State Data Lab

Truth in Accounting (TIA) pursues a nonpartisan mission to compel governments to produce transparent and accurate financial reports, enabling citizens and legislators to address government debt.

Taxpayers Continue to Flee States with Heaviest Tax Burdens

United Van Lines (UVL) is one of the largest moving companies in the United States. Each year since 1977, UVL has issued a study of interstate migration patterns. This study

By State Data Lab

/ January 3, 2014

The Great GASB #70: Will it End in Tragedy?

State and local governments can agree to stand behind each other’s debts. These agreements became more common in recent years, amidst the Great Recession and higher government fiscal stress.

By State Data Lab

/ December 3, 2013

When Is a Buck a Buck?

... and why does this matter for government accounting? The financial crisis in recent years challenged many widely-held assumptions, including an assumption of innocence for ‘cash and cash equivalents.’ The

By State Data Lab

/ September 23, 2013

Accounting Issues and Social Strife

In 2011, Wisconsin state budget and accounting issues actually got so exciting they brought reminders of protests from the 1960s and 1970s. The 2011 debate centered on how the state

By State Data Lab

/ September 20, 2013

Timeliness of State Financial Reporting "Improves"

More states file “on time” -- on their own standard, anyway Truthful accounting includes timely accounting. Our governments have made some progress on this score, but we believe there is still

By State Data Lab

/ September 13, 2013

Do Independent Voters Need More Independent Candidates?

Demand, meet Supply Amidst some disenchantment with both major political parties, the chart above shows, when looking across the 50 states, the share of votes earned by candidates that were

By State Data Lab

/ August 30, 2013

Public Sector Unions Related to Higher Debt?

Earlier this year, Michigan became the 24th state in the nation with a ‘right-to-work’ law. And two weeks ago, a Michigan court ruled that the state’s new

By State Data Lab

/ August 26, 2013

Paying More for Less? Interest Expenses Rise

State interest expenses have risen even as interest rates have fallen. It’s general knowledge that falling interest rates help debtors. As long as a loan can be refinanced at

By State Data Lab

/ August 5, 2013

A Lesson from the Motown Meltdown

Sam Beebe - http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8322/7975001982_974eb74b1e_o.jpg It looks like the Motor City has finally broken down, and it’s heading to the mechanic shop to

By State Data Lab

/ July 19, 2013

Does Money Buy Happiness?

Rule number one in effective communication is to establish the relevancy of the topic to the audience. Why should they care? How does it affect their quality of life? Truthful

By State Data Lab

/ July 18, 2013

Is Fiscal Stress Hurting Highways?

We’ve all seen that road before: The “Pothole Express.” It’s a violent massage for you and your car. Across the political spectrum, many Americans agree that the government

By State Data Lab

/ July 15, 2013

The Truth of July 4

Give Me Truth in Accounting or Give me Death! Here’s a related quote, arising about a year later: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men

By State Data Lab

/ July 1, 2013