Mike Groene

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  www.wnta.org/about/ - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/19/2009    Last Visited: 10/19/2009  

  Mike Groene Chairman

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  www.wnta.org/news-articles/2009/7/8/mike-groene-does-ou - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 7/8/2009    Last Visited: 10/19/2009  

  Mike Groene does our tax homework - Editorial | Click to read more ... | CommentPost a Comment | Mike Groene does our tax homework - Editorial »
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  Mike Groene does our tax homework - Editorial | Click to read more ... | CommentPost a Comment | Mike Groene does our tax homework - Editorial »
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  Mike Groene does our tax homework - Editorial Date Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 03:32PM
  
  Published: Wednesday, July 8, 2009 4:14 AM CDT
  
  Mike Groene, the president of the Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association, is a great asset to North Platte and Nebraska.
  
  He is the person who will stand up to the crowd, the person who is unafraid to look at the emperor and say "he's not wearing any clothes. He is the person who will stand up to the momentum of government, the momentum of government boards and the momentum of increasing taxation.
  
  He is undeterred in comparing the city property taxes to other similar size cities. Invariably, North Platte leads the list with the highest city property tax in the state. City officials will often refute that dubious standing, but it is difficult to refute the facts. The numbers simply don't allow for a lot of wiggle room. North Platte has repeatedly been the highest taxed city in the state and there has not been a great deal of significant changes to mitigate it.
  
  Groene believes that government performance isn't a matter of demographics, but a matter of choice.
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  As Groene would point out, eliminate those losses and the city's property tax standing would be keeping company with the bottom of the list.
  
  Clearly, Groene doesn't accept that the only solution is more revenue for taxing entities. He believes there are other answers and there are other solutions.
  
  We may want to listen to him.
  
  Nebraska, according to latest census figures, is the only state within our six neighboring states that has residential population leakage. The state grew by 72,166 (from April 2000 to July 2009) but the state birth over death rate increased by 90,323. Groene theorizes that the state taxes are sufficiently high enough to drive seniors out of the state and acts as a deterrent for those who would move back.
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  We suspect Groene thinks there is insanity to the current process.

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  www.nptelegraph.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19699569&BRD=3 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 5/18/2008    Last Visited: 5/18/2008  

  The proposal has received criticism, notably from Western Nebraska Taxpayer's Association co-founder and chairman, Mike Groene, who argues that business travelers pay the majority of a lodging tax, and would pass on increases to consumers via the products they sell.

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  www.nptelegraph.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19663373&BRD=3 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 5/6/2008    Last Visited: 5/9/2008  

  Mike Groene, President of the Western Nebraska Taxpayers | Full Story
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  Mike Groene, President of the Western Nebraska Taxpayers
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  Mike Groene, President of the Western Nebraska Taxpayers
  
  It was standing room only inside the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners' room, while both sides of the argument in increasing occupational sales taxes were discussed during a public hearing at Monday's regular meeting.
  
  Lisa Cox, executive director of the Lincoln County Visitor's and Convention Bureau, and Mike Groene, president of the Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association presented opposing views.
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  "I ask you not to authorize this forcible confiscation of my neighbor's property through an increase in the sales tax on lodging," said Groene."The Visitor's Bureau talks of tourists, but the reality is that business travelers pay the majority of a lodging tax, which is passed on to you and me in the products we buy."
  
  Groene said North Platte hotels should use the fact that they are 2 percent less than a lot of other counties to their advantage over areas like Kearney and Grand Island.
  
  "If they wish to raise their prices 2 percent to pay for advertising that prospers them individually, they have the freedom to do so," he said."Smaller hotels in the county should not be forced to collect a tax that hurts their bottom line."Groene said the added tax isn't going to make a difference for the multi-million dollar hotels along the I-80 interchange, but said the smaller motels in the area are, "afraid of the Visitor's Bureau, which is why none of them showed up today," he said.
  
  Groene said he personally heard smaller motel owners voice their opinions against the tax, but didn't want to confront the Visitor's Bureau at the meeting.
  
  "I also wonder why the larger hotel owners aren't here," he said."I see they sent their employees, but it's curious that they didn't come themselves."
  
  Groene said there are too many other pressing issues facing the county.
  
  "This county has a pressing need for a new jail," he said."Public safety is a true function of the government that merits taxation.The lack of respect for the taxpayer shown by this proposed frivolous tax increase will only embitter the taxpayers when it is time to vote on a jail in November."
  
  Groene pointed out that county taxpayers are growing angrier.
  
  "Any person I have spoken to say they are mad about the jail, they are mad about the lodging taxes, mad about the taxes probably being raised because of a loss of state aid for schools," he said.

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  www.wnta.org/news-articles/2009/9/14/return-mpcc-to-low - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 9/13/2009    Last Visited: 10/19/2009  

  
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  Mike Groene
  
  Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association

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  www.wnta.org/news-articles/ - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 7/8/2009    Last Visited: 10/19/2009  

  Mike Groene Chairman Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association
  
  I commented on the politics of Governor Heineman's recent teacher pay raise stance to the Star on August 3rd. Correctly I pointed out that the federal stimulus money should have been used to save existing jobs not pad the pay of political supporters in the NSEA. In Governor Heineman's June 9th letter to the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA) he advocated to the teacher's union that they work with school boards to use the $234 million in educational stimulus to "increase teacher salaries to ensure they are competitive with surrounding states".
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  Mike Groene does our tax homework - Editorial Date Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 03:32PM
  
  Published: Wednesday, July 8, 2009 4:14 AM CDT
  
  Mike Groene, the president of the Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association, is a great asset to North Platte and Nebraska.
  
  He is the person who will stand up to the crowd, the person who is unafraid to look at the emperor and say "he's not wearing any clothes.

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  www.wnta.org/property-taxes/ - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 7/7/2009    Last Visited: 10/19/2009  

  The list, compiled by Mike Groene of the Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association, compares total tax levies for 2008.

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  www.northplattebulletin.com/index.asp?show=news&action= - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/3/2009    Last Visited: 10/26/2009  

  If voters agree, that sum for the Spike would be reduced to no more than $274,000 a year, and the difference of $80,000 or more would go into the city treasury, according to Mike Groene, chairman of the Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association.
  
  Groene and petition sponsors hope that the additional money for the city would replace some of the property taxes that fund city government.
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  "It's there and we all hope it is successful," Groene said Saturday.

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  www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2009/07/07/news/50002394.t - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 7/8/2009    Last Visited: 7/8/2009  

  The list, compiled by Mike Groene of the Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association, compares total tax levies for 2008.
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  Groene did acknowledge that North Platte's levy is not the highest in the state. Fairbury, which has a population of 4,262 making it the 34th largest city in Nebraska, has a levy of 71.96 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
  
  "You go to these smaller towns and they have higher tax rates, but their valuations are less too," Groene said. "So you've got a higher multiplier, but you've got lower valuations. So you can't compare small towns to big cities."
  
  Groene said that in the six years he has been compiling this list, North Platte has been number one each year with one exception. He said North Platte got bumped to second three years ago by Nebraska City, which is now seventh on the list.
  
  In order to make this a fair comparison, Groene said the levy for airport authorities was included for those cities that have one. He noted that many of the other Class I cities support their local airports through their regular budget.
  
  "Every town is somehow supporting one," Groene said.

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  www.wnta.org/news-articles/2009/9/25/taxpayers-facts-vs - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/29/2009    Last Visited: 10/19/2009  

  Mike Groene Chairman Western Nebraska Taxpayers Association
  
  I commented on the politics of Governor Heineman's recent teacher pay raise stance to the Star on August 3rd. Correctly I pointed out that the federal stimulus money should have been used to save existing jobs not pad the pay of political supporters in the NSEA. In Governor Heineman's June 9th letter to the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA) he advocated to the teacher's union that they work with school boards to use the $234 million in educational stimulus to "increase teacher salaries to ensure they are competitive with surrounding states".
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  Mike Groene

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