Nebraska’s state motto used to be “the good life”, but what does that really mean? To us, it means a Nebraska with strong, safe, healthy communities where all kids have the opportunity to reach their full potential. There are many elements of a strong community including access to quality public education, quality roads, clean parks, and systems to ensure that vulnerable children don’t fall through the cracks.
The strong communities we have in Nebraska today weren’t built overnight. They are the product of years of thoughtful investment and planning by previous generations, and the infrastructure and services we have today were paid for by our parents and grandparents through smart investments of tax dollars. There is still progress to be made to ensure that Nebraska is a great place for all of our state’s kids.
This year, through the Tax Modernization Committee, the state Legislature is undertaking a comprehensive look at our tax code that hasn’t been updated since the 1960s. The proposals this committee develops will impact our tax system and our ability to build and sustain strong communities for years to come. We think the time is right to take a comprehensive look at our tax code and how it can be improved, but that we must also ensure that these improvements don’t increase taxes on lower income families or decimate our state budget.
To that end, we at Voices for Children have joined with a coalition of partners called Rebuild Nebraska. Rebuild Nebraska believes Nebraska’s tax system should:
- Allow us to invest in things Nebraska families rely on like top-notch neighborhood schools, safe communities, and well-kept streets and roads.
- Encourage the creation of jobs and focus on investments that actually boost the economy.
- Ensure a progressive structure that does not force middle-class and low-income families to pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than the wealthy.
Your voice will be very important in guiding this discussion, so we want you to stay informed. You can learn more about Rebuild Nebraska on their website and like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. We also will include updates about the tax policy discussion in our regular communications to you.
We hope that you will join us and Rebuild Nebraska in working to ensure that we have a state where all kids have access to the good life that they deserve.
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