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Journal Article
Preparing for the storm: rainy day funds in New England
Rainy day funds have played an important role in alleviating the current state fiscal crisis. This article examines the benefits of these funds, the various ways in which they can be structured, and the differences in the structure and use of these funds in New England.
Journal Article
Do New England state and local governments have too many employees, and are they overpaid?
Americans tend to be ambivalent about their state and local governments. On the one hand, they desire and receive a host of public services from state and local governments, including education, police and fire protection, and the maintenance of roadways. Voters are often disenchanted by efforts to curtail these services or by a deterioration in their quality. On the other hand, many Americans think that their state and local taxes, especially local property taxes, are too high, and many citizens believe that their state and local tax dollars could be used more efficiently. Calls for ...
Journal Article
Dealing with deficits: how New England States are managing the fiscal crisis
Following the economic boom of the late 1990s, the current recessionary period has caused revenues to decline and demand for government services to rise. Now, government executives and lawmakers, faced with persistent budget deficits, are struggling with difficult decisions: "What cuts should we make?" "Could we, should we, raise taxes?" "How deeply do we dip into quickly diminishing reserves?"...
Journal Article
Is New England's fiscal crisis abating?
Here in New England, the potential for deficits in the current and next fiscal years, though not nil, is significantly reduced compared with recent years.
Journal Article
Securitizing tobacco settlements: the basics, the benefits, the risks
In this time of fiscal hardship for American states, governors and legislators across the country are searching for ways to make up for revenue shortfalls. Partly because of the severity of the revenue crisis, innovative and unconventional means of raising cash have begun to surface. One of these approaches, the topic of this article, is the securitization of tobacco settlement revenues.
Journal Article
Six-state review
Year-to-date revenues for the first four months of FY2003 were above their FY2002 level in most New England states. Hit hard by dramatically diminished tax receipts and/or increased spending pressures, all six states closed FY2002 with deficits that had to be eliminated by end-of-the-year fiscal measures. The improved revenue collections for the first four months of FY2003 were welcome. General revenues were up in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Sales tax receipts, driven in large part by car purchases induced by manufacturers' offers of zero percent financing, ...
Journal Article
Six-state review
It appears that most New England states can look forward to a year in which revenues may equal or exceed budgeted levels.
Journal Article
Issues in economics
Budget crises in the six New England states have prompted spending cuts, leaving taxpayers to ask, "Where does the state spend our money?"
Journal Article
States may face higher spending in give-and-take of Medicare/Medicaid changes
Despite a markedly improved outlook for state finances, New Englands states still face significant fiscal pressures moving forward into the current and next fiscal years. Prominent among these challenges are two changes to the Medicaid and Medicare programs that could significantly increase state health care costs.
Journal Article
The federal Medicare prescription drug bill plan: its implications for the New England states
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 contains several provisions that carry significant fiscal implications for the New England states. Chief among these is the new laws treatment of individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.