuO