Issue Briefs
Issue Briefs provide analysis and comment on critical and emerging issues of significance to rural people and rural places. They complement more in-depth, longer research reports and studies also done by the Center. Our Issue Briefs offer quick information and analysis people can use to get more up-to-date on a particular issue. Issues Briefs also allow us to comment and become more conversant on a wide variety of topics important to rural America.
With this study, we seek to better understand how key USDA grant and research programs are serving beginning and small and mid-size farms and ranches, and what steps might be taken to improve these programs or develop new solutions to enhance farm profitability and rural community success.
Previous research has shown great disparity in property taxes among states, with Nebraska residents having some of the highest property valuations and taxes among top agricultural producing states and neighboring states.1 However, great disparities also exist within the state. This report examines the property tax burdens for Nebraska’s highest and lowest income counties. The data show that the heaviest property tax burdens occur in rural, agriculturally-dependent counties and counties with low per capita incomes.
An analysis of the proposed changes to Nebraska’s school finance formula and school structure shows that many of Nebraska’s rural schools could suffer from imposition of a “small by choice” factor. Research has consistently shown that smaller schools have some advantages over their larger counterparts.1
A broad agreement is developing among researchers, policy advocates and others that traditional economic development models of industrial and business recruitment do not meet the needs of rural communities.1 Entrepreneurship is lifted up as an economic development model that will better serve rural people and rural places, and potentially act as a balance for the traditional recruitment and tax incentive models.
There is evidence of a decline in public investment in public research while private investment has grown significantly (Frey, 1996; Heisey et al., 2001). According to a survey by the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM, 1997), U.S. research universities earned over $446 million in royalties from inventions in fiscal year 1997, an increase of 33 percent from 1996.
As part of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative* (SALI), the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA) undertook a survey of Nebraska producers, agricultural lenders and crop insurance agents to understand each group’s understanding of and attitudes toward "sustainable agriculture," and to determine the extent, if any, of discrimination against sustainable agriculture in lending and crop insurance practices.
Governor Johanns’ proposed 2003-2005 biennial budget will have an impact of $128 million on rural Nebraska through cuts to programs benefiting rural people and rural communities and cuts in state aid to rural political subdivisions. Governor Johanns’ proposed budget will have a $63.5 million impact on rural Nebraska in fiscal year 2003-2004 (beginning July 1, 2003) and a $64.7 million impact in fiscal year 2004-2005 (beginning July 1, 2004).
Health care in rural communities has many aspects – access to physicians, dentists, nurses, and mental health services; the financial circumstances of rural hospitals; federal rules concerning Medicare reimbursement rates and the impact on rural hospitals and healthcare professionals; and the consequences of all of these on the health of rural people.
While each aspect is important, this brief will focus on health insurance coverage, health care costs of rural people, and solutions to reform the health care system.
Several reports and studies have highlighted the continuing health care benefit challenges faced by small and micro businesses. An analysis of the data and findings suggests that health insurance is becoming more of an economic development issue and is harming the ability of small and micro businesses to compete and to attract employees.
Resolution of these issues is of paramount importance to rural people and rural communities – the rural economy is dominated by small businesses, and if the cost and availability of health care benefits render small businesses non-competitive and unable to expand and attract employees, the future of the rural economy is uncertain and the viability of rural communities unclear.
