Funding Public Services: Opinions of Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans

Authors

Rebecca Vogt, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Center for Applied Rural Innovation, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Randolph Cantrell, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Bradley Lubben, Center for Applied Rural Innovation, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Eric Thompson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2013

Citation

Nebraska Rural Poll Research Report 13-2, July 2013.

Comments

Copyright 2013 University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Abstract

Taxes were in the spotlight in Nebraska last year when the governor proposed the elimination of the state income tax. Although this proposal did not pass in the Legislature, a review of the state’s tax system was authorized. While this study may focus more on the revenue side of the tax equation, the expenditures or spending side of the equation are important to examine as well. How do rural Nebraskans feel about the current level of spending for various items? How would rural Nebraskans fund five major public expenditures? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 2,317 responses to the 2013 Nebraska Rural Poll, the eighteenth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about public spending and taxes. Comparisons are made among different respondent subgroups, that is, comparisons by age, occupation, region, etc. Based on these analyses, some key findings emerged.