Paul Burton

Auditor general Jack Wagner called for increased investment in Pennsylvania’s crumbling roads and bridges, echoing suggestions made by Gov. Tom Corbett’s advisory commission over the summer.

Hispanics are among the most potent market forces in the American economy, yet inadequate access to capital constrains them, New York City Comptroller John Liu said at a banking conference last week.

Time is running short for Nassau County officials to have a new arena in place for the New York Islanders, National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman implored last week.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $30.1 billion of outstanding debt contains about $5.2 billion of variable-rate debt, of which $3 billion is in synthetic fixed-rate mode achieved through interest-rate swaps, according to a derivatives portfolio report.

Moody’s Investors Service has assigned a Aa2 to the University of Massachusetts’ $28.1 million of tax-exempt, fixed-rate Series 2011 revenue refunding bonds.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy was scheduled late Thursday to sign a jobs bill that called for nearly $1 billion of bonds, including a controversial $291 million to help genetics research concern Jackson Laboratory build a $1.1 billion center at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Comptroller John Liu on Thursday announced an agreement in principle to overhaul the management of the city's five pension funds totaling $120 billion and place a chief investment officer and a singular pension board in charge.

Harrisburg's City Council will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Monday with Mayor Linda Thompson and Pennsylvania officials to discuss recently enacted legislation authorizing a state takeover of the city.

Moody's Investors Service assigned a negative outlook to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority's $8.23 billion of outstanding power revenue bonds while affirming its A3 rating.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is said to be chugging ahead with an outside-the-box - and outside-the-state - proposal to further extend the No. 7 subway line to New Jersey, according to a New York Post report that said he will spend the next few months planning for it.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey plans a $400 million sale of new money and refunding bonds by competitive bid on Wednesday.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority plans a $600 million sale of Series 2011B senior dedicated sales tax bonds through negotiated bid on Thursday after a one-day retail order period.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett late Monday declared a fiscal emergency in Harrisburg, calling the move necessary to ensure maintenance of vital municipal services.

New York City's defined-benefit pension plans can deliver the same retirement income at a nearly 40% lower cost than a 401(k)-type individual account, according to a report.

Rhode Island, the nation's smallest state, has a big problem - unfunded pensions. And it's not alone.

Puerto Rico said its general fund expenditures for the third quarter of fiscal 2012 were $1.86 billion, 1% below amounts budgeted.

Standard & Poor’s lowered its long-term rating on the Philadelphia Hospitals and Higher Education Facilities Authority’s revenue bonds, issued for Temple University Health System, to BBB-minus from BBB.

Pennsylvania completed an $811.6 million general obligation bond sale on Tuesday, obtaining what Budget Secretary Charles Zogby called one of the state’s lowest interest rates ever.

Moody’s Investors Service has placed the Ba3 rating on the Harrisburg Parking Authority’s $18 million of outstanding guaranteed Series 2007T revenue bonds on review for possible downgrade.

All governmental funds tax collections for the first half of New York State’s 2011-12 fiscal year rose 12.6% from the same period last year, but were $391.9 million less than updated financial plan projections, according to the September 2011 cash report released by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.