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Show The Paper That Dares To Take A Stand THE "CON" IN January 9, 1975 The Utah Independent Page CONSOLIDATION Continued From Page festivities. day Rumors kick in a portion of its profits for proclaimed that the opponents would be hurled from the top of the running of the City. Here is where Consolidators' faces must be the reddest. True, the base rate has not been raised, but the fuel oil adjustment has played havoc with the bills. Homes with monthly bills of $40.00 at this time last year are paying in excess of S100.00 per month now. One elderly woman ran only her refrigerator during June, cooked with charcoal, and lighted with candles, and still received a bill for S24.00. Why did Jacksonville have the most drastic increase in the United States? Who, on the outside, can say. But it is ruining those who have little enough means as it is. The formula for billing is: 1) Standard rate per Kwh S.02 per Kwh for fuel 2) oil adjustment Jacksonville's tallest building as a fitting climax to the celebration. "Pic in the Sky" was the phrase of the hour, and the Mayor was Mr. Clean come to accomplish these miracles that only Consolidation could provide. Tax bills would plummet, jobs would proliferate, crime would vanish, the ST. Johns river would cleanse itself of a century of filth, Jacksonville schools would be the envy of the nation, and life here would be the rosiest of any city anyw here in the nation or even the world! Some of us, however, looked on in horror. We had read what had happened in other Consolidated areas and knew that problems did not vanish like spent fireworks. But there was no stopThe No turning back. ping. momentum was overwhelming. And now. six years later, the monster is firmly entrenched, taxing and 3) Sub-tot- al 4) 109. utility tax on sub- total Grand total Consolidation takes its cut in the utility tax and its take is vastly increased this year alone and obvious to everyone as Jacksonville cornered quite a spread in "U.S. Xew.s and World Report" earlier this year because of its incredible hike. is far The list of I longer than this, but think we all get the message: Consolidation is expensive and hits the pocket book w here there is no escape. Certain services arc vital and the taxpayer has no choice but to ante-uBefore we leave the subject of local money, the Consolidators have kept one promise. They have lowered the millage. And this is t heir forte as they tour the country. However, they have not necessarily lowered anyone's taxes. The taxes on my house were far higher than before Consolidation even though the millage dropped slightly. All this is done by a perfectly legal called raising the maneuver assessments. A house paying taxes on a SI 0.000 valuation will most certainly pay more if it is suddenly vallued at S20.000. And this has been done all over the county. (Florida law requires virtually all real property to be assessed at 1007 of market value and the Consolidators use this statute for all it is worth.) And they will be keeping the millage down as Carl Ogdcn put through the Legislature a bill which requires extreme justification for raising the millage. But where there's a will, there's a wav as we have seen above. "One of the paradoxes in 5) and spending, 1 manipulating the citizens to its will so adroitly that they are powerless Once established, no to react. referendum can remove it. We tried and the Courts turned us down. So let us see how the promises six of years ago have been kept. We shall begin at home base where the greatest play for votes was will save made Consolidation money. It will lower the budget. Indeed? The city budget has risen in the last six years. 60.5 2. We shall not need as many , employees as we shall not have two departments for every function. financial Included in the 1969-19report is this statement. has administration "Tlie placed a freeze on the hiring of additional personnel. Instructions on not filling positions vacated hy retirements or resignations are contained in an Executive Order, w hich went out to city department directors." Indeed! The number of employee positions has increased 3.Vy 70 in six years. 3. Our schools will be the finest in the nation. Jacksonville has the most massive bussing in the nation and the schools have sur-charg- es p. degenerated into such a morass that muggings and rapes are commonplace not only for students but teachers as well, be they black or white. Learning is virtually nonWith federal money existent. comes federal control and that means bussing 65.000 across the Despite the county each day. mayhem and the corresponding providing local government almost drop in students, the school budget services is you can show has risen S25.O00.OOO in the last six conclusively that the larger the local government, the higher the years. 4. The river will be clean once per capita costs for providing a " aain and l it for marine life. Again given service. Jacksonville has not stood still the feds stepped in and ordered the Consolidators to clean up. It costs during these six years. Federal the taxpayers dearly. Water rates money in c.xrcss of one billion are up 200' ; and sewer charges that dollars has flowed through the The have hands of the bureaucrats. 1969 were initiated in ice isa much touted ambulance sen doubled. 5. Jobs will be available, but product of this type of spending I and it is now extended to an only if one has the money to a ford region. Jacksonville has a the license fees for doing business in the City of Jacksonville. .ook at new Post Office. Junior College, the ineie.ise in the take here, up and hundreds of people have been relocated for Urban Renewal Pro40'" jects. As we have seen earlier, some 6. We shall maintain the electric company in its of these people did not want to he But money screams relocated. present status because it can oiler service at competitive rales and louder and out thev went. 1 . cit-own- cd Mr. Ingram, the Mayor's aide in charge of Grants Management, (a fancy name for federal rakc-of- f) told me that Urban Renewal is in trouble because the federal money is drying up. Jacksonville has huge bulldozed areas standing begging and no one wants to undertake the development. We shall have to wait and see how our new President. Mr. Ford, will deal with this in the future. Federal funds arc as vital as air and water to the Consolidation manipulators. Looking briefly at the organizational chart. I ask you to pay close attention to the powers of appointment the Charter gives to the Mayor. His scope and leeway in entrenching himself in power is limited only by his conscience. As "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." I have attached a chart for your study and draw your attention to the independent authorities created under Consolidation. As you study this, bear in mind, that the independent agencies, over which the taxpayers have no control and no recourse to oust the members, account for 35 of the total expenditures for 1973-7And you will sec that these are the agencies levying most of the surcharges by their sleight of hand methods that do not reflect in the millage. Consolidation, the Jacksonville way, is not for Salt Lake City. Its costs are too high and its future too uncertain. We must maintain our freedom and solve our while problems constructively maintaining our equilibrium. Power in the hands of the people is safer and saner even though change may come more slowly. Federal experimentation has been a dismal failure. We don't need nor dare we have that in Salt Lake. 4. w The Return to America First By learn from the and dismay in Jacksonremember the parting those entrapped by this nt ... ... our TO SALT LAKE." Documentation for all of the foregoing is found in official publications of the Consolidated Government of Jacksonville and is available to any interested citien. I have not brought these documents here as I have but one copy of each, but shall be happy to authenticate all facts and figures and enlarge upon any points you wish. The information I brought back from Florida is voluminous and I have tried to condense it sufficiently to fit into the time allotted. EDITOR'S SOTE: This report from Sally S. Horstman. Park Towne Estates C-Simpsonville. S. C. is an indication of the great "Pie in the Sky" promises of merged or consolidated city and counties. the The promoters here, the liberal esCover nor, I tablishment at the 'nivcrsity of Itah. the Ix'ague of Women oters and many others are going through the same motions here, saying the same things, and making the same promises. The results will be exactly the same. Viey will lay on more ta xes, create more departments, hire more help, build more buildings and assume a more arrogant eon- - Nation's economy. Americans want their leaders to quit junketing around the world trying to solve other people's problems . . . and start taking care of our own. Various local industries are up in arms over the impact of foreign trade as it is conducted by our government and they are demanding a more protective stand. Controls, or lack of controls, has created a hardship on many American laborers and has about an brought ist stand. The bewildering complexity of our foreign trade involvement, influenced by motives other than the well being of the average Amerid can, is causing wide-sprea- rejection. Labor unions and the lower and middle class groups are showing the greatest change in attitudes, since it is plainly a matter of survival. They see expanded trade and concern with conditions abroad as a threat to their livelihood and welfare. Realizing this rising isolationist mood is in every American class, Nelson Rockefeller has publicly identified himself as an advocate of "America First." Politically,- it is the wise and necessary thing for him to do. But political talk and administrative decisions, far too often, are as different as night and day. That this is predictable in Mr. Rockefeller's case can be forecast' from knowlbusiedge of his world-wid- e ness interests and personal philosophy. The whole tone of Rockefeller's life is super-bignes- Super-bignes- s s. re- quires international involve- ment. Therefore, it is difficult to expect the wishes of Mr. and Mrs. America will be served by Mr. Rockefeller or his internationalist ilk in United States Congress. the Reader's comments are welPlease pass along any points of view to: Liberty Lobby, 300 Independence Dept. 12-2Ave, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003. come. 7, WHAT POL? we "DOS T LET IT HAPPEN Robert M. Bartcll WASHINGTON, D.C. (Liberty Lobby News Service- )- A feeling is growing acrqss America that our government should pay more attention to its problems at home. Simply put, we should withdraw from extensive international entanglements and direct our efforts toward of solving our multitude home-froproblems. However, we cannot live in a vacuum. We also know that continuing to function on the international levels to which we are accustomed makes it necessary to continue foreign trade. But it is felt by many that we are becoming too involved in matters that don't really concern us that we cannot and should not try to solve all the problems that keep cropping up all over the world. With the growing issues we face at home we can't possibly do both. A recent poll indicates the mood of most Americans as and for "dispirited" obvious reasons. There's deterioration in our cities as a result of crime, drugs, and poverty. There's political turmoil in Washington, the breakdown of our cultural mores, the decline of confidence in our institutions, and the downward direction of m May bitterness ville and words of monster: LIBERTY LINES 11 An Toronto's editorialist in Globe And Mail writes of his concern for his country, for the United States, and for the West in general. He is worried that there is no feeling of determination, no feeling of stability. "Weak is good, timid is good, lazy is good, authority and order are bad..." He says that the West, if it means to survive, can no longer afford strikes (if it ever could), four day weeks, crime, subsidized idleness, DUNMOVIN Dunnii Dri Ralph & Pat MrC'lendon P.O. Box 26 Little Lake, Calif. 93542 (714 ) 764-22- 84 Punmovin on Hiwav 395 II Mi. M of little Ixike Approx. 2 blks. V. of Hwy. Checkered GiantsNZW HimalayanCalif.Polish Breeding Stock civil disorder, unlimited education for all, drugs, alcholism, "or a working life that may start as late as 25 and end as early as 55. But what politician in what country will tell the voters this?" The Review Of The Xews 2. STOP ABORTION M TOO YOUNG TO DIE' trol over us than we have ever known. This we promise you if the vote is favorable for the merger. Let us arise now. become and inform our families, neighbors and friends that freedom may be preserved here, not just for a daw but always. p WINTER SAVINGS hu |