- An
article at SSRN about statistical problems with the standard
practice of revaluations. A summary
treatment of the same issue, adapted
from a 2004 article in the Rhode
Island Policy Reporter, see issue 4 (August 2004).
A presentation about those
statistical problems, presented at the Providence City Council's
Special Commission for Taxation and Revenue, 8 November 2023.
- Testimony to the RI House
Corporations Committee in favor of 2023 H-5666, a
resolution supporting the establishment of a National
Infrastructure Bank. (March 2023)
-
Measuring Public Pension Health: New Metrics and New
Approaches, study about new ways to look at the health of
a pension fund. In many ways a follow-up to the report
The
Case for New Pension Accounting Standards, see
below. (June 2022)
- Viability Study
for a publicly-owned bank in the East Bay Area, California.
(March 2022)
- Testimony to House
Finance in support of H5227, to raise marginal rates on
the very wealthy. (May 2021)
- A proposal to use tax
credits to encourage local economic development to aid in COVID-19
recovery. Legal, easy, fast. (May 2020)
- Municipal
banking made easy, written for
the Just
Public Finance program of
the Othering and
Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley. A plan for
taking more control of what is done with public money,
without leaping into the whole commitment of a public bank.
(July 2019)
- The Challenge of
Cannabis Deposits: Is there another way? (Spoiler:
yes.) California (or another state) could deal with the
problems of cannabis finance simply and quickly and
without risk by using tax credits and a novel public
finance institution. (November 2019)
- The
problems with pension fund accounting
(Report sponsored by NCPERS,
2019.) Hard to summarize, but let's just say that when
you read that some public pension is only 60% funded, it
doesn't mean what you probably think it means. (May 2019)
- Lessons
learned from establishing Rhode Island's
Infrastructure Bank. Why the state would be
better served by a real lending institution rather
than just a revolving fund. (2017 Invited testimony
to the Massachusetts Legislature.) Similar remarks
delivered
as invited
testimony to the New Hampshire legislature.
- "Predatory
Public Finance" about the many ways banks and
other financial firms rip off our governments.
(Journal
of Law and Society, 17(1) Fall 2015)
- The dangers of pricing risk in
public finance. 2016 Invited
testimony to the Illinois Senate Revenue and Finance
Committee.
- A book:
Checking the Banks: The Nuts and Bolts of Banking for People Who
Want to Fix It.
Read an excerpt
here about why you should care about the state of
banking. (2014)
- "Moral obligation bonds"
and how to recognize them. Memo for a local activist
group about a specific project, but these are generally
applicable guidelines, using the 38 Studios bonds as an
example. (January 2016)
- "Finding
Clout: Repositioning municipalities in the banking
market", about how governments can foster a
better banking market and better deals for
themselves. (Journal
of Law and Society, 17(1), Fall 2015)
- Pension accounting, specifically
the problems
with aiming at "full" funding. From
the Haas
Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society, 2017.
- Also, about pension systems, here's the
famous piggy-bank
visualization of a pension system, from 2015.
- Convert the Vermont Economic
Development Agency into a public bank. Invited
testimony to the Vermont legislature (2014).
- Tax policy and how
to cut a budget. There are five ways. Some work
well, and others are easier. 2012 Testimony to RI
House Finance.
- Tax policy
and the state's investment outlook. What exactly
is the economic outlook? 2008 Testimony to
RI House Finance.
- The property tax circuit
breaker. Aiming tax relief where it's actually
needed. 2007 Testimony to RI House Finance.
- The impact of property
"flipping" on real estate prices: bigger
than you think. 2007 Testimony to RI House Finance.
See also
RIPR Issue
23 on what can be done about it.
- Suggestions
about how to structure a
school department budget presentation. Summary of the
budget advisory group deliberations in a RI school district
(2006).
-
Ten Things You Don't
Know About Rhode Island, a book about economics,
statistics, and my little state.
- And of course don't forget
the Rhode Island Policy
Reporter archive. RIPR, a nearly monthly newsletter
about the nerdiest policy issues in Rhode Island, was
published from 2003--2009. Taxes, budget, debt, pensions,
economics, water pollution, health care, education,
Milton, Locke, fake nuns, you name it.
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