As this article from the Tax Foundation states, you can’t make this stuff up…

direct democracy, states

We have two opposing camps in the muni-market at the moment: those who say it is the next systemic shoe to drop and the rating agencies that are systemically raising ratings.
Which is right?
We have moved from a market that has had heavy intermediation from the bond insurance companies to one where investors are on their [...]

ballot initiatives, bond insurance, community development district, direct democracy, liquidity, municipal bankruptcy, municipal bond default, ratings, state and local politics, states

Oregon voters passed Propositions 66 and 67 yesterday which support Governor Kulongowski’s budget proposal.  The following link will give you detail on the propositions, the vote, the key donors to each campaign and the groups advocating pro and con.  Oregon is a high income tax state and ranks high among the states with large budget deficits and [...]

ballot initiatives, fiscal stress, state and local politics, state income taxes, states

Midterm congressional elections will be lively this year.   Conditions are ripe for tax and spending initiatives and numerous recall elections are also on the popular agenda.  Budget deficits, rising taxation and runaway spending are factors leading to tax and spending limitations.  Anger at the federal government sometimes gets played out at the state and local level [...]

ballot initiatives, California, direct democracy, Florida, state and local politics, states