Archives: Thurston Powers / Articles
Archives: Thurston Powers / Articles
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1.1 Trillion Reasons to Remember State and Local Bond Obligations
Note: This Article Originally Appeared in The Hill. We can all agree that we want our states and cities to avoid the painful lessons collectively learned from the recent…
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The Pension Crisis is not a Black Swan Event
Close your eyes and envision a swan. What color is it? Most likely, it is a white swan. Because most of us go our entire lives coming across only white…
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Chicago Pension Obligation Bonds, a Strategy or Gamble?
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration is exploring the possibility of issuing billions of dollars of pension obligation bonds and investing the proceeds in order to reduce the city’s $28…
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Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf’s Calls for Progress with “a Push”
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s Budget Address contained a strong undercurrent of authoritarianism. Progress, as defined by the governor’s dictionary, can sometimes “require a push.” Agenda items within the speech reveal…
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Connecticut Rises to 40th Place, But Not For the Reason You Might Expect
For the first time since 2011, Connecticut has escaped the bottom 10 of the 11th edition of the Rich States, Poor States ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index…
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New Jersey Inauguration: Governor Murphy Claims the Moral High Ground in Bid to Expand Government
Governor Murphy failed to recognize that those on the other side of the aisle may share the same ultimate policy outcome goals—justice, fairness, and growth—albeit with far different policy preferences. This threatens to block pragmatic bipartisan progress on numerous pressing issues.
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Governor Malloy Redefines “Fair”
In his final state of the state address, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy sidestepped the majority of the fiscal and economic issues plaguing the state in favor of paying lip service…
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Maine State of the State: Governor Embraces Bold Tax Reforms for Final Year
Maine Governor Paul LePage delivered his final state of the state address. He did not attempt to shape his legacy by claiming credit for victories and shifting blame for losses—a…
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Gov. Northam’s Inaugural Address: Light on Details but Open to Suggestions
Virginia’s newly elected Governor Ralph Northam delivered his inaugural address on January 13th. Despite the governor’s history of supporting new and higher taxes, the governor…
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Governor Baker Highlights Tax-Hike Free Budget and Accomplishments
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker delivered his third State of the State address, highlighting the states’ successes and challenges over the past three years and his administration’s plans…
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Governor Hogan Aims to Reduce State Taxes in Response to Federal Tax Reform
Governor Larry Hogan delivered his fourth State of the State address at the end of January. The largely positive address condemned hyper-partisanship, highlighted the economic improvements that coincided with state…
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West Virginia State of the State: Governor Justice Changes His Tune on Tax Hikes
In his 2018 State of the State Address, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R.) lamented last year’s failed push for higher taxes, saying “It was really unfair…
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Vermont’s State of the State Address Highlights Difficult Hike Ahead
Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R.) exemplified non-partisan, economic realism during his state of the state address. Over the past decade, the state of Vermont has faced extreme economic difficulties, many…
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New York State of State Response
In Governor Andrew Cuomo’s state of the state address, the governor declared that New York is “once again the nation’s beacon…
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Pensions, Incentives and Mismanagement
The most recent edition of Unaccountable, Unaffordable, the ALEC Center for State Fiscal Reform uncovered a disturbing trend in pension management. States that are…
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Taxpayers in Every State Bearing Costs of Medicaid Expansion
Was Medicaid expansion a fiscally prudent decision for state governments? As with most sweeping changes, it depends on whom you ask. Medicaid expansion, a part of the Affordable Care Act…
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19th Century Myth Threatens 21st Century Technology
Two centuries ago, a group of English textile workers known as the Luddites feared that new technologies of the industrial revolution would destroy their livelihoods. The Luddites formed militias and…
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Alexion, General Electric, Aetna and Others Are Leaving Connecticut for a Reason
The Connecticut legislature moved to raise taxes by about $1.5 billion dollars[i] through new and higher taxes on cell phones, Uber rides, hospitals, hotels and second properties last…
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Lessons from Connecticut’s Income Tax: A Cautionary Tale
In 1991, Connecticut implemented a flat income tax of 4.5 percent. The income tax promised to stabilize tax revenues by replacing the volatile state capital gains tax and was to…
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Education Spending and Outcomes
In 2016, the Connecticut Superior Court held that the state failed to uphold its constitutional duty to provide adequate education to children in certain school districts.[i]…