| Show I. I Modern Boston Tax Revolt Revolt-Is Is Successful By BRUCE CATTON A column from froni Boston as Catt Catton Catton Cat- Cat t ton n continues his American tour BOSTON once BOSTON Once upon upon- a time time Boston harbor got all mess messed d up with lr fresh h tea because the theM theM theMas M Mas a s a t taxpayer a x payer figured figured fig fig- tired he was being imposed S on That happened happened hap nap a long longtime longtime time ago but t the h e 1 Massachusetts setta taxpayer has never quite forgotten it And today he heis heis is on the warpath warpath war war- path once more t disguised this 1 time not as an Indian but as asan Bruce Catton an ultra modem modern mod mod- era ern pressure group All of which is by way of saying that the taxpayers here have a way to make an effective protest against the rising rising neIng ris ris- ne- ne ing tax burden They are doing doIng do- do Ing lag It through the Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts Federation of Taxpayers Associations Inc which is a pretty cumbersome title titIe but which stands for a smooth efficient efficient efficient ef ef- ef- ef organization that has half halt the politicians In the state scared to death As M its name implies the federation federation federation fed fed- is a coordinating and ae- ae body for a flock ode of lo local Jo- Jo cal associations about about ot of them right now with the number number number num num- ber steadily rUin rising Each local association is a vol- vol 01 organization of taxpayers who have their forces Jo t t do t Investigate the their r local town local or gov government V- V and see see- where it itcan can save money and see to It that the local representative In the state legislature remains properly properly properly prop prop- erly aware of the great eat virtue of economy In the smaller places all of the work of such associations Is purely voluntary Some 40 of ot the larger ones maintain paid secretaries And the federation Itself supported Itself supported by the subscriptions subscriptions sub sub- and dues of the odd locals locals keeps keeps a paid I staff aft of or 21 pea people pIe on duty In Boston constantly These workers concern themselves themselves themselves them them- selves first of all an with scrutinizing scrutinizing scrutinizing all pending legislative bills Each one of the 2000 bills filed nIed In this session of the legislature legislature legislature legis legis- lature was studied carefully to see if It contained anything that would boost taxes and if so so if U it was something the state could do without After study comes lobbying And here the federation really shine shines It has an efficient staff of legislative agents for one thing More Important it has a sure-fire sure method of stirring up trouble for a legislator back home It keeps a most exhaustive adof set ad of records on votes Every so often it will send to each of its Ju member associations a table showing how the representatives from each district voted on each spending money bill and show- show Ing also whether the federation itself f was for or against that bill 7 Th The lc local l paper usually prints I this table In an se the members members mem mem- bers of 01 the association get it it and are urged to telephone call can callon callon canon on or write to each legislator who voted for anything the federation federation federation fed fed- disa disapproved proved of As a means of putting on the pressure this adds up to as neat neata a political device as has come on the scene in a long time It does two things It makes the taxpayer tax-conscious tax and it mak makes s the legislator taxpayer- taxpayer conscious Ono One of the federations federation's pet projects Is to have enacted a 2 per cent sales tax ax for the financing of relief costs The money thus raised would be distrIbuted distributed dis die to the dUes and towns townson on a basis of need with the proviso proviso pro pro- viso iso that any city which In Increased Increased Increased In- In creased its local budget over the average for the last five years would suffer a proportionate cut cutIn cutIn cutIn In Its lu share of the sales tax money This bill ha ba has been twice defeated by the legislature but the federation is la still hoping Another pet project is streamlIning streamlining streamlining stream stream- lining of the state government Norman MacDonald executive director of the federation recently recently recently re re- re- re announced that the group would study the P possibility of re reducing reducing reducing re- re the size of the legislature paying special attention to the unIcameral system made famous In Nebraska A report on this will be made before the legislature legis lature convenes again |
