Forbes 7/29/11: Moody’s threatens credit ratings of Mass. cities. The wrangling in Congress over the nation’s debt limit is threatening the credit ratings of a dozen Massachusetts cities and towns and two regional school districts.

Moody’s Investors Service has announced it would review the possible downgrade of U.S. municipalities and other institutions due to the indirect effects of the potential downgrade of federal government bonds because of the ongoing impasse over the federal debt limit.

Moody’s said it could review the credit ratings of 162 local governments in 31 states. In Massachusetts, those communities include Acton, Bedford, Belmont, Brookline, Concord, Dover, Hingham, Lexington, Newton, Wayland, Wellesley and Weston.