MuniLand

At minute 8 in this Bloomberg video, Larry Fink, CEO and chairman of the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, says everyone must be 100 percent in equities. I hope he doesn’t mean that everyone should sell their municipal bonds. Could he become muniland’s next Meredith Whitney?

Good Links

NCSL: Database of state responses to federal health reform requirements

Reuters: Senate Finance Committee approves new tax provisions for conduit bonds

Bloomberg: Head of muni research at BofA Merrill Lynch says muniland quality improving

Chicago Sun-Times: Illinois governor wants $2 billion in state Medicaid cuts

Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama governor calls for cuts to government, but funding and reform for schools

Patriot News: Pennsylvania governor proposes huge cuts to higher ed in new budget

Stateline: Seven questions for Michigan Governor Rick Snyder

Huffington Post: Who will fund Minnesota Vikings’ new stadium is a moving target

WPRI.com: Unions to RI: Negotiate a pension deal before you lose in court

@Twitter Talk

@Reuters Reuters Top News  Bernanke urges Congress to address Bush tax cuts  reut.rs/wYLKLo

@NickTimiraos Nick Timiraos  CoreLogic: There were 830,000 foreclosures last year, down 24% from year ago (thanks to banks’ processing problems)

@CSGovts CSG  After shedding 77,000 positions last year, state government employment levels off in January. Learn more here:  bit.ly/yus02h

@GOVERNING GOVERNING  New Center on Education Policy report projects state K-12 education spending will begin to rebound in 2012:  governing.com/news/state/gov…

@GreeneBarrett Barrett and Greene  New State Info Databases From Alaska, Maryland and Nevada ow.ly/8NUCQ

@BlogWood Norwood Orrick    Florida high-speed rail would have been profitable, state report says  blgwd.us/wZBhep

@taxjustice CTJ    Quick Hits in state news, including kudos for Gov. O’Malley in Maryland, ow.ly/8VyRn

@GovernorBentley Gov.Robert Bentley  pleased to announce that Golden Dragon Copper of China will build a $100M facility near Pine Hill in Wilcox County

@WealthWatch Suzanne Woolley  I dare you to find someone who disagrees with this. Port Authority Needs ‘Top-to-Bottom Overhaul bloom.bg/zunQsi

@techtowndetroit TechTown  Are banks lending to small business? The answer from Joan Schroeder of Huntington Bank is a resounding “Yes.” Just find the right bank.