2005
Occasional #5

Hi

Creative elementary teachers sometimes take on the challenge of giving principles of the Constitution to young minds. I saw two classes from the Southeast report at our convention, and was impressed.

Fourth graders told how, in order to understand a preamble, they wrote one. They debated and negotiated their own bill of rights, and rules to live by. I most enjoyed the basic constitution of a kindergarten class, which included: We will not push or hurt. We will be friends even when no one is watching. We will respect those we disagree with.

Their consensus would be a challenge to adult behavior. They took cookies to a polling place, to personally thank each voter for coming.

Adults have to get into the legislative details of it all, but these kids gave a lesson in community joy. I find it to be a serious handicap to us all when persons are not aware life is a journey. Life has different stages, each an experience. A journey takes you to places you have not been before. Those who do not enjoy those new places and relationships will become bitter and tired -- and be of small benefit to the community and to legislative proposals that help us move forward.

Back to the details, budgets and taxes took a lot of time in conference, but there was not much new. Which is reassuring. The consultants documented and illustrated what we already know.

Cutting taxes without cutting budgets is a favorite indoor sport for some political leaders, and is a sham. We are getting more of that talk in an election year. Every tax cut I have heard proposed for the state is a tax shift, usually moving a chunk to property tax.

We are not meeting our current obligations. The state promised more aid to local schools, and delivered some. But the rest comes out of property tax. The state is expected, by our own statutes, to pay counties for keeping some of our prisoners. But we short them because we say we cannot afford to pay that bill. Try that at your local grocery.

If we cut Medicaid for low income children, the county gets the bill. We can send counties a bill by changing our court costs structure. When we do not pick up the federal shortage on “No Child Left Behind” the local school district gets the bill. If we do not cover the cost of housing the acute mentally ill, we all pay a larger bill. If we short employment training ("increase the work force” we call it) we pay more in welfare and miss the taxes from the new employees income.

The point is that these bills do not go away and some are increasing faster than inflation. Certainly there are budgets we do trim. We are increasing diversion in order to reduce prison costs. We are looking into an ankle bracelet for those who have been ordered by the court not to drink alcohol. It tests their sweat every hour. This not only saves a probation officer time in playing games with an offender, but it reduces public cost in preventing an alcohol impaired crash with an expensive injury that must be paid by the state, the county and/or the hospital, or it reduces public cost in a domestic violence setting where a drunk parent sends the kids into foster care, a spouse to the hospital, and wages into a black hole.

Well, this is a familiar theme for my musings, but I hit it again to remind all of us that the evening news and our budgets are connected and that the real way to hold the line on taxes is to protect ourselves from new bills that have to be paid. By the public. Grumpy does not count.

My staff and I, with necessary help from state offices, have summarized state and local taxes for Nebraska, for last year. This is an average cost per taxpayer (NOT per person).

Property taxes - all local levies	$2,140
Local sales taxes	260
Gas tax, licenses, tuition, etc.	1,330
Federal funds - all types	2,080
Billing between agencies	520
State budget	2,972
TOTAL FUNDS	$9,302

That is big. However, it is near average for the U. S. and lower than almost all comparable countries. In the state budget is 1,018 local aid, which would be 48% added to property taxes if we did not do it. It is a straight transfer. Even then, property tax produces 45% more than sales or income taxes. To my mind that is too much of a spread but I am unable to get expert opinion on what the balance should be.

The federal budget is frightening. They have a huge deficit, so guess what? Tax shifts to states are being proposed, big time. And, of course, bigger tax cuts for higher incomes. La-la land. Leaders large and small, right and left, say we will pay it when we have more money. Any family that thought like that would be considered dysfunctional. States will get the bills and then must pay them. Lord, send us leaders who will manage taxes as an asset.

For leadership models we can study unique moments in history. The Revolutionary War was waged by 13 separate colonies, not united, who challenged colonialism for the first time ever. And won! The signers pledged “our lives, our fortunes and our honor” in a desperate time. That pledge was for real. No ducking through verbal smoke.

European leaders expected the new nation to divide. It was a close call. Our leaders' vision was far from perfect. They gave us racism, classism, patriarchy and slavery. But with the vision they could agree to, they stepped up to the plate with their lives and fortunes. We are blessed.

May we bless coming generations.

Lowen