The Bond Buyer articles from November 2008

The Bond Buyer archives from November 2008

IRS Seeks Tax-Exempt Bond Experts To Apply for Advisory Committee.(News)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Peter Schroeder WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service is seeking applications for two tax-exempt bond experts to serve on its Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities. The agency initiated the search Friday,...

Mutual Funds: Weekly Reporters Post $134M Outflow.(Investors and Investing)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Michael Scarchilli Weekly reporting municipal bond mutual funds had a net outflow of $134 million during the period ending Oct. 29, AMG Data Services reported. The results follow a $1.126 billion outflow the previous week, and...

Mergers and Acquisitions: Barclays Stresses Commitment to Munis.(Underwriters & Dealers)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Yvette Shields and Jack Herman CHICAGO - With the exception of a change in the letterhead that now reads Barclays Capital, the 160-member national municipal group of the former Lehman Brothers, from its desk nameplates to its...

Northeast Bond-Watch.(Northeast)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Ted Phillips, Lynne Funk, Ted Phillips DELAWARE New Director at OMB Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner last week appointed Mike Jackson as acting director of the Office of Management and Budget following the resignation of...

Cook County Clerk Report Calls For Transparency in TIF Revenues.(The Regions)(Report)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Caitlin Devitt CHICAGO - Tax increment financing districts collected nearly $900 million in Cook County last year, including about $555 million in Chicago, according to a new report by county clerk David Orr. The TIF revenue -...

Correction.(Market News)(Correction notice)
November 3, 2008... Thursday's story about Southeast election referendums misspelled the last name of an attorney who was quoted. The correct name is John L. Gornall of Atlanta-based Arnall Golden Gregory LLP.

Rating Agencies: Moody's Report Warns of Challenges For State Housing Finance Agencies.(Washington)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Lynne Funk WASHINGTON - Disruption in the short-term market, failed remarketings of variable-rate bonds, and the credit deterioration of counterparties, combined with the U.S. housing market's woes, pose challenges in the coming...

Ex-Jefferson County Official Charged With Bilking Charity.(The Regions)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Shelly Sigo BRADENTON, Fla. - A former Birmingham, Ala., City Council member and former Jefferson County commissioner was charged Friday with 97 counts of fraud in connection with the theft of $250,000 from Computer Help for Kids,...

Kentucky's Gov. Steve Beshear Moves to Address Budget Gaps.(The Regions)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Shelly Sigo BRADENTON, Fla. - Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is implementing actions to deal with a nearly $300 million shortfall in the general fund budget and a $71 million shortfall in the state's transportation fund. Beshear also...

Munis Firmer; Yields Down 2-3 Basis Points.(Market News)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Michael Scarchilli The municipal market was slightly firmer Friday. Traders said tax-exempt yields were lower by two or three basis points. "The market's a bit better, more so on the shorter end than the long," a trader in Los...

In Brief: Income Rises 0.2%; Core PCE Grows 0.2%.(Market News)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Market News International U.S. September personal income rose 0.2%, personal consumption expenditures fell 0.3%its largest drop since June 2004and core PCE prices rose 0.2% for a 2.4% gain over the year, while disposable income...

In Brief: Employment Cost Index Grows 0.7% in 3Q.(Market News)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel The U.S. third-quarter employment cost index rose 0.7% for overall compensation costs to civilian workers, the Labor Department reported Friday. Economists polled by IFR Markets predicted a 0.7% rise in the...

In Brief: Chicago Barometer Falls To Lowest Level Since '01.(Market News)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel The Chicago Purchasing Managers' Business Barometer plunged to 37.8 in October from 56.7 in September, its lowest level since May 2001, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Friday. The...

In Brief: Oct. NAPM-NY Index Falls to 35.6 From 39.1.(Market News)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel New York City businesses in October suffered their worst month since July 2007, contracting for the ninth time in the past 10 months, according to the National Association of Purchasing Management-New York's Report...

In Brief: Oct. Consumer Sentiment Falls to 57.6 From 70.3.(Market News)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel The University of Michigan's final October consumer sentiment index reading was 57.6 compared to a preliminary October reading of 57.5, and a final September 70.3 reading, according to market sources. Economists...

New Hampshire Selling $150M of GOs for Highways, Infrastructure.(News)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Michelle Kaske New Hampshire today will sell $150 million of general obligation new-money debt that will help support highway projects and infrastructure improvements throughout the state. The deal is larger than New...

N.Y.C. Agency OKs 1st Deal to Use Recycled PAB Cap.(News)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Ted Phillips The New York City Housing Development Corp. last week approved the first deal in the nation to use recycled private-activity bond volume cap. HDC expects to price the recycled tax-exempt Series 2008 I housing...

Officials: N.J. Saved $41M by Selling ARS.(Northeast)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Michelle Kaske After New Jersey refinanced or converted all of its $3.4 billion of auction-rate debt earlier this year, state Treasury officials decided to evaluate whether the state would have been better off having sold...

Virginia High Court Finds CCRC Exempt From Local Taxes.(The Regions)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Lynne Funk WASHINGTON - The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday reversed a lower court and ruled that the Glebe, an upscale continuing-care retirement community near Roanoke, is exempt from local taxes, a decision that eases the...

New-Issue Volume Down Despite Rally; October Decline of 57.2% From 2007.(News)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Patrick Temple-West WASHINGTON - New-issue volume in October plunged 57.2% from last year, despite a rally during the last two weeks of the month as issuers timed deals to meet retail investor demand for higher yields. Issuers...

Guest Words: Has the Muni Market Lost Its Buyer of Last Resort?(Commentary)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Chris Mier The municipal market has always had a buyer of last resort. This category of buyer had the capital and the leverage capability to buy municipal bonds when they were attractively priced relative to Treasuries or other...

The Week Ahead: Volume to Dip in Election Week; N.Y. ESDC's $664M Leads.(Investors & Investing)(Calendar)
November 3, 2008... Byline: Christine Albano The municipal market will see a slight decline in new-issue volume this week as some issues remain postponed due to unsettled market conditions, and as some issuers await the Election Day outcome of an estimated...

Brazos $6B Below-Par Tender in Doubt.(News)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Andrew Ackerman WASHINGTON - An insufficient number of institutional investors agreed to tender at less than par roughly $6 billion of outstanding taxable student-loan-related securities issued on behalf of the Brazos Higher...

Southwest Bond-Watch.(Southwest)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Jim Watts, Jason Philyaw ARIZONA Mesa's Tax Crossroads Voters in Mesa are deciding today whether the city will levy its first property tax since the end of World War II with a ballot question to authorize $169.2 million of...

Correction.(Market News)(Correction notice)
November 4, 2008... Yesterday's Week Ahead column misidentified an upcoming debt issue from New York's Empire State Development Corp. The $664 million deal consists of service contract revenue bonds.

D.C. Sues Bank of America Over Check Scam; Seeks $105M.(News)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Lynne Funk WASHINGTON - The District of Columbia on Friday filed suit against Bank of America NA in D.C. Superior Court seeking $105 million of damages after the bank cashed fraudulent tax checks in a scam that cost the district...

Deal In Focus: Denver Dealing $293M; Airport Refinancings Total $1.1B for 2008.(Southwest)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Richard Williamson DALLAS - Denver plans to refinance $200 million of variable-rate airport bonds today and another $93 million on Friday to rid the debt of backing by MBIA Insurance Co. When the deals close, Denver International...

FGIC's Dubel to Be Named CEO at Next Board Meeting.(Underwriters and Dealers)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Jack Herman Bond insurer Financial Guaranty Insurance Co. and parent FGIC Corp. said last week chief risk officer John S. Dubel is expected to be named chief executive officer at the next meeting of the board of directors. ...

Fuel Costs, Economy Jeopardize California Transit Bond Measures.(The Regions)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Andrew Ward SAN FRANCISCO - Tumbling gasoline prices and an economic meltdown are creating an uphill battle for a host of California transit bond measures that looked promising just a few months ago. Only 47% of California...

People: Morgan Keegan Brings Spivack to Shattuck in N.Y.(Underwriters & Dealers)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Shelly Sigo BRADENTON, Fla. - Memphis-based Morgan Keegan & Co. has hired Maureen A. Spivack as a managing director in the firm's Shattuck Hammond Partners health care division in New York. Just last month, Morgan Keegan added...

Milwaukee County Board to Vote on Long-Planned $400M Pension Deal.(The Regions)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Yvette Shields CHICAGO - The Milwaukee County board will vote Thursday on whether to give preliminary approval to a long-planned $400 million general obligation bond issue with the goal of smoothing out over the long term the...

Munis Unchanged to Slightly Firmer.(Market News)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Michael Scarchilli The municipal market was unchanged to slightly firmer yesterday. "There's a little bit of firmness, but not much. Probably not enough to move the scale even," a trader in Los Angeles said. "But the tone is...

In Brief: Construction Spending Dips 0.3% to $1.060 Trillion.(Market News)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel Spending on construction projects fell 0.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.060 trillion in September, as private construction rose 0.1% and public construction slid 1.3%, according to Commerce Department...

In Brief: October ISM Index at 38.9, Off From 43.5 in September.(Market News)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel The overall economy failed to grow for the first time after 83 straight months, while the manufacturing sector was contracted for the third month in a row, the Institute for Supply Management reported yesterday. ...

In Brief: 4.439M Jobs Posted On Internet in October.(Market News)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel About 4,439,000 online job postings appeared on leading internet job boards in October, a 21,000 increase from September's revised level of 4,418,000, the Conference Board reported yesterday. In October, there...

In Brief: Weekly T-Bills Go At 0.530%, 1.100 Rates.(Market News)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were lower yesterday compared to last week, as the three-months incurred a 0.530% high rate, down from 0.900%, and the six-months...

N.Y. Governor Calls for Capital Project Cutbacks.(News)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Ted Phillips Citing the economic downturn and the high cost of borrowing in the bond market, New York is looking to cut back on capital projects that were approved for the current fiscal year, Gov. David Paterson announced...

Study Pegs Pennsylvania's Water, Sewer Liabilities at $36.5B.(The Regions)(Report)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Michelle Kaske Pennsylvania officials last week released a study that assesses unfunded water and sewer infrastructure needs at $36.5 billion over the next 20 years. The report came out just days before today's general...

Rating Agencies: Ratings Reflect Turmoil; Uptick in Negative Outlooks Seen.(Underwriters and Dealers)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Jack Herman Although all three rating agencies upgraded more public finance credits than they downgraded in the third quarter of 2008, some actions have already started to reflect the pressures that will weigh on issuers from the...

SIFMA Index Falls on High-Grade Demand.(News)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Patrick Temple-West The leading index of municipal short-term borrowing rates has fallen for the fifth week in a row and is expected to drop further. But as rates have dropped, investors have started to demand only high-grade...

Arizona's Proposed Change to Voting Method Threatens Bonds, Foes Say.(The Regions)
November 4, 2008... Byline: Richard Williamson DALLAS - A proposed Arizona constitutional amendment that gives non-voters potential veto power over state spending initiatives could also threaten local bond proposals, opponents say. Proposition 105 on...

Atlanta OKs CFO, Hires Consultants For Financial 'Turnaround Plan'.(The Regions)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Shelly Sigo BRADENTON, Fla. - In addition to hiring a new chief financial officer, the Atlanta City Council is spending up to $850,000 to hire a team of consultants to develop and implement a "turnaround plan" in the city's finance...

Denver-Area Company Sues Aurora Over Water-Reclamation Technology.(The Regions)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Richard Williamson DALLAS - The Denver suburb of Aurora's $426 million Prairie Waters Project that reclaims wastewater from the South Platte River has won acclaim for easing the threat of chronic drought in the rapidly growing...

Midwest Bond-Watch.(Midwest)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Yvette Shields, Caitlin Devitt ILLINOIS Retirement Fund Loses $3.6B The Illinois Municipal Retirement System reported last week that investment funds under its management have lost about $3.6 billion in value for the first...

California Budget Blues; Governor Calls Special Session.(The Regions)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Rich Saskal SAN FRANCISCO - Facing a growing budget deficit, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will call a special session of the Legislature today. The lame-duck session, which brings back the outgoing Legislature rather...

New Products: Goldman Sachs Asset Management Launches New Muni Closed-End Fund.(Investors & Investing)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Christine Albano Goldman Sachs Asset Management LP plans to launch a new municipal closed-end fund as part of its existing lineup of tax-exempt mutual funds, according to an Oct. 24 registration with the Securities and Exchange...

State and Local Finance: Florida Lures 39 Prospective Firms for Negotiated Deals.(Underwriters and Dealers)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Shelly Sigo BRADENTON, Fla. - Florida's Division of Bond Finance on Monday received 39 proposals from firms wanting to become part of its underwriting pool as the state anticipates doing more negotiated transactions given continued...

Money Market Funds: ICI Launches Panel Intended to Brainstorm Improvements to MMFs.(Investors and Investing)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Lynne Funk WASHINGTON - The Investment Company Institute yesterday announced a working group of money market fund industry leaders to develop recommendations to help "improve the functioning of the money market and the operation...

Bond Insurers: Syncora Passes CDS Negotiations Deadline.(Underwriters and Dealers)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Jack Herman The negotiation period for Syncora Holdings Ltd. and its subsidiaries to reach agreements with counterparties on credit default swaps and other financial guarantee contracts has expired, the company said in a filing...

Michigan Agency Deals to Help Eliminate Depfa Exposure.(The Regions)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Caitlin Devitt CHICAGO - The Michigan State Building Authority is expected to enter the market this week with $200 million of fixed-rate revenue bonds, part of which will refund floating-rate debt and eliminate the state's exposure...

Munis Firmer as Nation Focuses on Election.(Market News)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Michael Scarchilli The municipal market was slightly firmer yesterday as the nation voted to elect the next president. Traders said tax-exempt yields finished lower by one to three basis points after Treasuries firmed up late...

In Brief: Fisher Sees Downside With a 'Turbulent Ferocity'.(Market News)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel It will take Congress, the new president, and the Federal Reserve Board to turn around the U.S. economy, which "is now geared to the downside with a kind of turbulent ferocity that seems to equal, if not better, the...

In Brief: Factory Orders Off 2.5%; Ex-Transport Down 3.7%.(Market News)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel New factory orders for manufactured goods slumped 2.5% in September, the Commerce Department said yesterday. The factory order decrease, to $431.989 billion, was larger than the 0.7% decrease projected by Thomson...

In Brief: Fed's 85-Day TAFs Go At 0.600% Stop-Out Rate.(Market News)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel The Federal Reserve yesterday said it sold $138.939 billion of 85-day term auction facility credits at a 0.600% stop-out rate. The bid-to-cover ratio was 0.93. Total propositions submitted were $138.939 billion,...

In Brief: Treasury 4-Weeks Go At 0.320% High Yield.(Market News)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel The Treasury Department yesterday auctioned $34 billion of four-week bills at a 0.320% high yield, a price of 99.975111. The coupon equivalent was 0.325%. The bid-to-cover ratio was 2.70. Tenders at the high rate...

New Jersey Prepares $750M Transportation Package.(The Regions)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Michelle Kaske New Jersey officials are working on a $750 million new-money New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority bond sale that includes $250 million of capital appreciation bonds. Merrill Lynch & Co. will kick off...

Transportation: DOT PABs Come up Short; Federal Program Yields 1 Deal in 3 Years.(Washington)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Audrey Dutton WASHINGTON - More than three years after its creation, the Department of Transportation's $15 billion private-activity bond program designed to help states and localities finance infrastructure through private...

Technology: RBDA Forms Fixed-Income Tech, Operations Panel.(Washington)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Patrick Temple-West The Regional Bond Dealers Association announced the formation of a new technology and operations committee for fixed-income businesses at regional broker-dealers to help them compete with Wall Street firms. ...

Terms for Sale of Starrett City In Brooklyn Is Still Pending.(Investors and Investing)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Ted Phillips The sale of Starrett City, a 5,881-unit affordable housing complex in Brooklyn, N.Y., is taking longer than expected. A memorandum of understanding between owner Starrett City Associates and federal, state, and...

Trends In The Region: Blagojevich Makes Infrastructure Pitch.(Midwest)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Yvette Shields CHICAGO - IllinoisGov. Rod Blagojevich reported on Monday that his council of economic advisers believes an infrastructure program is the state's best bet to counter the job and revenue losses expected from an...

mutual Funds: Vanguard Group to Merge Insured, Uninsured Tax-Exempt Funds.(Investors and Investing)
November 5, 2008... Byline: Christine Albano As a result of the credit crisis, Valley Forge, Pa.-based Vanguard Group yesterday said it will merge its $3.2 billion Vanguard Insured Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund into its $2.8 billion Vanguard Long-Term Tax-Exempt...

Municipal Bond Activities.(News)
November 6, 2008... November 10-11 The Bond Buyer will host its 14th Annual Midwest Public Finance Conference at the Marriott Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile hotel. For more information or to register contact Bill Baneky at 212-803-8481 or...

Bonds See Approval Rate of 82%; Voters OK $54B From $67B Ballot.(The Regions)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Bond Buyer Staff Despite a faltering national economy, voters by and large gave a very favorable reception to bond referendums on Tuesday's ballot. There were 696 questions totaling $67 billion before voters - the second...

Southeast Bond-Watch.(Southeast)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Shelly Sigo, Jill D'Ambrosio, Lynne Funk ALABAMA JeffCo's Bell on Board Birmingham City Councilor William Bell is expected to be seated as a Jefferson County commissioner Wednesday and he could be an important swing vote...

Chicago Council OKs $1.1B to Sell Before Year-End.(The Regions)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Yvette Shields CHICAGO - The Chicago City Council yesterday approved the proposed issuance of up to $1.1 billion of new-money and refunding general obligation bonds in a deal officials hope to price before the end of the year if...

Cook County Weighs Cuts for '09 Instead of Borrowing Plan.(The Regions)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Caitlin Devitt CHICAGO -Cook County, Ill., may consider cutting its fiscal 2009 budget as an alternative to a $740 million borrowing plan that continues to attract opposition from county commissioners. The possible budget cuts...

Correction.(Market News)(Correction notice)
November 6, 2008... The Municipal Bond Index for Tuesday, Nov. 4, has been revised because Standard & Poor's Securities Evaluations Inc. priced one of the bonds incorrectly. The Long Island Power Authority's 6% bond due May 1, 2033, should have been priced at...

Moody's Drops Ambac Insurer Rating.(Underwriters and Dealers)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Jack Herman Moody's Investors Service Wednesday afternoon downgraded the insurer financial strength rating of Ambac Assurance Corp. to Baa1 with a developing outlook from Aa3 on review for downgrade. The change came after the bond...

Kansas Could Face $1B Shortfall in 2010 After Revised Revenue Estimate.(The Regions)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Jim Watts DALLAS - Kansas lawmakers may be facing a shortfall of almost $1 billion in fiscal 2010 when they convene next year following Tuesday's lowering of officially expected revenues. The Consensus Estimating Group cut the...

Munis Firmer on a 'Pretty Positive Day'.(Market News)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Michael Scarchilli The municipal market was firmer by yesterday, following Treasuries. Traders said tax-exempt yields were lower by three or four basis points. "There wasn't much going on early, but it turned around," a trader...

In Brief: Oct. ISM Non-Mfg Index Drops to 44.4 From 50.2.(Market News)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Gary E. Siegel The Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing business activity composite index was 44.4 in October, down from 50.2 in September, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the group said yesterday. Economists...

In Brief: Treasury $55.0B Refunding Will Borrow $100 Million.(Market News)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Market News International WASHINGTONThe Treasury Department's November mid-quarter refunding of $55.0 billion will borrow $100 million, Treasury announced yesterday. For November, the the department said it will sell $25.0...

N.Y.C.'s Bloomberg Calls for Cuts, Rescinding Property Tax Breaks.(The Regions)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Ted Phillips New York City needs to cut its government workforce and operating expenses and rescind property tax breaks to deal with growing deficits caused by falling revenue, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said yesterday. As Wall...

New Power Equations in the States.(The Regions)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Rich Saskal SAN FRANCISCO - Some new faces took power and new power alignments were created in state and local governments Tuesday as voters weighed in on their local tickets. In Missouri, Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon...

Legislation: Democrats to Seek New Stimulus Package.(Washington)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Audrey Dutton and Peter Schroeder WASHINGTON - House and Senate Democratic leaders said yesterday that they will push for a second economic stimulus package when Congress returns to Washington for a lame-duck session on Nov. 17. ...

Illinois Toll Authority to Market $400M Package to Rebuild System.(The Regions)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Yvette Shields CHICAGO - The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority expects to enter the market today with between $300 million and $400 million of fixed-rate, new-money revenue bonds to raise funds for its ongoing $6.2 billion...

Trends In The Region: In Florida, Reelected Senator Plans Follow Through Against Toll Road P3s.(Southeast)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Shelly Sigo BRADENTON, Fla. - Democratic state Sen. Dave Aronberg was reelected this week, giving him the chance to follow through with legislation aimed at curtailing the use of transportation-related public-private partnerships...

Election Results: Obama Chooses Transition Team as Balance of Power Tilts to Democrats.(Washington)
November 6, 2008... Byline: Andrew Ackerman, Peter Schroeder, Patrick Temple-West, Audrey Dutton, and Lynne Funk WASHINGTON - Just one day after his historic win to become the nation's 44th president, Barack Obama was choosing staff, setting up a transition...

Bond Insurers: Ambac Gets Wisconsin Regulators' Approval for Support.(Underwriters and Dealers)
November 7, 2008... Byline: Jack Herman Ambac Financial Group Inc. Wednesday night received approval from Wisconsin regulators to use resources at bond insurer Ambac Assurance Corp. to provide support to its financial services unit, which faces a shortfall of...

Assured Guaranty Third-Quarter Losses Less Than Last Year.(News)(Financial report)
November 7, 2008... Byline: Jack Herman Assured Guaranty Ltd. last night reported a third-quarter net loss of $63.3 million, compared to a net loss of $115 million in the same quarter last year. Assured posted an operating income of $26 million, or $0.28...

Austin Voters Nix Measure Targeting Shopping Center's Tax Subsidies.(News)
November 7, 2008... Byline: Richard Williamson DALLAS - An Austin developer will continue to receive tax subsidies for its shopping center after voters rejected Proposition 2 that would have curtailed the funding. The proposition fell short of approval by...

Far West Bond-Watch.(Far West)
November 7, 2008... Byline: Andrew Ward, Rich Saskal CALIFORNIA S.F.: Taxes Yes, Power Grab No San Francisco voters passed three tax measures this week that will protect or increase revenue in the city's budget, while rejecting a measure that would...

California in Crisis Mode As Deficit Passes $11B; Governor Urges Emergency Cuts, Tax Hikes.(News)
November 7, 2008... Byline: Rich Saskal SAN FRANCISCO - California's budget deficit has ballooned past $11 billion, forcing the state to take emergency actions, including sales tax hikes and spending cuts that need to take effect as soon as possible, Gov....

Wisconsin Districts Fight Move to Federal Court in Suit Against Stifel, RBC.(The Regions)
November 7, 2008... Byline: Yvette Shields CHICAGO - Five southeastern Wisconsin school districts that last month filed a lawsuit against Stifel Nicolaus & Co. and the Royal Bank of Canada -alleging they misrepresented the safety of an investment transaction...