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Moody's warns it may cut California's debt rating
LA Times ^ | 1/22/09 | Tom Petruno

Posted on 01/22/2009 9:23:11 AM PST by NormsRevenge

California, tied with Louisiana for the lowest credit rating among the states, now is in more danger of claiming rock-bottom all for itself.

Moody’s Investors Service today warned that it might downgrade California’s general obligation bond rating, currently A1, because of the state’s "significant budgetary shortfall, impending liquidity crisis, and lack of legislative solutions."

Louisiana also is rated A1. All other states are rated higher on Moody’s scale, typically AA or AAA.

Moody’s shift follows a similar warning on California’s debt rating by its rival, Standard & Poor’s, on Dec. 11. S&P also has California tied with Louisiana for last place on the ratings scale.

California_state_flag Moody’s indicated it’s running out of patience with the state as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature fail to agree on a plan to plug California’s massive projected budget shortfalls -- $15 billion in 2009 and $25 billion in 2010.

"Although the legislative and executive branch continue to debate fiscal and cash measures, and the legislature is required to come up with solutions by Feb. 3, we do not yet know whether solutions will actually be passed, or whether they will be workable, reasonable, and of a sufficient magnitude to achieve a degree of credit stabilization consistent with the current rating level," Moody’s said in a statement.

In theory, a low credit rating means a state should pay more to borrow than states with higher ratings. But because of its size and the large investor base for its tax-free bonds, California hasn’t always been penalized by the market despite its low credit standing.

Even so, some money managers say they’ve been avoiding California’s $57 billion in outstanding general obligation bonds in part on the assumption that the state’s rating would fall further into the basement.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Politics/Elections; US: California; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: california; debtrating; moodys; warns
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1 posted on 01/22/2009 9:23:11 AM PST by NormsRevenge
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To: PAR35; TigerLikesRooster; bamahead; AndyJackson; Thane_Banquo; nicksaunt; MadLibDisease; ...
*Ping!*
2 posted on 01/22/2009 9:25:27 AM PST by rabscuttle385 ("If this be treason, then make the most of it!" —Patrick Henry)
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The Money, Banking, and Financial Markets Ping List.

"Money, not morality, is the principle commerce of civilized nations."
—Thomas Jefferson

FR Keywords: moneylist, bankinglist, financelist

Please tag all relevant threads with the aforementioned keywords.

This can be a very high-volume ping list at times.

Ping list jointly pinged by rabscuttle385 and TigerLikesRooster.

To join the ping list:
FReepmail rabscuttle385 with the subject line add  moneylist.
(Stop getting pings by sending the subject line drop moneylist.)


3 posted on 01/22/2009 9:26:17 AM PST by rabscuttle385 ("If this be treason, then make the most of it!" —Patrick Henry)
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To: rabscuttle385

Just think, the Socialist Utopia known as California may soon enter uncharted territory: A negative credit rating.....


4 posted on 01/22/2009 9:27:19 AM PST by stylin_geek (Liberalism: comparable to a chicken with its head cut off, but with more spastic motions)
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To: rabscuttle385
California: the case study of how liberals can ruin a prospering state.

Still, I am pretty sure that California is now full of overeducated liberals and welfare class blaming it all on Bush. Alpha and gamma class of California commiserating.

5 posted on 01/22/2009 9:31:20 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, chia head, ppogri, In Grim Reaper we trust)
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To: NormsRevenge

CA isn’t going to make any tough decisions now. They’ll limp along anticipating a taxpayer bailout, which they will no doubt receive. Bend over.


6 posted on 01/22/2009 9:34:02 AM PST by randita (If the government could "fix" the economy, we'd never have a recession.)
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To: stylin_geek
All roads supposedly leading to utopia actually lead to dystopia. IMHO, this is almost the universal truth.
7 posted on 01/22/2009 9:34:39 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, chia head, ppogri, In Grim Reaper we trust)
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To: NormsRevenge

The Ratings have no credibility, neither does the state of California....


8 posted on 01/22/2009 9:35:23 AM PST by Sleeping Freeper
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To: NormsRevenge

But I’m sure they’ll flock to buy the new high speed rail bonds the the Bay Area numbskulls voted for, right? RIGHT???


9 posted on 01/22/2009 9:42:22 AM PST by TenthAmendmentChampion (Be prepared for tough times. FReepmail me to learn about our new survival thread!)
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To: Sleeping Freeper

The state is broke. Their credit rating should be junk. They will ask for a bailout but the country will go broke if they think we can just keep bailing things out.


10 posted on 01/22/2009 9:44:09 AM PST by Frantzie
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To: TenthAmendmentChampion

I think CA probably cannot sell any bonds now because the credit markets. The scam of selling more bonds and accounting gimmicks is running out.


11 posted on 01/22/2009 9:46:24 AM PST by Frantzie
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To: NormsRevenge
...because of the state’s "significant budgetary shortfall, impending liquidity crisis, and lack of legislative solutions." ...

Radical hardcore leftwing public employee unions run the State of California and can only be stopped by a Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing. The over/under filing date is May 1st.

12 posted on 01/22/2009 9:47:23 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The democRATS are near the tipping point.)
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To: Frantzie

The scam of selling more bonds and accounting gimmicks is running out.


In the state of the state address, our rat gov said our state had a high bond ratling and he intends to use it!


13 posted on 01/22/2009 9:48:27 AM PST by PeterPrinciple ( Seeking the truth here folks.)
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To: PeterPrinciple

Arnuld talks about Reagan all the time but he has no clue.

The One is talking about a program where he wants to bring in refugees for American families to sponsor to get him 10 million more votes to be FDR/Mugabe for life. The refugees get green cards almost immediately plus endless benefits.


14 posted on 01/22/2009 9:54:51 AM PST by Frantzie
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To: Sleeping Freeper

Why would anyone loan money to a state (or other organization) that is talking about issuing IOUs against their own obligations?


15 posted on 01/22/2009 9:58:01 AM PST by The Duke (I have met the enemy, and he is named 'Apathy'!)
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To: NormsRevenge
California, tied with Louisiana for the lowest credit rating ...

How the mighty have fallen - down with the lowest of the low - corrupt broken Louisiana... Never thought I'd see it.

16 posted on 01/22/2009 10:09:54 AM PST by GOPJ ("A consensus of 100 scientists is undone by one fact." - - Einstein (take that Al Gore))
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To: NormsRevenge; ElkGroveDan; calcowgirl; Grampa Dave; dalereed; Carry_Okie; budwiesest; ...
And now there's this!!!

CA Republicans willing to put taxes on the table-per Sacto BEE

17 posted on 01/22/2009 10:33:01 AM PST by SierraWasp (The Jim Jones of the 21st Century is now POTUS!!! Watchout for that GatorAid!!!)
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To: NormsRevenge
For those of you who think the legislature has worse problems than mere corruption or destructive ideology, remember: If you want competence, term limits won't help one bit.
18 posted on 01/22/2009 10:43:00 AM PST by Carry_Okie (Grovelnator Schwarzenkaiser, fashionable fascsim one ruse at a time.)
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To: rabscuttle385

Just more proof that socialism or the Progressive Way, does not work for any extended period of time ever!

It always fails!


19 posted on 01/22/2009 10:48:27 AM PST by SoConPubbie (GOP: If you reward bad behavior all you get is more bad behavior.)
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To: SierraWasp
"(We must be able) to tell constituents, 'Look, we had to raise taxes, we had to go forward, but we've fundamentally altered the way in which Sacramento is going to be budgeted – and we will not have these problems again because of it,'" Adams said.

Gosh, I remember something called the Gann spending limits, don't you? Whatever happened to those? Surely the GOP wouldn't give up on a law that had provided effective fiscal restraint for over 20 years, would they?

Arnold can win.
Wilson can win.
Bush can win.
McCain can win...

Look who's losing.

20 posted on 01/22/2009 10:49:14 AM PST by Carry_Okie (Grovelnator Schwarzenkaiser, fashionable fascsim one ruse at a time.)
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