PRESS RELEASE
FROM: INDEPENDENT CATTLEMEN OF NEBRASKA
Contact
person: call Dave Wright, 402-929-0339 or Al Davis, ICON Treasurer,
402-458-2758.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 17, 2009
Proposed Change in the Property Tax Credit Act directly
affects Ranchers and Farmers
A bill sponsored by Senator Tom
White of District 8 in Omaha will change the Property Tax Credit Act which has
recently given farmers and ranchers across the state a break in real estate taxes.
LB 13 would take the property tax relief from the agricultural sector and give
it to homeowners.
White has introduced LB 13 and ICON directors have named
this bill as one of the bills they are watching. In essence it would change the
property tax credit currently received by landowners to be a tax credit for urban
homeowners. White feels his bill will not have much luck this year. A hearing
for the bill is scheduled for Friday, February 20. It is also possible the property
tax credit will be abandoned when the final budget cuts are in.
In a conference
call with ICON Directors, White said he was alarmed at the amount of money which
leaves the state because of this property tax credit. For example, he noted Ted
Turner received $73,000 in tax credits last year. He said Nebraska cannot keep
giving money away to non-resident landowners.
The Nebraska Farmers Union
estimates 50 percent of land in Nebraska is owned by people who don't live in
the state. He assured ICON directors he understands the situation in rural Nebraska
and the people-drain which is going on.
He wants to take a serious look
at changing Nebraska's tax code. He said we as a state need to turn things around.
It is the third quarter and rural Nebraska is loosing bad. Time is running out.
He would like to see a tax code which rewards people who live and work on the
land but the way the state collects taxes needs to change. There needs to be more
income or sales tax monies created.
If things don't change, White believes
it will kill the family farm.
White would like to see owning land in Nebraska
economically expensive for those who don't live on it. Nebraskans are running
out of time.
Al Davis, ICON Director and treasurer from Hyannis, questioned
White about changing the tax code and explained to him the burden it would place
on an economically challenged rural economy at the present time. Davis said if
he sells a calf he raised for $560, $110 from each calf sold will be used to pay
his property taxes. The small tax credit rural farmers and ranchers receive now
make farming a little bit more profitable.
White said he realized rural
dwellers are land rich and cash poor but the change needs to start somewhere.
More money needs to be funneled to small farmers and not Ted Turner. It is not
a long-term goal but a short-term fix.
White also agreed it will be hard
to agree on how to get there. Out-of-state people hunting maybe once a year on
Nebraska land do not deserve tax credits. White would like to see a tax system
which encourages Nebraska residents and not penalizes them.
Director Chris
Abbott of Gordon said it will take time to educate urban residents but its time
to get their attention. The whole state needs to start talking about it and this
may get the fires going. Teamwork will be needed to make it happen.
Independent
Cattlemen of Nebraska
"Solid as a windmill. Always working for the independent
producer."
The Mission of the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska
(ICON) is to protect and promote the interests of Nebraska's
independent cattle
producers. Office of the Organization is located in Hyannis, Nebraska and membership
can be obtained by calling (308) 458-7282.