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Krusin' the Capitol

By Nebraska State Senator Lowen Kruse

2003
Week 17
May 5, 2003

Hi

We made a lot of progress on a number of bills this week. The general slow pace tests my patience more than I can endure some days. Please, Lord, I did not want THIS much patience. But we made some progress.

Preachers are accused of spending too much time on an idea. This crowd is adept at spending too much time on no idea. No pastor I know could hold a candle to some of them. They will outline what we have just done (Duh!) and then say the same thought three times, without even changing the wording.

Not everything is progress. Take our "Poop Bill" for example. This is on how to authorize large feed yards. It does nothing of significance but the debate goes on forever. Some county boards promise a permit and then go back on it when the neighbors complain. So the bill allows a county to declare itself "Livestock Friendly" and maybe lure a new business with the promise they will judge the application by its merits. Well, they could do that now. Lawyers argue about the precise wording for hours. If it passes, nothing changes. If it fails, nothing changes. Whoopee.

We have another bill which started out as direction to inoculate every student for a serious disease. Now it is to send a note home on how serious this is and to require a signed note back that someone read it. That took several hours.

Then we will spend more time on the helmet bill. This will cost us state medical dollars, but do not pay attention to that. The debate is whether there is a difference in the air going under a helmet and without a helmet. Whoopee.

Thanks for being my therapists. Several have commented recently they would not want this job for anything. This year has been like that, but we live in hope. I am up Monday morning with my repeat offender bill.

A few are predicting a "train wreck" on second round. I don't believe it. The guns are not there. And the rationale is certainly not there. There will be fussing about taxes, for the home folks, but most of the body realizes we are trapped.

K-12 is where the big money is, and where recent budget increases have been. But cuts there shift to property tax. Corrections, I am told, will be hit with a motion to reduce 10%. But the governor will not stand for that cut and the prisons must operate. There may be a motion to cut the university and colleges, but that is not big bucks and they have had the lowest growth rate over the last ten years of any of our major players. Stay tuned.

To get a bit academic, someone has come up with a history of our taxes, which is a fascinating subject to me. How did we get this way and where are we headed?

Using property taxes as the constant in a comparison, I found that state income tax doubled in the 70s and doubled again from 1980 to 2000. Income taxes are now 75% of what property taxes are.

Sales tax receipts increase by 2/3 in the 70s, and then doubled from 1980 to 2000 when compared to property tax. Sales taxes are also 75% of property taxes.

There is a definite trend to even up dependence on the major sources of revenue. If Governor Tiemann had not paid the price for starting this, property taxes would now be out of sight.

Other sources of revenue are corporate income tax (about 10% of personal), motor vehicle fees and taxes (about 15% of personal), miscellaneous fees (about 15% of personal), and gas tax and fees (about 30% of personal). So all other sources combined are only 17% of total income.

The Forecast Board says our economy is turning the corner. A bit. Plus, we have good rains across the state. That proves there is a God.

Hang in there,

Lowen

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