Show CONSULT r YOUR r rJ LI rI LEG J I G GI I S SJ 11 A VT TOR 0 R S 1 I According t to the current num- num number num number ber of the Utah Taxpayer which wa issued this week out of the tho cities and towns in this state only 25 reduced their local levies Out of the 29 counties 13 reduced their local levies and out of the 40 school districts 11 decreased their local levies Of or the remaining number lOS cities and ind towns made no change On the other hand increases were made malc in 11 counties 11 school distl districts and in 29 cities and to ns In addition to this thia 11 11 newly in- in incorporated incorporated in incorporated cities and to towns ms made mado levies for the first time in their history The The- Thenet The net relief therefore to the I IThe owners O of tangible property came largely argel from froth the reduction of 35 mills mitis in the state lev levy This according to the y- y yer er corrects the the prevalent opinion that the lower tax burden on tan tan- tangible tan tangible gible giblo property properly this year was due largely ar ey to tho the decreases in local levies Editorially the Taxpayer corn com comments ments on this thiH situation and warns the taxpayers against undue op- op optimism op optimism Reference is made t to the sky l i of indirect taxes from in 1933 to in 1936 a n jump of SO that while there is a decrease in tangible property taxes there has been a radical increase in the indirect taxes with the probable net res result lt that the taxpayers will willbe willbe be paying even more than ever eyer for forthe forthe forthe the upkeep of state and nd local local ocal goT goT- gov Taxpayers ers are therefore urged i it t to keep their eye on the indirect as well wen as on the direct taxes It is the direct taXes taxes said the tho publication that thus far has hascen been en c-en able to arouse a tax con con- consciousness con consciousness while comparative in- in In Indifference difference has been shown toward the he other taxes which are now be- be becoming be becoming coming oming more bur burdensome and more on onerous rou than the general tax from which temper temper- temporary ar a ary ry relief has been beef b q given Taxpayers are also aTso urged ure-ed to consult C Croni the legislators that come from roni their respective districts be- be before be before fore ore the session begins for a ma ma matire ture tire careful discussion of legisla legisla- legislation legislation tion ion that is intended to promote our ur general economic welfare At the coming session of the State tate Legislature the senators and from your dis- dis district dis district net will be confronted with a amass amass mass nass of legislative proposals on every wery C conceivable conce abe subject To the best of their ability they will vill endeavor to reflect the senti senti- sentiments senti- senti sentiments ments of their constituents and ando to o the general general- of f the state But what is going to guide their jl judgment I As always noisy determined minorities will be he on hand hand Every Ever Everywhere Everywhere where they will be bo In evide evidence making demands upon your sena sena- senators sena- sena senator senators tor tors and representatives that may not be in keeping with what you ou consider right just and fair What then is your responsibility as taxpayer and citizen It is to meet with your representatives representatives now before they are arc ex- ex exposed exposed ex exposed posed and subjected to the confusion confusion sion of legislative proceedings s sit down with them and discuss with them calmly and deliberately the problems which h now hold public interest give them the benfit benuIt of I your our views your suggestions your I recommendations and your find find- findings find find- findings findings ings In this manner you can contrib contrib- contribute contribute contribute ute much to the of the ser ser- service ser service vice which your senators and rep rep- representatives representatives rep representatives will be able to give in the interest of sound whole whole- wholesome wholesome wholesome some the legislation legislation the crying cling need of the hour Will You Perform This Important Important tant Public Service LETS LET'S GET T THE E WHOLE PICTURE You arc are invited to read carefully the tabulations in this issue of the Ut Utah h Taxpayer and to study the trend of levies leies in state city coun coun- county county coun- coun county ty and school districts At first blush it would appear to be an unusual a turning away from high taxes taxes- taxes relief from the burdens under which we have been groaning And that is the impression which we as taxpayers will naturally get from this picture unless and until we study the whole tax situation to find out if it these decreases have lowered the total tax bill So without desiring to dampen anyone's any ones one's exuberance or enthusiasm enthusiasm we arc are asking that our fel- fel fellow fellow fel fellow low taxpayers reserve their judg ment judg ment until they have more facts in their possession The questions are f I Is h ou our entire tax burden really less 1 Have our eX expenses for pub pub- pub lie lie He affairs affair diminished 7 Let r t n us lisee ee There aI are are- two aru-two two o cla classes of taxes and indirect t W V Vc are paying both The direct taxes are upon I our general property It is upon this property that levies evies arc are im- im im and it is these levies that have been reduced according to toI I I these tabulations This means that we Ve are paying less taxes upon our genera general prop prop- property property property erty than we did last yeas year That means a lower tax on our farm home railroad mine cattle cattIe sheep or any other kind of rea real estate or any kind of persona pro ty That is what th the leavy eavy de dec dec-ases ases mean But what about the indirect taxes tax- tax es s As you know as citizen citizen con con- consumer consumer con consumer sumer householder you ou arc being taxed every time timo you ou make a pur- pur purchase purchase pur purchase chase of cigarettes oleo oleo- oleo oleo-margerine margerine you make snake a retail purchase of any ties you are paying a tax for your fish mid and game license and your for for yourI your I automobile you OU arc are taxed for your automobile inspection you are subject to a personal personal income tax I and if you ou own a business and have any profits you rou pa pay a corporation tax All users of liquor pay a tax evory every time your gas or electricity meter makes a turn you pay a tax and at your our death your oUr estate is subject to a tax These are arc some of the rapidly growing grong indirect taxes which are sometimes called the invisible tax tax- tax taxes es Cs C but they arc are just as ns real and just as burdensome as the direct dire t taxes It is these indirect t taxes that have hae grown in Utah from in 1933 1 3 t to 1100 in 1936 a jump of And taxpayers are are ae paying overy every cent of that taxi I So while our pro property tax has bas temporarily gone down doan our indi indirect taX taxes 5 have steadily climbed to their present ugh level An And while less Jess tax is being taken out I of 01 one pocKet more taxes nave have been extracted from several other pockets Then again millions of dollars have been poured into the state during the last three years to fi- fi finance fi finance nance public activities and im- im improvements improvements im improvements that heretofore have been the tho obligation of the state and our local units We Wt have al always ways wars paid for them and have known exactly what they cost For a time we were disposed to believe that these magnanimous gifts coming from sonic SOme unidentified unidentified fied fled outside sources and that We should never be required to pay for all of this lavish demonstration of gen rosity intended for our more abundant Ii life e But now after sober reflection we have come to the con elusion that there is no magic source of tax that tax tax- taxpayers taxpayers tax taxpayers payers are the only ones that con con- contribute contribute con contribute tribute to the public treasury sury and that we are that class Andare And we are arc also beginning to understand that we are arc going to pay back every cent in some form or fashion so that the myth of free tax money has been pretty well exploded If we add these millions to the increases in our indirect taxes we discover that they tow tower r mountain 1 high bi h above the in the taxes tates upon our general pro property These indirect t taxes represent a areal areal areal real danger because they do do not seem cm to arouse our tax conscious ness ness We dont don't se see sea them We re ret ret- re-fuso re fuse to take time to count the th pen pen- pennies pen pennies nies flies nickels dimes and dollars that we are daily and lly throwing into the tax hopper But when we get our annual tax tux notice on our property then we wo become really and outspoken That Thatis Thatis Thatis is the only tax that seems able to bring us up to the boiling point Our problem is clearly dearly to ta overcome overcome over- over overcome come our deception self about the costs of government When reduction reduction reduction tion in only one class of tax is offered to us we should insist on finding out what the entire tax burden how is-how is how much money I h being taken out of nil all our pockets before c-before before we grow too optimistic We surely must realize that wo we have been saving at the spigot but have been wasting at the bunghole I I I I If we as taxpayers in our or- or organized or organized I capacity really and sin sin- sincerely sincerely sin sincerely wish to exercise e control over the am amount of money that is exacted from us for the upkeep of lour our government if we really want to place a limit upon the money thAtis is being taken out of our earn earnings earnings ings and savings for that purpose c ce e 0 o we must demand that when a ar r reduction is given to us in one kind of or tax it is not offset bj by in- in increases inCreases in increases creases in some other kind of tax and that what we demand is a de- de decrease de decrease crease in the entire tax burden We Ve can do that whenever we make up our minds to act together So while the levy ey picture in this issue of Utah is one that justifies satisfaction w we we must remember that in the aggregate we e havo been ken spending more and pa paying inc more than ever before What has actually happened has been een mere merely a change in the form Corm of our taxes rather than a re- re re reduction in our total tax bill b ll |