The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-05-30
NEEDLESS BURDENS
ON STATE TAXPAYERS
Candidates Should Promise to A
bolish Them
VIEWS OF MARION co. MAN
L. S. Light, "Old Fax and Fig
gers" of Marion County, Says
We Have Fourteen Commis-
sions, All of Which Are Costly
and Needless.

and Needless.
The following is taken from the
Ocala Banner of the Oath. 1t was
written by w. w. Clyatt, an of
fetal of Marion county, and it
should have the serious attention
of all taxpayers, who should de-
mand of candidates for the legis-
lature pledge to abolish the
many needless and costly commits
sions with which the state is af-
| flicted -
Replying to Tax Commissioner
). v Burk, will say that it was
not my purpose to charge or infer
that the tax commission had in
creased taxes. am well aware
OF the fact that it has no power to
increase taxes or decrease them
for that matter. / will say this,
however; that, when in 1914 the
state tax rate was decreased from
7 IL mills to 5 1-2 mills, the COM
mission claimed credit for it. On
page 2S Of the report, after show
ing that the levy for 1914 was
$1S5, 100000 less than that of 1913,
they say, "The amount saved to
the people for this one year is suf-
ficient to pay the expenses of the
tax commission as constituted for
a period of more than ten years.
AS the levy for state taxes for
1917 exceeded that of 1916 by
more than $97S,000.00, by the
same reasoning we would have to
do without the tax commission for
over 55 years to catch up, after
crediting the $1S5,OO0OO. It
makes difference whose OK is
gored. The reduction in 1914
was made by the governor under
a law passed by the 1913 legisla-
'ture.
My contention is that the tax
commission as mere advisory
board is useless burden on the
taxpayers. Much of their time
and their reports is taken up in
defending its existence and Civ
ing reasons for failures to correct
wrongs and errors. There has
been determined and persistent
opposition ever since it was
created. The legislature of 1915
tried to repeal it; the legislature
of 1917 did repeal it; and, whes
the next one meets, the fight will
be renewed. Not all of opposi-
tion comes from dodgers. The
cartoon mailed to me with the re-
port of 1917 represents the bloat-
ed tax-dodger riding in wagon
pulled by two old men yoked up
as oxen, and the tax-dodger says,
''The commission amt got no
power to touch me. (" That being
the case, why should he care
continental whether the tax COM
existed or not?
There are some honest people
who think that the. state is bur
dened with commissions and of
fees that could be abolished, and
it has been worse, A few years
ago, we had a game commission
or commissioner, who published
and distributed at the expense of
the state a voluminous report,
which, among other foolish things,
a census of the, cat
squirrels in the state.
Since taxation has grown so
heavy and burdensome, there is a
determination ON the part of the
people to get some relief by abol-
ishing offices and commissions.
Mr.. Burke is correct in laying
the blame for high taxes on the
last legislature, which was the
most extravagant in the way of
of any that has
evev afflicted our commonwealth,
Continued on last page, col. 81