Low trust in government may have surprising consequences
Low trust in government may have surprising consequences
According to a recent editorial published by the Omaha World-Herald, locally elected officials are losing the faith of their constituency because they are making decisions without ample public involvement. But what does that ultimately mean? An academic study in 2010 found that “individuals in low-trust countries want more government intervention even though they know the...
By Sarah Curry
Report shows Douglas County tax collections
Report shows Douglas County tax collections
Ever wonder how much revenue your county collects? Well, due to reporting standards I can’t pull this type of information for every county in the state – but luckily Douglas County makes it easy since they issue a standardized report each year. Here is a list of what types of revenues and how much was...
By Sarah Curry
Study says failure and success go together
Study says failure and success go together
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again.” A lot of us remember that from our childhood, a part of a “proverb” of sorts that elementary students used to hear quite frequently at some point in time, and which came down to the children and grandchildren who had heard it in school. That came...
By Laura Ebke
Why is it so tough to pass a budget?
Why is it so tough to pass a budget?
This story just came through on my news alerts, and while this doesn’t relate directly to Nebraska politics, truth be told, any action or inaction by the federal government has implications for both the state government, and Nebraska taxpayers. When I was in the Legislature–maybe in the first year–one of the more experienced legislators got...
By Laura Ebke
Revenue Committee shelves changes to sales tax exemptions
Revenue Committee shelves changes to sales tax exemptions
It seems we have an answer to my previous question about sales tax exemptions and their part (if any) in the Revenue Committee’s 2020 legislative property tax proposal. So far, it looks like the committee won’t be including a proposal to remove sales tax exemptions right off the bat, instead relying on currently projected increases...
By Adam Weinberg
Wind turbine blades go to Wyoming landfill
Wind turbine blades go to Wyoming landfill
I saw this article and thought it was interesting. Not trying to get on the renewable energy bandwagon, but we all knew at some point these were going to have to be disposed of when no longer operational. I found it most interesting they are sent to Wyoming because it is the only landfill in...
By Sarah Curry
Revenue Committee focused on rural property tax issues
Revenue Committee focused on rural property tax issues
News from Lincoln tells us that the Revenue Committee has agreed on an approach to the property tax problem in Nebraska. “…a multi-year plan to address high property taxes should first target help for farmers and ranchers, with a particular emphasis on relief in school districts with high property tax levies…” As of right now,...
By Sarah Curry
Crop prices slightly increase, yet farm income drops
Crop prices slightly increase, yet farm income drops
A report from the Kansas City Federal Reserve late last week highlighted the findings from the Tenth District Survey of Agricultural Credit Conditions where farm income in the region continued to decline. “Farm income decreased from a year ago across all states in the region, with some variation in the pace of decline. Compared with...
By Sarah Curry
Don’t bet too big on gambling revenues
Don’t bet too big on gambling revenues
Iowa now has legal sports betting at its casinos. How much revenue are they bringing in?
By Adam Weinberg