MuniLand

Former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson on the nation’s fiscal sustainability: “We’re the healthiest horse in the glue factory.” In a wide-ranging interview with Reuters Digital Editor Chrystia Freeland last week, Simpson said the United States is on the same track as Europe’s weakest countries and is destined to experience a full-blown debt crisis. Simpson, known for his blunt talk, has been waving this flag for some time.

Good Links

NYT: Benefits received by all Americans add up to more than the value of taxes paid

Mother Jones: Who actually benefits from federal benefits?

NYT: Job losses in the public sector

Bond Buyer:  Municipal bond issuance declined in every southeastern state in 2011

Muni Net Guide: The rise, fall, and future of not-for-profit hospital debt issuance

Bond Buyer: FINRA files suit over excessive bond markups, ranging from 5.36 percent to 22.92 percent

SEC: MSRB files rule to update muni bond trade reporting system

I-Watch News: Michigan’s budget crisis puts democratic institutions on the chopping block

NYT: Cuomo: “Maybe basic competence appears as a conspiracy plot to you”

@Twitter Talk

@iWatch iWatch News  @ProPublica rounds up top reporting on the foreclosure crisis bit.ly/yWixdh, featuring our look into mortgage servicer abuses.

@PewStates PewCenterOnTheStates  Stateline Roundup: Arizona misses chance to buy back Capitol buildings by state’s centennial   ow.ly/96KEa

@ktbenner katie benner  Ads for NYC G.O. bonds running on WNYC. When’s the last time we heard muni bond radio ads? Auctions starts soon, walk don’t run, etc

@OccHealthSafety OccHealthSafety  Nevada Approves Autonomous Cars for Public Roads ht.ly/1hwY3p

@Birmingham_News Birmingham_News  Jefferson County returns more laid-off workers to their jobs: County attorneys advised the move for three purcha… bit.ly/yTBTfT

@munimojo Citycode Financial   Johnson County launches online survey to collect residents’ input on 2013 budget bit.ly/wP0Vmt