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Show TEJ axpayers Friend? Like the proverbial flowers in May, this Fall's political contests have brought with them a crop of campaign billboards now in their seasonal full bloom. Of all the various shades and hues we have seen thus far, the billboard which stands out most in our minds is the glittering generality lauding The Taxpayer's Friend J. Bracken Lee. Historically Mayor Lee has campainged on a platform of cutting governmental costs, and he has promised to hold the line on taxes if he is re-elected. The Chronicle sees a glaring flaw in this "promise", and we think the voters ought to seriously consider this flaw as they decide for whom to vote on Tuesday. The great falacy is this: you don't save the taxpayers' money by doing nothing. We feel that the record of The Taxpayer's Friend deserves closer scrutiny. Whose friend was the Mayor when he came out four-square in favor of McCarthyism? Whose friend was the Mayor when he fought against better education in Utah? Whose friend was the Mayor when he opposed badly-needed library facilities? Whose friend was Mayor Lee when he supported postponing the property tax deadline was he the taxpayers' friend or was he the friend of certain vested interests who stand to profit by the windfall? It would seem that there are certain select groups of taxpayers to whom he is a somewhat better friend than to others. The commission form of government with which Salt Lake City is saddled has become a convenient political tool for the Mayor, and he is adept at using its inherent unwieldiness to his own advantage. The City Commission has become a grandstand grand-stand in front of which Mayor Lee takes the credit when it suits his purpose, and a facade behind which he takes refuge when his record is in jeopardy. It's a matter of record that many of the building programs undertaken by the city have gone ahead despite the Mayor rather than because of him. The Mayor currently is taking credit for all of this, including the Salt Palace, but we can recall his previous sentiments to the effect that the Salt Palace would be biult over his dead body, as it were. For him to claim the credit now is a little late and rather inconsistent, but then that's politics. Much of the disorder on campus today is the result of Gov. Lee's adamant refusal to embark on a badly needed building build-ing program for the University all in the name of saving the taxpayers' dollars. The million dollars that he saved the taxpayers tax-payers in 1950 by not building a new Chemistry Building must be spent twice over today to obtain the same facilities. We also find it very interesting that Mr. Lee has said on previous occasions that an honest man wouldn't want to hold a political office more than 4 years. We also note that Mayor Lee pushed through a ruling making it mandatory for city employees to retire at age 65. J. Bracken Lee is 68. The question is: can a mayor of the Fifties who is oblivious to the Sixties provide Salt Lake City with progressive leadership leader-ship during the Seventies? The Chronicle believes it's time for a change, and for this reason we urge our readers to support the candidacy of D. James Cannon. Mr. Cannon would bring vigor, youth, and an open mind to the mayor's office. We believe it's high time that we were taking that office seriously. |