A commentary written by Lynndee Kemmet, visiting research fellow at AIER, has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle. The article appears in the today's paper (9/1/09) and is entitled "Politics pushing cities toward bankruptcy." Here is an exerpt from the article:

The underlying cause of bankruptcy is politics. Cities have been driven to the brink because citizens, interest groups, public employees and politicians have failed to look realistically at what cities can and cannot afford. The politicians, especially in flush times, typically opt for the easy route of keeping everyone happy by handing out gifts, such as higher wages and benefits, and new programs and services. These "gifts" are given with the expectation - not a guarantee - that the economy will grow and with it the tax revenue to cover the increased expenditures. The recession squashed this hope. 

Read the full article.