Nevada Farmers & Ranchers Care About State Budget
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
Since starting “Kickin Up Dust” no topic has gotten more attention than the ongoing Nevada budget debate, circulating in many different forums around Nevada. Why would a farm organization, which represents farm and ranch families, have such an obsession with Nevada’s government spending and taxation?
First, farmers and ranchers are concerned citizens who care as much about how Nevada government operates as any other sector of the state’s population. Because of the leadership roles many of these individuals play in rural Nevada’s make-up – their points of view are as valid as anyone else who might have a perspective which somebody should pay attention to.
Second, agricultural producers are business owners who operate on very narrow margins, buying at retail – selling at wholesale – and paying the freight both ways. More often than not Nevada businesses (including farmers and ranchers) are considered as targets for the next, best idea for expanded opportunities to “fork more over” or in the discussion of changing our tax structure -- a new source of government revenue.
With a business structure predominately “Sole Proprietorship” -- when farmers and ranchers get to anti-up, most often they are writing their tax checks from the same source of dollars as they would use for family expenses or maintaining/building their enterprises.
Given this outlook, paying more taxes is very much a personal matter for farmers and ranchers.
Our members, who create our organization’s policy stances, also have an aversion against growing government. Their experiences with bigger government, seeking expanded control…more centrally-inspired commands – also stimulate the philosophy "when it comes to government -- 'bare minimum' … 'we’re good with what we’ve got'" holds sway.
As we identified in our January 4th post http://nvfbblog.org/2009/01/04/a-lot-more-to-stay-even.aspxour organizational policy does not support tax increases.
If reductions in spending allocations accomplish the necessary balanced Nevada budget – without tax increases, we will have achieved the objectives established by our farmer/rancher members
Even if the necessary majority of Nevada lawmakers decide that tax increases are appropriate, the public discussion and exchange of how new dollars will be spent is very proper.
We hope that by putting the spotlight on budget matters the result will be expanded awareness. Our goal is to give background for greater engagement by people who care.
Since starting “Kickin Up Dust” no topic has gotten more attention than the ongoing Nevada budget debate, circulating in many different forums around Nevada. Why would a farm organization, which represents farm and ranch families, have such an obsession with Nevada’s government spending and taxation?
First, farmers and ranchers are concerned citizens who care as much about how Nevada government operates as any other sector of the state’s population. Because of the leadership roles many of these individuals play in rural Nevada’s make-up – their points of view are as valid as anyone else who might have a perspective which somebody should pay attention to.
Second, agricultural producers are business owners who operate on very narrow margins, buying at retail – selling at wholesale – and paying the freight both ways. More often than not Nevada businesses (including farmers and ranchers) are considered as targets for the next, best idea for expanded opportunities to “fork more over” or in the discussion of changing our tax structure -- a new source of government revenue.
With a business structure predominately “Sole Proprietorship” -- when farmers and ranchers get to anti-up, most often they are writing their tax checks from the same source of dollars as they would use for family expenses or maintaining/building their enterprises.
Given this outlook, paying more taxes is very much a personal matter for farmers and ranchers.
Our members, who create our organization’s policy stances, also have an aversion against growing government. Their experiences with bigger government, seeking expanded control…more centrally-inspired commands – also stimulate the philosophy "when it comes to government -- 'bare minimum' … 'we’re good with what we’ve got'" holds sway.
As we identified in our January 4th post http://nvfbblog.org/2009/01/04/a-lot-more-to-stay-even.aspxour organizational policy does not support tax increases.
If reductions in spending allocations accomplish the necessary balanced Nevada budget – without tax increases, we will have achieved the objectives established by our farmer/rancher members
Even if the necessary majority of Nevada lawmakers decide that tax increases are appropriate, the public discussion and exchange of how new dollars will be spent is very proper.
We hope that by putting the spotlight on budget matters the result will be expanded awareness. Our goal is to give background for greater engagement by people who care.
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