Issue Position: Helping Us Keep More of Our Own Money: Reduce Government Spending and Lower Taxes

Issue Position

Nebraska is constitutionally required to have a balanced budget, but a balanced budget does not mean we are being wise with our tax dollars. Any state that has taxes on social security and military retiree benefits and a maximum income tax rate of 6.84% that kicks in at about $29,000, has a spending problem.

Each day, families in Northwest Lincoln and Lancaster County work hard to ensure that their money is well spent and that they are not being wasteful. Clipping coupons, shopping for good deals, paying down debt, and tending to our credit scores--these are all things we do to help stretch our dollar.

Where Nebraskans are thrifty and wise with their dollars, our government is not. Waste, inefficiency, skewed incentives and misplaced priorities lead to our government wasting too much of its citizens' dollars. I know that energetically and diligently applying Nebraska common sense can result in reduced spending while still protecting critical services.

Just reducing spending is not enough--we have to take those savings and give them back to taxpayers. Our neighbors and families need to keep more of their hard-earned money so that they can pay for the needs of their children, save for the future, give to charitable organizations, or spend in any way that they see fit. As your next state senator, I will work to ensure that reductions in spending go back to your pocket.

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