Rating California counties on the thoroughness of their COVID-19 data dashboards

By Marc Joffe
04/14/2020
Editor’s Note: The following was originally published on Reason. In terms of providing quality information that researchers, hospitals, public health officials, and taxpayers would find the most useful, the best portals are offered by San Diego, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Marin counties. County governments across California are providing an array of public coronavirus data...

TAGS: Chapter 9 bankruptcy, coronavirus, Marc Joffe, Marin County, pensions, San Diego

COVID-19 Worsens Fiscal Distress for Lindsay California

By Marc Joffe
04/14/2020
The city of Lindsay, in Tulare County, is California’s fourth highest risk city according to the California state auditor. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Its fiscal condition will likely deteriorate further as residents shelter at home, raising the specter of sharp service cuts or even Chapter 9 bankruptcy for the city. The mistakes...

TAGS: CalPERS, Central Valley, Chapter 9 bankruptcy, coronavirus, Marc Joffe, pensions

Crisis shows why El Cerrito needs to heed State Auditor’s warning

By Marc Joffe
03/31/2020
The economic crisis arising from the public health crisis we now face shows why the state auditor was correct in calling out El Cerrito and several other California cities for their perilous financial positions during a decade of economic growth. While El Cerrito may have been able to “get away” with uncontrolled spending during good...

TAGS: Bay Area, CalPERS, Chapter 9 bankruptcy, coronavirus, Marc Joffe, pensions