Tag Archives: Municipal bonds

Being Black at UM

Posted on January 20, 2014 by admin

By Joel Thurtell “Being Black at UM” was the headline over my March 31, 1985 Detroit Free Press article about the life of black students at the University of Michigan. Almost 30 years later, Being Black at the University of … Continue reading →

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‘Michigan blogger’ to talk CABs to California

Posted on May 4, 2013 by admin

By Joel Thurtell At 2:15 PM on Friday, May 10, I’ll be in Sacramento telling members of the California League of Bond Oversight Committees how I learned about Capital Appreciation Bonds in Michigan 21 years ago. I’ll talk about how … Continue reading →

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California’s wake-up call from “Michigan blogger”

Posted on March 3, 2013 by admin

By Joel Thurtell How does it happen that a retired reporter in Michigan breaks news that could change the way schools are financed in California? On March 27, 2012, I found a comment here on JOTR warning that a financial … Continue reading →

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How CABs work

Posted on May 22, 2012 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell Wanta parley three hundred bucks into five grand? Easy. Here’s how you could’ve done it last summer, had you known that the Poway Unified School District in San Diego was going to issue Capital Appreciation Bonds at … Continue reading →

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CABs and consequences

Posted on May 14, 2012 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell Gray Davis. If I were a member of the Poway Unified School District in San Diego and my name was Penny Ranftle Linda Vanderveen Andy Patapow Mark Davis Todd Gutschow, I’d be wondering how soon I’d make … Continue reading →

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Scouting for graft: Look for Michigan in California

Posted on May 13, 2012 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell If I were a district attorney or attorney general in California — someone with subpoena power — I’d be asking hard questions about the behavior of public school officials and the people who arrange loans, aka bonds, … Continue reading →

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Bond lawyers: Whose side are they on, anyway?

Posted on May 9, 2012 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell Californians: Greetings from Michigan. In the early 1990s, a Michigan school district actually sued its attorneys in a CAB deal. Amazing! As you West Coasters read the following article, you might want to ask yourselves whether some … Continue reading →

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Michigan killed CABs; California can do it, too!

Posted on April 28, 2012 by hro50ta1

          By Joel Thurtell Note: The Michigan Legislature banned CABs in 1994, not 1993. California public schools and the taxpayers who support them are facing a financial disaster that could force some — maybe many — … Continue reading →

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Muni bomb ticks in California

Posted on April 27, 2012 by hro50ta1

By Joel Thurtell I was sipping coffee and reflecting on the ignorance displayed for all the world to read in a New York Times article. It was January 9, 2009. The Times story claimed to offer “a rare glimpse into … Continue reading →

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Muni ripoffs — same old same old

Posted on January 9, 2009 by admin

By Joel Thurtell I was perplexed this morning, January 9, 2009,  as I read a New York Times story claiming to offer “a rare glimpse into a long-simmering investigation of…wrongdoing throughout the municipal bond business.” The practice of bond sales … Continue reading →

Posted in CAB scams, Muni bonds | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments