Yvette Shields

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver last week announced the state would cut an additional 180 positions and require 3,200 nonunion employees to take seven unpaid days off work to help balance the budget.

CHICAGO — Though student demand remains strong, the recession is taking its toll on tuition and fee revenue at some private higher education institutions, and the stress is expected to hurt the operating performance of some schools, especially in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions, a new report being released today from Moody’s Investors Service found.

CHICAGO — Minnesota’s largest not-for-profit health care provider, Allina Health System, enters the market next week with the first piece of its nearly $400 million new-money and refunding issue with a trifecta of upgrades in hand — a rarity for the hard-hit sector.

CHICAGO — Atlanta-based Jackson Securities LLC last month hired public finance banker James F. Carter for its existing Chicago office, which has lacked a local banker since the departure of Dudley Brown in 2007 following a management shake-up.

CHICAGO — Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle yesterday announced a package of education-related reform legislation that would hand the control of the struggling Milwaukee Public Schools system over to the city’s mayor.

Fitch Ratings downgraded the Monroe Clinic Inc.’s rating one notch to A-minus due to its plans to added debt load that will come early month with the issuance of $65 million of fixed-rate bonds.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley earlier this month named John S. Gates as the new chairman of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority board.

Standard & Poor’s raised its rating on the Will County Forest Preserve District’s general obligation debt one notch to AA-plus in recognition of strong financial performance supported by annual operating surpluses and boosted reserves.

CHICAGO — The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission enters the market beginning today with its second large financing in recent months as it sells $300 million of mostly taxable Build America Bonds, the final tranche of borrowing planned under a $2.2 billion road building program.

CHICAGO — The Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission enters the market as soon as tomorrow with its first sale this year, a $156 million refunding that should generate about $7 million in savings to help the agency as it manages through the recession and its impact on air travel and the airlines.

CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Richard Daley unveiled a $6.14 billion 2010 budget yesterday that relies on spending cuts and one-time maneuvers like debt restructuring and a raid on reserves to wipe out a $520 million deficit without any new or increased taxes, fees, or fines.

CHICAGO — The promise of personal financial benefits drove former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s decision in 2003 to choose Bear, Stearns & Co. to run the books on the state’s general obligation pension bond sale and to give his go-ahead on the day of pricing to issue the full $10 billion authorization, the governor’s former chief of staff alleged in a plea agreement with federal prosecutors filed yesterday.

CHICAGO — More than $1 billion of borrowing by health care facilities in Illinois is expected in the coming months in deals approved by the Illinois Finance Authority board amid improved market access for the sector.

Standard & Poor’s raised Harrisonville’s annual appropriation-supported debt rating two notches to A-plus in recognition of its very strong general fund financial reserves.

Standard & Poor’s raised the city of Victoria’s general obligation rating one notch to AA-plus in recognition of good financial management that has contributed to positive general fund operations and the maintenance of very strong reserves.

Moody’s Investors Service last week revised the outlook on Loyola University of Chicago’s A3 credit to stable from negative because of strong operating performance and cash flow as well as operating improvement initiatives being undertaken by the university’s health system.

CHICAGO — Ahead of the release this week of his proposed $6.2 billion 2010 budget, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley yesterday announced spending reductions and other measures to generate $114 million in savings as he seeks to close a $520 million deficit without raising taxes or fees.

CHICAGO — Minnesota today launches its first formal retail-order period for a general obligation sale before opening the $475 million issue of new-money bonds and possibly some refunding bonds to institutional buyers on Thursday.

Las Vegas — Emerging slowly from the financial crisis, hard-hit nonprofit health care borrowers are gaining ground in market access and on credit spreads. However, they face tougher disclosure demands and must rethink strategies to lure investors going forward, especially given the looming uncertainties associated with national health care reform.

CHICAGO — In a further reshuffling of Illinois’ finance team, debt manager Phil Culpepper will move over to the Illinois Housing Development Authority to the post of deputy executive director, while the Illinois Student Assistance Commission’s chief financial officer, John Sinsheimer, has stepped into the newly created position of state director of capital markets.