JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST OMAHA TAX HIKES!

Omaha taxpayers, frustrated and angry, tell me that their Omaha city council members and Mayor listen to what they say but do not abide by their wishes to NOT raise taxes. Truthfully, only City Councilmen Chuck Sigerson and Garry Gernandt acknowledged the 2,500+ petition signatures we submitted from citizens opposing tax hikes and our list of over 70 suggestions for budget cuts. That 4 city councilmen voted to raise our property taxes 10% during this recession, as citizens are losing their jobs, working fewer hours, and depleting their savings, is unconscionable. No council member has taken the initiative to systematically reform the budgeting process, while other metropolitan cities already have adopted many of our budgeting suggestions. It is not sufficient to direct anger and frustration against public officials who fail to heed constituent concerns. We must channel our feelings, translate them into actual Taxpayer Tea Party enthusiasm, into positive and productive action. Time to lobby our Mayor and council to 1) change the city charter to make it easier to avoid tax increases and to cut spending; 2) urge them to work with us to actually make short-range and long-range strategic budget cuts; and 3) use suggestions from the Matrix study and Behrens-Tate study to better manage city financing and operations. The city council so far has proved impervious to our suggestions, so we must apply pressure. We are creating Committees of Correspondence in each city council district, like our colonial forefathers created them in their neighborhoods to fight and thwart burdensome taxes yoked onto them by the British Crown. Each district committee will have a team leader to coordinate activities, including email, phone, and fax campaigns to lobby city council members and Mayor. Our Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom website will show their voting records and their replies or lack of responses to committee members. We will organize neighborhood meetings and invite council members to come and face questions and comments from their constituents. Pictures of tea bags will go to the council to accentuate our displeasure. Our committees of correspondence can and will apply necessary pressure on council members. We will challenge them and our Mayor to implement a Back to Basics philosophy and program to rein in taxes, spending, and regulation. These officials must understand that higher taxes lower our savings and consumer spending rates, hurting businesses that consumers patronize. Lower business profits translate into lower employment, layoffs, and furloughs. Not content with raising our property taxes 10%, Mayor Suttle now wants to raise our city sales tax, burden us with a new garbage collection fee, and possibly slap us with another property tax hike! Don’t get angry; get active! Contact us at netaxpayers@cox.net to get involved today in the Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom Committees of Correspondence!