Why I'm voting 'yes' on both ballot questions

I don't think anyone is against city improvement. You make it sound as though anyone against the extra taxation is anti McCook. Many people like myself , who are against the tax, would prefer if such improvements were done by the private sector without any government aid. For example, when the government puts up housing , that housing is in competition with private sector investors. The government can run long term deficits and increase taxes. It has a huge advantage over private companies. In addition it becomes the burden of the government. Maintenance and more government employees. Forever. Personally, I think it's time to trim back all Government spending. At all levels for every reason. Also, my position is that socialism is not the societal cure all people think it is. It comes with a loss of freedoms. Including the freedom to spend money on yourself rather than someone else or someone else's projects. It may sound strange, but big socialist government also curtails religious freedom. Marxism, communism and socialism are all anti religion. Check out socialist and communist countries. See what religion is like there. Actually it seems strange that you would have to remind Christians that big government ultimately causes trouble for religion. On the other hand , there are lots of the more conservative religious people in all religions who know the link is there. The link between big government and control of religions. I think we are going into this " I love big government " thing without really thinking much about it. Without thinking enough about it. Perhaps people are walking into this big government problem not knowing that that is what they are doing. The reason being that their pocket books aren't affected as they should be. The 19 trillion dollar federal deficit is the difference between what you are paying for government and what you should be paying for it. It's deceptive.

I'm voting yes also, not only for all the reasons listed above by Mrs. Skiles, but also, (I hope) to poke a stick at a certain opinion writer for this paper that seems to hate anything he hasn't come up with, or anything that involves Ben Nelson for any reason. I have a feeling if the city would "give" part of the proceeds to use at "BEN NELSON" airport he would be for it. LOL

That's it Bob, we need you in office!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7QDv4sYwjO0

What a choice really ? Give a free ride for those who choose to live outside city limits and all its daily visitors that use all use city taxpayers services like parks/ streets /cemetery/ & dozens more services and even a glass of water is costing a city citizens lot especially clean water issues so really why is anyone deserve to get city services for free period?

Bottom line all should pay something period and charging a nominal 1.5% sales tax and get some help on city owners property in city is only way to do it vs toll roads and surcharges on all service to all who live outside city but not a bad idea if vote fails.

Corn Whisperer, you are absolutely right. We deadbeats that live outside the city limits, shouldn't have access to your city without paying for the privilege of spending our money there. So I think that all the farmers and ranchers and anybody else that has to pay to do business in your city, should go elsewhere! Obviously we are a terrible burden for you and we don't want to cause you anymore pain than has already been inflicted on you! I'm sure that all the Machinery Dealerships, like Kleins, Southwest, Titans and the Parts Stores like NAPA and Car Quest, and the new one that made the mistake of opening in your fair city. Grocery Stores, Frenchman Valley and all the Fertilizer Dealers, that's just a few of them that don't need our business, and I'm sure they won't shed a tear if they don't have to deal with us anymore. And imagine my disbelief when you informed us that we all are really getting screwed, we thought we are paying with our taxes for the right to be buried in your city limits, and paying for your schools that I guess our kids don't have the right to attend because we are using the streets that you so generously have provided for us, at no cost! Now we find out that your paying for it all!! I think all of us outside the City of McCook should band together and make it a point to go to the next County Commissioner meeting, and demand answers as to where our tax money is being spent.

You been OWNED cornman!!!!!!

markne, I believe what Corn Whisperer was trying to say, albeit somewhat unsuccessfully, is that the parks and streets and City services have to be maintained, and can be enjoyed not by JUST the residents of McCook but all those that come to McCook. Without a sales tax, the playing fields are not level... even WITH the sales tax, they can be a bit askew due to those that travel through without dropping a dime in McCook.

The sales tax allows the streets to remain NOT just in good condition structurally, BUT ALSO cleared when a foot of snow drops. It allows the water in the restaurants to be safe to drink by all, and it allows the playground equipment in the parks to be safe rather than rusty and nearly falling over.

If you intend to look to the towns around for equipment WITHOUT additional sales tax, then you may want to expand your field of vision as North Platte has a sales tax of 7% and Oberlin's sales tax is 8.65%. Benkelman... 7%, Kearney 7%, Cambridge 7% the list goes on.

I for one appreciate all those that come to McCook when they have options, thereby helping us to make McCook a better place for everyone in the area. I feel that if McCook doesn't continue the sales tax, it would be like the race car driver that doesn't pull into the pit stop to have the tires changed, or the Doctor that doesn't read up on the latest procedures... they may think that they are saving time and money, but that is a short lived reality and suddenly they fall behind the rest that have more tread and more knowledge, which ultimately leads to their inadequacies and failure.

My info here says the tax rate for McCook is 7%. Also that " ◾McCook has a higher sales tax than 97.6% of Nebraska's other cities and counties " Is that correct? I got it off of this tax site --- http://www.tax-rates.org/nebraska/mccook_sales_tax

I didn't do the math, I will leave that to others, but 97.6% higher than other cities and counties in Nebraska?? NOT!

http://www.revenue.nebraska.gov/question/sales.html

your info is probably better - it looks more complete. Socialism is the norm - it's everywhere. No escaping big government. I have no idea how people have come to embrace the big tax big government idea. I just think it's amazing.

I am amazed McCook isn't at 7.5%!!! Now that they know, they will probably try to get that extra .5% in a few months!! Keep sucking in the tax bucks!!!! Ya don't get much of mine! Just saying!

Big tax, big government, expand Medicaid, all under the guise that it is good for the economy! Liars!! Our economy is in the toilet, and the sheepies keep voting for more! Fools!!

When we run out of payers because they have all become takers, we are through!!

I did the math SWNE... turns out that McCook, according to that web site IS actually higher than 97.6% of the other cities in NE. I think the key here is WHAT cities that includes, I checked the other cities within Nebraska that have similar services. The ones I checked were:

North Platte (7%), Benkelman (7%), Cambridge (7%), Ogallala (7%), Sidney (7.5), Norfolk (7.5), Columbus (7%), Holdrege (7%), York (7.5%) again, the list goes on.

Here is a list of towns that are lower... about 97.6% I suppose:

Beaver City (6.5), Indianola (5.5%), Elm Creek (6.5%), Friend (6.5%), Wilber (6.5%)

Okay, my point is this.... there are a lot of smaller towns that DON'T have hotels or more than maybe 2 eating establishments in Nebraska. One might even say that there MIGHT be around 97.2% of Nebraska towns that fall into that category.... you can go ahead and look it up, you've driven through them, usually at around 50 MPH. These are the towns that have the gravel alleys, maybe a CO-OP to fuel up at if your lucky enough that you travel through between the hours of 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM, and a cafe that's open 3 times a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Don't get me wrong, these are great places to raise a family... None of them have hospitals, a college, 24 hr a day eating establishments or hotels to speak of though. These aren't destination spots, they are way points and each have their own unique little thing that draws people in, BUT they just can't stay there, because there are limited lodging options. Now... 1. Are these towns lower in taxes because they are desperate to have people purchase goods at their businesses? 2. Do they HAVE to keep sales tax rates down because the businesses don't buy bulk, therefor they are higher in price to begin with? 3. Do they just not need the extra revenue to keep the graveled alleys in good shape?

Furthermore, is there a correlation between the tax rates of these smaller towns and the services they provide or is it just a coincidence that these towns have graveled alleys and even sometimes side streets, no lodging and limited retail business?

It's obvious that in order for a town to survive and flourish, it must be maintained and be quite careful, because once you skimp on maintenance it's becomes ever so difficult to regain the steps you've lost due to the chain of events that led up to that. Bad streets leads to less traffic, less traffic leads to less retail, less retail leads to less sales tax, less sales tax leads to less maintenance, you can see where I'm going with this.

To JUST say "NOT", (SWNE), because a survey shows 97.6% of the Nebraska towns is lower in their sales tax rates shows to me that you don't look at the whole story, which concerns me as I wonder how many other people just sit back and let others do their thinking for them without researching things and thinking them through for themselves. it only takes a majority of the voters to read skewed factoids and believe them without looking into it in order to turn the road to success into a gravel alley and there is NOTHING that the rest of those that do their research can do to protect their hometown from ruin. Again, be careful what you read and be MORE careful of what you believe.... after all, there are 97.6% of the towns in Nebraska that may wish they had a hospital to rush to in times of emergency.... how many auto accident victims refuse to be transported to a care facility in a higher sales tax bracket, and for that matter ARE THERE ANY HOSPITALS THAT AREN'T? You may want to look that up.

Maybe, Nick, just maybe, you don't know how many towns in Nebraska have hospitals? Many of them much smaller than McCook, with gravel alleys! I wonder when we started judging the success of a Nebraska town by how many paved alleys they had to brag about? Maybe it is that mentality that mccookies project that turn the rest of us off??

Tax yourselves all you want nickers, you still will get very little from me! Again, just saying!

Just in case you want to go to bed a little smarter tonight......

http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/Documents/Hospital%20Roster.pdf

I'm having a bit of trouble opening your link SWNE. I can see what type of mentality that you utilize, and don't jump to conclusions on that just yet as I'm NOT saying the way you process your information is incorrect, I am simply aware of how you process and respond to information... quick defence is a tell tale of personality is all. That being said, did I write anywhere in my post about small towns being unsuccessful? No, I did commend small towns on being good places to raise a family and that they have their own draws. So to indicate that I waser downing small towns was in fact a judgment error on your behalf. I DID however say that without revenue to maintain infrastructure, a town dwindles, anyone that would like to argue that feel free, its a fact, there is no way side step it, if you don't maintain what you have' you won't have it for long. The issue here isn't how many disco clubs with flashing lights we can get into McCook, its how well we are able to keep what we have so the services we offer can continue and grow.... that's how we get more events in McCook, thereby more business, bacicly going the polar opposite of my aforementioned scenerio of bad streets, less business and less to use to maintain streets.

As for the hospitals and health care facilities, yes, I had better do more research on these small town hospitals because in the 45000 miles I drive here in Southwest Nebraska every year, I can tell you, I have been to MOST of the hospitals in this region and there is only ONE city that I have found that both has a hospital and a lower that 7% sales tax. The correlation between having services and city sales tax is no coincidence. You either grow or fade away, its somewhat like natural selection, those the best suited for their environment continue on, those that don't work well in their environment tend to loose ground and "fade away"

I like to post this statistic whenever possible --- "In a 2011 Pew poll, young Americans between the ages of 18-29 favored socialism to capitalism by 49% to 43%; " . It's an odd kind of fact. When did all this take place? Also , I found this old speech. In it you can see what in the 1950's were the future goals of the Marxist and socialists - interesting reading --- https://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1953/socialistamer.htm