Latest
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San Francisco’s Latest Affordable Housing Bond Isn’t the Answer to the City’s Housing Crisis
Proposition A would spend $600 million to build 2,800 units of subsidized housing, which wouldn't make a dent in the problem.
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Pension Funds Should Focus on Funding Retirement Benefits, Not Politics
Pension boards prioritizing social change do a disservice to the workers expecting pensions and to the taxpayers responsible for unfunded pension debt.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Education Plan Would Hurt Charter Schools
The presidential candidate calls for more money for government-run schools and more regulations for private and charter schools.
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Why a Vaping Ban Would Be Terrible for Public Health
A vaping ban in California, or nationwide, would disastrously force legal adult vapers to buy products on the dangerous black market, increase vaping-related deaths and drive up traditional cigarette smoking rates.
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Pension Reform Newsletter
Bad investment return news for Texas and other states, why pension systems should avoid politically-motivated divestment policies, and more.
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Annual Privatization Report 2019: State Government
Updates on how states are using public-private partnerships in infrastructure, higher education, health care, and more.
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Infographic: How North Carolina School Finance Works
The state doles out staffing positions, which limits local control and causes inequities, and its funds come with strings attached.
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Where Do Gas Taxes Go? States Divert Fuel Taxes to Schools, Police, and Fish Barrier Removal
Five states are diverting over one-third of their total fuel tax revenue to non-road uses and an additional five states diverting at least one-quarter of their gas tax money.
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Public Pension Plans Are Seeing Low Investment Returns—It’s the New Normal
Whether through tax increases or diverting money from other programs, taxpayers get stuck with pension debt.
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Why We Should Stop Comparing High-Speed Rail In California and the US to China
Given the rule of law, the need to protect property and defend workers’ rights, high-speed rail projects in the United States will never achieve the ruthless efficiency of those in China. And that’s a good thing.
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The Teachers Retirement System of Texas Is Increasingly Relying on Risky Investments
TRS, an already-unhealthy pension plan with $46 billion in unfunded liabilities, needs to lower the rate of return it expects to generate from investments.
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California State Auditor Ranks 471 Cities On Financial Health, Finds 18 at High-Risk
Overall, more than half of California's cities were listed as being at a moderate to high risk of experiencing fiscal distress.
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Massachusetts’ Legislation for Marijuana-Impaired Driving Needs Some Work
Some of the state's recommendations have little or no connection to driving impaired by THC.
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Consideration of XBRL and Structured Disclosures by Municipal Issuers
The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board should accept and display Inline XBRL disclosures.
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Illinois Has More Governments Than Any Other State, Now Looking to Consolidate
Illinois has a disproportionate number of local governments and pension systems.
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How Level 4 Automated Vehicles May Impact Other Travel Modes
Estimating how intercity car, bus and air travel might change when autonomous vehicles are a viable option.
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State Takeovers Are Not the Best Solution When a District Is In Financial or Academic Distress
A growing number of school districts are finding success in giving principals the flexibility to make decisions through student-based budgeting.
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Nevada’s Flawed Marijuana Licensing Process Leads to Corruption and Lawsuits
Nevada’s mishandling of marijuana licensing is sadly the predictable result of a flawed regulatory structure and is likely to be repeated elsewhere.
