Things to Come

A few things I'm considering posting on that I haven't gotten around to writing yet, due to time constraints:

- What the conservative NJ firebrand Steve Lonegan and the liberal D.C. blogger Matt Yglesias have in common.

- The challenges of predicting default for financial firms: why the Altman Z-Score model isn't recommended for financials and the limitations of alternative, market-based models.

- Looking at a couple of recent bankruptcies, e.g., that of Eddie Bauer: would the Altman Z-Score model have predicted bankruptcy two years ago?

How to Suppress Voter Turnout in School Board Elections

Simple: don't hold them at the same time as other elections. New Jersey will have its primary elections in June, including a Republican primary to nominate either former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie or former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan to challenge former Goldman Sachs chief and current Governor Jon Corzine for the governorship. Scheduling local school board elections for the same day would have increased turnout. Instead, they were held earlier this month here in Hackensack. According to the Hackensack Chronicle's unofficial results, the city's $85,207,090 school budget was approved by a 880-515 vote: in a city of about 50,000 residents, an $85 million tax and spending decision was made by a ~3% minority of zealous voters. I'm sure that's just the way the city's education establishment prefers it.