Paul Burton is the Northeast Regional Editor for The Bond Buyer. His major coverage has included New York City and MTA finances; the Harrisburg, Pa., debt crisis; the 38 Studios bond financing fiasco in Rhode Island; and unfunded pension liability. Paul hosts podcasts and videos and has moderated at Bond Buyer conferences. Previously, Paul was senior editor and copy chief at M&A-oriented financial media company The Deal LLC. His award-winning career has spanned financial, sports and political journalism. A Boston native, Paul is the author of the book “Tales from the Newsrooms.” He is a frequent public speaker and has appeared as an expert on municipal debt on radio and television shows, including former CBS News White House correspondent Sharyl Attkisson’s public-affairs program, “Full Measure.”
- Pennsylvania
Municipal analysts will discuss strategic outlooks at the next Logan Square meeting of the Philadelphia Mutual Analyst Society.
March 3 - Connecticut
Connecticut's Bond Commission approved $1 million to fund removal of the state-owned Springborn Dam on the Scantic River in Enfield.
February 28 -
MassachusettsUnder a pay-for-success initiative, Massachusetts embarks on $27 million, seven-year program designed to reduce incarceration rates for at-risk young men.
February 28 -
Creditors stand to recover 75% of Harrisburg, Pa., general obligation bonds, Moody's Investors Service reported after Pennsylvania's capital announced its pending exit from state receivership.
February 27 - Pennsylvania
Rules that will force municipalities to report net pension liability could spawn credit downgrades in Pennsylvania, said pension expert Richard Dreyfuss.
February 27 -
MBTA Retirement Fund officials defended the secretive practices of the $1.6 billion fund, which manages the retirement accounts of Boston-area transit employees.
February 27 -
New YorkThe New York City Department of Education failed to employ proper safeguards and controls in awarding multi-million dollar milk distribution contracts for schools, said city Comptroller Scott Stringer.
February 26 -
Harrisburg, Pa., will officially exit state receivership on Saturday while remaining under less intensive oversight.
February 26 -
New York's MTA, rejecting a plea from former chairman Richard Ravitch not to do so, approved $7 million to cover Verrazano-Narrows Bridge toll discounts.
February 26 - Massachusetts
Voters in Revere, Mass., approved a $1.3 billion proposal by Mohegan Sun that will compete with Wynn Resorts for the Greater Boston resort casino license.
February 26 -
An upgrade by S&P to the primary credit of New York's MTA transportation revenue bonds was welcome news to authority finance officials.
February 25 - Rhode Island
The Credit Union National Association honored Rhode Island Treasurer Gina Raimondo with the Desjardins Financial Literacy Award, citing her Empower RI initiative.
February 25 -
Rhode Island's Senate oversight committee chairman wants access to all depositions and exhibits related to the state's lawsuit against video-game company 38 Studios.
February 25 -
Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation is exploring a P3 project to redevelop 11 Amtrak stations along the Harrisburg-to-Philadelphia corridor.
February 25 -
S&P raised its GO rating for Amherst, Mass., home of the University of Massachusetts, to AA-plus from AA, citing the town's strong budgetary performance.
February 24 -
Rhode Island's proposed settlement to pension overhaul lawsuits is a credit positive because it removes a lingering source of fiscal uncertainty, said Moody's.
February 24 -
The MTA board's finance committee approved a discount for frequent users of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The full board will consider it Wednesday.
February 24 -
Without taxpayer support, the ubersecretive $1.6 billion MBTA retirement fund would go broke between 2024 and 2036, said a report by Boston's Pioneer Institute.
February 21 - Connecticut
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed an executive order to create an Internet portal for what he called "widespread amounts of raw government data."
February 20 -
Rhode Island's announcement of a potential settlement regarding lawsuits challenging a 2011 landmark pension overhaul law is a positive development, said Fitch Ratings.
February 19
