Far West

Washington motorists appear willing to ante up to make up for budget cuts to state parks.

After months of negotiations driven by declining state tax receipts, Hawaii’s largest government employee union reached a tentative contract agreement with the administration of Gov. Linda Lingle, calling for 42 unpaid furlough days over the next two years.

Stanford University has promoted Odile Disch-Bhadkamkar to the new position of treasurer. Her previous post was senior director of finance and bondholder relations.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill Sunday designed to make it easier for the San Francisco 49ers to build a new football stadium in Santa Clara.

Through the first quarter of fiscal 2010, California general fund revenue was more than $1 billion below projections, according to state Controller John Chiang’s monthly cash report released Friday.

SAN FRANCISCO — The recent bankruptcies of two community hospitals in California show how difficult the current economic environment is for health care providers — and how much effort is required to actually bankrupt a hospital.

WASHINGTON — Michael Decker plans to rejoin the Securities and Industry Financial Markets Association next month after leaving the Regional Bond Dealers Association, a group he helped launch and co-lead in March 2008, both groups announced yesterday.

WASHINGTON — Federal lawmakers from Texas are pushing for the Treasury Department to change tax rules that are forcing the state’s school districts to forego, or pay more for, the bond financing of infrastructure projects because they cannot access the Texas Permanent School Fund’s bond guarantee program.

The House Financial Services Committee is expected to begin voting today on derivatives and other regulatory reform legislation. The Regional Bond Dealers Association is urging committee chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., to ensure the derivatives bill will allow state and local governments to enter into over-the-counter derivatives contracts, regardless of their size or sophistication.

The Senate Finance Committee yesterday voted 14 to 9 to approve its version of a health care reform package, which would place increased reporting requirements on bond-financed and other nonprofit 501(c)(3) hospitals.