Public Money Pod

In our season 3 premiere, we caught up with speakers from the panel on "Rethinking Financial Reporting" at the 2024 GFOA Conference in Orlando. We dive into themes from the panel like technology in finance, the future of financial reporting, and careers in government finance with our guests, David Guo, Regents Distinguished Professor of Public Finance at the Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs at Wichita State University; Jennifer Becker, Financial Services Director for the City of Burbank, California; and Sharon Edmundson, Director of Municipal Finance Programs for the NC League of Municipalities in Raleigh, North Carolina.

We wrap up Season 2 with California Treasurer Fiona Ma. We cover California’s deficit; the challenge and opportunity of ESG investing; why housing affordability is California's number one policy challenge; how she advocates for Calfornia's agriculture; why she's a card carrying SAG member; and how Kristi Yamaguchi helped her save San Francisco's Cow Palace, among many other topics. In Ripped from the Headlines, we look deeper into California's plan to put multiple bond proposals on the ballot to address some of its ongoing challenges.

As we wrap up season 2, we look back at some of the themes that dominated the season. These key themes include state revenue challenges, the emergence of AI in public finance, cybersecurity, the impact of e-sports on public finance, the economies of "industry" cities, and how municipalities are thinking about building back better.

We talk to Zach Mohr, Professor at the University of Kansas, about all things elections (not campaign!) finance. He unpacks the many types election administration costs; why states are banning private investment in elections administration; how elections administration competes with other core state/local services; and why, given all these challenges, elections administration is "a miracle." In Ripped from the Headlines, we discuss an article that explains how the looming threat of federal government shutdowns interferes with predictable funding for state/local elections.

We welcome Genesis Gavino, Chief of Staff and Resilience Officer for the City of Dallas, TX. She explains why resilience is an environmental, financial, and equity issue; the challenges of climate adaptation for a "Blue City in a Red State"; why Dallas has prioritized climate adaptation; how the city measures progress and holds itself accountable for resilience goals and plans; and how membership in voluntary climate organizations helps create urban resiliency, among many other topics. In Ripped from the Headlines, we discuss a story from The Atlantic about how "climate migrants" might remake the Great Lakes region.

We converse on California's state budget with Gabe Petek, Legislative Analyst for the State of California. He explains California's dueling state budget deficit figures; why the current revenue shortfall is different than the 2008 recession; how much of California's budget woes are "structural" vs. "cyclical"; how he and Governor Newsom propose to address the budget deficit; why economic mobility matters to state budgeting; and how Gabe's prior life in Muniland shapes his views the Legislative Analyst's role, among many other topics. In Ripped from the Headlines, we discuss a story about how a new education program in Maryland is leading to large projected budget deficits over the next few years.

Professor Don Moynihan from Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy shares his views on "administrative burden." He tells us how he defines administrative burden and why it's important for state and local public money, the opportunities and trade offs involved in reducing administrative burden, and what the pandemic taught us about how we might redesign the social safety net. In Ripped from the Headlines, we discuss an article about Maine's move to offer free lunch to all public school students, and what that move has meant for data about poverty.

We talk to Casey Kopcho, principal auditor in the Oregon Secretary of State's office. He shares his thoughts on the risks, opportunities and outlook for artificial intelligence in state government, with emphasis on AI and election integrity, how we might regulate AI; and why Furbees are the original AI, among many other topics. In Ripped from the Headlines, we talk about a piece that covers Nebraska's AI and Democracy Summit.

We talk to Michael Gaughan, Executive Director of Vermont Bond Bank (and rumored long-time Public Money Pod fan). He tells us why bond banks are well-equipped to meet the unique capital markets challenges of small and rural communities, how the Bank is focused on climate adaptation investments, and how they are leveraging federal dollars from the IRA and IRJA, among many other topics. In Ripped from the Headlines, we discuss a report on the nation's crumbling drinking water systems, and how breakdowns in those systems impact local communities and economies.

We visit with Matt Wachter and Drew Whiting, co-founder and current Executive Director, respectively, of the Erie (PA) Downtown Development Corporation. They share Erie's experience with Opportunity Zones (OZs), including a remarkably fast launch; building community around OZs; the challenge of sustaining progress; what OZs mean for local public finance; and how they define success. In Ripped from the Headlines, we review a story covering the proposed changes in the renewal of the federal OZ legislation.