Some Top Headlines in 2011

  • Vallejo Plan Would Give Unsecured Creditors 5 to 20 Cents on the Dollar — Jan. 19

    Unsecured creditors got 5 cents to 20 cents on the dollar for their claims under a bankruptcy reorganization plan for Vallejo, Calif.

  • Report: Defaults Overhyped — Jan. 20

    The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said fears about municipal defaults and bankruptcies are greatly exaggerated.

  • Moody’s Sees Worse To Come — April 27

    Analysts warned that 2011 would be the toughest year for state and local governments since the economy tanked in 2008.

  • Mournful Muni Experts See End of an Era — May 6

    Market experts lamented that lower municipal bond volume might be here to stay as state and local governments tighten their belts and the federal government cuts spending.

  • Firms Manage With Slim Pickings — May 17

    Municipal bond bankers confronted with fewer deals to underwrite say they are getting creative and aren’t having second thoughts about their commitment to the underwriting business.

  • Tax-Exemption Efforts Send Lobbyists Scrambling — June 20

    Lobbyists got to work launching campaigns for states and local governments to protect tax-exempt interest for municipal bonds against cost-cutting efforts in Congress.

  • Munis and Treasuries Get Crazy — Aug. 4

    A “flight to quality” sent investors flocking to Treasuries and municipals.

  • U.S. Downgrade Will Have Impact on Munis — Aug. 6

    The downgrade of the United States by Standard & Poor’s to AA-plus from AAA reverberated through the municipal bond market.

  • Obama Proposal Stuns Market — Sept. 14

    President Obama’s proposal to cap tax-exempt interest for higher-income taxpayers shocked market participants, including muni issuers who said such a development could result in about $10 billion more in added interest costs.

  • Jefferson County Finally Files for Bankruptcy — Nov. 9

    Jefferson County, Ala., filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, saying it could not come to terms with creditors over restructuring $3.14 billion of defaulted sewer debt.

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