The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-11-02
PAY TOO MUCH TO STATE.
Parishes with Eight Mills Levy Send
Twenty Per Cent Too Much to
Baton Rouge.
By b. Il. Mnise, +

oy II. ". NOISE.
/ The parishes that collect less thai
The full 10 mills of parish taxes au
thorized by the constitution will ge
more benefit from the tax reform
| amendment than the parishes thal
collect the full 10 mills. Ascension
| assumption, Cameron, Concordla
East Baton Rouge, Iafourche, Rec
River, Richland, st. Helena, st. Mar
TN, Ierrebonne and est Carroll lev,
mills parish taxes The state col:
Ileets 5 mill in all parish This
means az lasss pay
TO the state SIS out bf every SIS 81
regular taxes collected. The par
lsi1es that levy 10 mills pay to the
state only $5 out of every $I5.
1t is evident that the parishes levy
Ing mills for local purposes pay 20
per cent more to the state than they
should, for their assessments must
be 20 per cent higher than is neces-
sary Tor parish needs on basis of
10 mills parish tax prevailing else
where, and they pay the state tax
on this higher assessment. Eight
mills is 20 per cent lessl than lGmills.
No changes underline present sys-
tenn OF assessment and taxation
could remedy this injustice. If the
state cut its levy by 20 per cent.
from to mills, ii would have to
pc cut in all the parishes and this
would cripple the schools and the
state institutions, which already need
more money and are guaranteed il
by the segregation amendment. The
state needs more money now, So this.
reduction lis impossible If the par
lsh raised it's rate to ten mills to
make the outgo to the state the
same as in the majority of parishes,
this would take 20 per cent more,
money from the people than is nee
essary for the parish government.
Il assessments were lowered and
the rate raised, the state would lose.
All kinds Of such patchwork have
been tried to remedy this evil. They
nave failed. Only a radical revision
OF the tax system can remedy it.
The only practicable method of
correcting, this condition is by sep
arating state and local taxation.
That is segregation. The effect OF
segregation is to give the parishes
complete home rule by setting aside
the bulk OF taxable property in them
for their exclusive use When no
state tax is collected from the prop
erty that pays parish taxes, there
can be no disproportionate payments
TO the state from property of the
same character in the various parishes
Why should a parish be compelled
either to tax its own property be-
yond the needs of its government or
10 raise less revenue than it needs
q order that it may not pay more
state taxes in proportion to it's own
income than a neighboring parish? It |
s plain that the parishes Ievying less
han 10 mills are more heavily bur-
lened with state taxes than those
evying 10 mills. It is plain that their
property is assessed higher than it |
should be.
Under the segregation plan, these
parishes can make their assessments
or their tax rates what they please.
Fhe only limit is that the total parish
ak snail not be more than Is mills. /
n the parishes that levy 10 mills, |
he total Of state and parish taxes
will be Is IA mills If the segregation |
amendment is defeated.
None of the opponents of segrega-
ion has cared to discuss this con-
Iition. They know the evil can be
'emedied onlyfs by segregated tfkes.
These opponeHs do not discuss the /
ssue, but seek to cloud it with mis-
representations and to find fault I
With details of the tax reform amend
nent. They attempt to make it ap-
rear that the reform is in favor OF
he interests when it is a measure
n favor of the small taxpayer and.I
he people as a WHOLE.