[ehenningsen]

Nebraska ranks #22 for overall tax burden, still .9% LESS than the average burden the average us citizen faces (includes the #9 state tax rank):
The Tax Foundation - Nebraska's State and Local Tax Burden, 1970-2007

Omaha is .4% above the average for tax burden for large cities, now remember Omahan's rank #36 in total income out of 366 metro's with a remarkable 12th lowest cost of living..
CNNMoney.com: Big city taxes 2005, by rank

[kdbrich]

As of 1996, Nebraska was ranked 9th highest.

Nebraska Tax Burden Up And Away

[ehenningsen]

Well, apparently these national organizations who have no biase think we are skimming about average now..

We must have taken some right steps then since 1996..

[mattpoulsen]

Nice info enhenningsen. Like I have repeatedly stated, you simply live more richly in Nebraska than most other places in the U.S. Yes, our taxes a may not be as low as we'd like...but everything else is cheaper!

I'm getting tired of the "too expensive to live in Nebraska" line. If that's the case then I suggest all who can't afford the taxes in Nebraska to move to California and try to live.

[ehenningsen]

matt, you can tell who really knows their own geography, the ones like yourself and I, or the ones that hear something on the news like the story on wowt and believe its fact.

Wowt is a newstation that is very biased, I don't know why, but that story is building information based off of extremely limited facts, that's what you call politics or some other agenda base..

Those posts I just posted are national organizations who have a wide array of information and they probably have never been in Nebraska, the data by the actual professionals reflect a near average burden. The 'rate' fact is a complete bunk fact..

[kdbrich]

Oops...I misspoke. As of 2006, Nebraska was 9th highest, according to the article I posted above.


And you guys can say what you want, but I do pay an exhorbitant amount of real estate taxes for the size of house I live in. And my wife and I pay the Omaha wheel tax on 3 vehicles (2 cars and a motorcycle), and we have to license our dogs in Omaha...despite not living inside the city limits. If they want to tax me, they should pick up my garbage--I have to pay for that to be hauled away, too. I can't vote for mayor or city council, but I have to pay their taxes. Yes, I know I drive on the city's streets...but I also eat in the restaurants and shop at Walmart--thus paying sales taxes.

It's actually the local gov'ts that are killing us with taxes--but the state allows for it by passing laws telling cities they can tax people outside their limits.

[bluesker]

I too pay plenty in taxes but you can't look at one category of your living expenses in a vacuum to determine your cost of living = you must look at all of your expenses combined and from that perspective, we live very much on the cheap in this part of the country.

[jeepejeep]

Well I currently live on Long Island In NY and for my modest house on a 50x100 plot of land I'm paying over $6,000 per year in taxes. I think My move to western NE will lower that a tad!

[kdbrich]

What's the value of that house? I pay $3000/year on a house worth 120k.

Besides residential taxes, there are things like the state tax on gas.

[mattpoulsen]

Kdrich,

You're missing the point! Its not about the price of the home. Its about the quality of the home. Yes, you may pay a higher tax rate then "jeepejeep," but $120,000 will buy you much more in Nebraska than it would in Long Island!

Lets put it this way, if you would adjust our home values to those on Long Island...you'd have to spend 2 to 3 times (if not more) as much to live in a house identical to the one you're in now. Yes, while the property tax rate may be lower in then end you're paying the same amount of taxes for an identical house.

Furthermore, if you don't want to pay taxes on 3 vehicles then you shouldn't own 3 vehicles. If you can't afford the taxes on your home then you should buy a cheaper one. I find it hard to believe that someone with 2 cars, a motorcycle, and a house, living in the suburbs of Omaha can't make ends meat. It doesn't sound like you're living on foodstamps!

I would also add what does paying for trash have to do with anything! That's pretty standard. I have to pay for my trash service in Omaha. Why is that relevant to your taxes? I also pay sales tax when I'm in Lincoln and Omaha...does that mean I should pay the Omaha wheel tax?

The reason its okay to tax you is because you use the amenities that are paid for by Omaha residents. If you were allowed to live just outside of Omaha and not pay taxes for things that you use...what do you think the result would be?? You'd have an influx of people living outside of city limits in order to escape those taxes. Its a matter of good public policy.