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Journal Article
Should Massachusetts reform its bank tax?
Journal Article
How dependent are New England's mid-sized firms on the region's largest bank holding companies?
The degree to which mid-sized firms--the "middle market"- depend on large regional banks for short-term credit is an issue particularly relevant to New England. If this dependence is heavy, then the recent consolidation among the regions large bank holding companies could be forcing its mid-sized firms to accept short-term credit on uncompetitive terms. The dependence of New Englands middle market on the regions banking institutions as a whole, both large and small, is also of concern. The greater this dependence, the more vulnerable are the regions mid-sized firms to sharp contractions in ...
Journal Article
Fiscal disparity among the States revisited
The 50 states differ sharply in the scope of public services their state and local governments must deliver and in the costs of providing them. The governments of many states, through no fault of their own, must work relatively hard to provide the services needed by those who reside, work, travel, and vacation within their borders. The states also differ dramatically in fiscal capacity, that is, the capacity of their state and local governments to raise revenues. The degree of fiscal disparity among the states has been a salient issue throughout our nation's history, and a focal point of the ...
Journal Article
Cyclical swing or secular slide? Why have New England's banks been losing money?
Are the losses recently incurred by New Englands banking industry symptomatic of chronic excess capacity that will depress the industrys profitability even after the regions economy recovers from its current recession? Or can the industry restore its profitability by ridding itself of the extraordinary costs resulting from its large overhang of bad loans? This article maintains that the industry is not "overbanked" and that its underlying profitability will eventually reemerge. In support of this contention, the article provides estimates of the "normal" profitability of New Englands ...
Journal Article
Are state and local revenue systems becoming obsolete?
As recently as a year ago, state governments were awash in revenue, but reports from state revenue officials suggest that growth in tax receipts has slowed considerably in recent quarters. The flow of tax revenues into state coffers has decelerated primarily because the economy has suffered a severe shock (it was weakening even before September 11) and delayed tax cuts enacted in earlier, more prosperous times have taken full effect. However, many tax analysts believe that long-term economic, technological, and political trends are also partially responsible and will continue to constrain ...
Journal Article
Equity in the distribution of Massachusetts tax burdens
Discussion Paper
Interstate fiscal disparity in state fiscal year 1999
This paper compares states in terms of their relative fiscal capacity, fiscal need, fiscal comfort, and tax effort in state fiscal year 1999 (FY1999). It is the most recent in a series initiated by the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR) in 1962. As in previous studies, the authors use the representative tax system and representative expenditure system methodologies in their analysis. Compared with FY1997, the authors find less interstate disparity in fiscal capacity, fiscal need, and fiscal comfort. However, such disparity, though diminished, remains substantial. ...