MuniLand

Now Al Jazeera weighs in on fracking.

Good Links

WaPo: CBO: If Congress does nothing, deficit plummets

Bond Buyer: More confusion about Obama’s approach to municipal bond tax exemption

The Capital Exchange: A primer from muniland’s most knowledgeable commentator, Bloomberg’s Joe Mysak

Bloomberg: LBJ-era yields for municipal bonds

Bond Buyer: 17 percent more municipal bonds come to market in January

Marketwatch: Treasuries, muni bonds beating company debt

The Energy Collective: Worst. Transportation Bill. Ever.

Capital Alert: California Controller: State to run out of cash in March without action

California Watch: Explainer: The end of redevelopment agencies

WSJ: California “redevelopment” offices have been closed, but their bonds are hot

Reuters: Watchdog says Illinois facing “financial disaster”

@Twitter Talk

@JimPethokoukis James Pethokoukis   Recovery, RIP | CBO: Unemployment will average 8.8% in 2012, 9.1% in 2013; GDP will average 2.2% this year, 1.0% in 2013

@ReutersPolitics Reuters Politics  CBO sees FY12 budget deficit of $1.08 trillion: sources reut.rs/y9bMNr

@damianpaletta Damian Paletta  CBO projects Social Security disability insurance fund to be exhausted in 2016. Medicare trust fund to be exhausted in 2022.

@JesseDrucker Jesse Drucker  CTJ Calculates Buffett Rule Would Raise $50 Billion in One Year and Affect Richest 0.08 Percent of taxpayers ctj.org/taxjusticedige…

@coopnytimes Michael Cooper  Some of the new Republican governors who sparked uproars last year are now softening their tones. My story: nyti.ms/wrtIsM

@mattyglesiasMatt Yglesias  42% of undergraduate students attend community colleges, the subject of approximately 0% of media coverage of higher ed funding.

@GOVERNING GOVERNING  Dept. of Labor looking to pump 2 billion over 2 years into community colleges for expansion and to help displaced trade workers.

@tmaniccia Tim Maniccia  Mo authorized record amount of job-creation tax breaks in 2011 even as past incentives not hitting job targets.  newstribune.com/news/2012/jan/

@TurboVote TurboVote  Arizona offers online voter registration; voters love it – RT @theREALAZsos: 4,375 people registered to vote through EZ Voter yesterday.

@kelleyroot Kelley Root  Deadline looms for union concessions; Detroit council pushes mayor for deeper cuts:  detroitnews.com/article/201201…