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.”
-
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 -
New YorkNew York City should settle its expired labor contracts by the end of the fiscal year or risk budget uncertainty and rating scrutiny, said Comptroller Scott Stringer.
February 19 -
PennsylvaniaPFM director David Eichenthal will discuss his new book, The Art of the Watchdog, at a meeting of the Philadelphia organization The Committee of Seventy.
February 19 - Pennsylvania
Moody's revised its outlook on Lancaster County, Pa.'s general obligation bonds.
February 18 -
Rhode Island may have come out ahead in the proposed settlement to union-backed lawsuits challenging the state's landmark 2011 pension overhaul law, assuming it clears some remaining hurdles.
February 18 -
Rhode Island officials and a federal mediation panel late Friday announced a settlement in lawsuits that challenged the state's 2011 pension overhaul law, but state lawmakers must still approve it.
February 14 -
Five consortiums have submitted statements of qualification for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's rapid bridge replacement P3 project.
February 14 -
Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed a bill to enhance a settlement in Rhode Island's lawsuit against Curt Schilling and other principals of failed video-game 38 Studios.
February 14 -
The on-again, off-again Rhode Island pension lawsuit settlement announcement is on again, according to a federal mediation agency.The on-again, off-again Rhode Island pension lawsuit settlement announcement is on again, according to a federal mediation agency.
February 13 -
Mayor Bill de Blasio's preliminary $73.7 billion budget proposal for New York City still leaves more questions than answers, some capital markets observers said.
February 13 -
New YorkNew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday proposed a $74 billion budget for fiscal 2015 that he called "the first step in a complex and collaborative process."
February 12 -
A federal agency called off a settlement announcement regarding the lawsuit challenging Rhode Island's pension overhaul law, while a judge set a September trial date.
February 12 - Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania House Speaker Sam Smith will not seek re-election, ending a 27-year legislative career.
February 12 -
The Harrisburg, Pa., City Council tabled a vote to authorize up to $4 million to issue tax and revenue anticipation notes, while it OK'd a $78 million budget.
February 12 -
Harrisburg and its firefighters union agreed on concessions that will enable Pennsylvania's distressed capital to balance its budget.
February 11 -
ConnecticutThe Center on Budget and Policy Priorities rated Connecticut first among the 50 states in long-term budget planning.
February 10
