Show Spending Beyond Our Income The individual has little tittle difficulty difficulty t ty to determine whether his me- me method method me method thod of living is leadin leading him toI to I economic independence or bank bank- bankruptcy bankruptcy bankruptcy All he has to do is to corn com compare com compare pare his hig income with his expendi expendi- expenditures expenditures tures When he finds that the mar mar- margin margin margin gin between the two is growing dan dangerously small he changes his budget if he is wise But the individual collectively collectively- which we call government does government not seem to he be so gravely ravely concern concern- concerned concerned ed about maintaining this fine bal bal- balance balance bal balance ance Consider that between 1913 1931 local taxes in the U S and by that is meant city county and schools increased 2948 9 18 per cent state taxes for the same period In- In Increased In Increased creased per pel cent Federal taxes per cent or a total in- in increase in increase I crease in our taxes during that IS 18 year period of per cent In 1913 the ratio between the tax x burden and the national income was 64 per cent In 1931 it was per cent In 1931 the per capita expenditure for taxes was wasI I I And now to the point Has our ability in ability in other words word our in in- in in kept come kept pace with the increase in t taxation axa t I Let us see I In 1 1924 24 the national income was 1 70 hill billion ion dollars and in 1931 it was 75 billion dollars an increase Iwas of 71 per cent Durin During that same period government expenditures I increased per cent or in I round numbers from about 11 billion to 14 billion dollars That I means menns we were 7 per cent more able in 1931 than we were In in 1 1921 I to bear even the same tax burden I But we were not satisfied with keeping the taxes on the old level I we raised them over one fourth one With ability of 7 we spent 27 Be- Be Between Between Be Between tween 1928 and 1931 incomes took an an I nation national l income decreased fr from m 81 I billion to 75 billion dollars dollars-a dollars a le- le decrease de decrease crease of 74 per cent If we had followed out good business procedure procedure procedure II ure we should have decreased our tax burden accordingly But unfortunately we did just the contrary we contrary we increased the I tax burden per cent or front from fromI I to over Is there any wonder that the taxpayers in every taxing unit in inthe the the country have become aroused And not as the result of any prop prop- propaganda propaganda or agitators but simply because the taxpayers come to the grim rim and stern realization realization tion that the government costs are driving them into bankruptcy So that when am any trained over theorists or sheltered intellectuals cry out that this war against gov gO expenditures emanates from a few c elfi h interests thes the thc are fI flying n in the face fare of some ome ory ordinary just facts facts just the kind that have been quoted in this article You cant can't make a farmer believe that the increase in his taxes is a amere amere amere mere figment of his imagination imagination- a mere myth mth He knows that it is breaking his his back that he doesn't get enough yield from his farm to keep his family and at the same time meet his share of the mount mount- mounting mounting in ing costs of government go I Taxpayers have turned the ht on government from the little to town board up to the I Federal departments and have sud sudi suddenly i denly become aware of the predicament predicament predicament cament which confronts us all I Is there a medey Of course A Avery Avery Avery very simple one We must spend less Jess How can that be accomplished Here are a few practical sug- sug sug suggestions suggestions 1 1 I Introduce elementary business management into th of all public affairs 2 Overcome extravagance waste unnecessary governmental activities activities activities ties and top heavy payrolls 3 Put an end to all sugar coat sugarcoated ed demands for governmental relief 4 Keep government in its prop prop- proper proper proper er place and not in competition with private enterprise 5 Put an end to the creation and maintenance of needless needless needless-ex ex- ex expensive expensive pensive pensive bureaus commissions and investigators j 3 5 Declare a 3 moratorium upon needless cure all legislation 7 Arouse taxpayers to interest themselves in the affairs of govern ment government beginning right at home Who will apply these simple the rules the ones who are profiting by our present in spendin spending No It is the taxpayers themselves who after turning on the search search- I light searchlight and getting the facts must InStitute the The corrective correctives Utah Taxpayer |