The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-07-07
That WIDE-OPEN
BONDING SCHEME
Tampa Tribune)

Tampa Tribune)
The position of this paper is well
known to be in opposition to the pro-
posal to bond the state to per cent.
of its assessed valuation for the pur- /
pose of building a scheme of roads, |
not because the Tribune is opposed to |
road building, but because the Tribune |
believes in being fair to all in the |
mater of taxation. 1t may be called
what its promoters wish, but after all
it is nothing but an additional tax
which must meet the funding and in
terest on those bonds if they be au-
thorized and issued.
Then, the proposition to make a
certain class of citizens in the state
pay this tax, to the utter exclusion of
the rest of the citizens, is the most
ubiquitous thing any set of wildeyed
theorists have thought out since the
day it was determined to take Russia
from under the rulers and give it to-
/ the mob.
i We used to be urged to build roads
because they increased the value of
our lands. and made available for sale
and settlement vast areas which would
soon become rich tax producing and
profit bringing farms. Today we
hear: eff the roads are not for the
benefit of the automobile users and
owners, who are they for?"
Just sample of the expression
from three parts of the state might
serve as reminder to these promot-
ers who say. ooh, that's only news
paper talk; it amounts to nothing"
that as newspaper talk prior to the
recent primary election proved the
true evidence of the way the people
! would vote, so in the bonding propo-
sition it is the true indication of
what is going to happen.
II The Tfmes-Union says: "Supposing
that the next legislature were dispos-
ed to arrange for the refunding of that
| twenty million dollar road bond pro-
jetc exactly as suggested by the en-
thusiasts now seeking to secure en-
dorsement of the plan in November,
it would be one of the most fragrant
lpieces of class legislation ever offered
II To make the owners and users of au-
| tomobiles pay for the construction Of
a road system, which would be used
| by everybody would be taxing one
elias for the benefit of another"
il Extravaganza grown mad, is what
Il the Palm Beach Post characterizes
the scheme, saying: every resident
4 Of Florida, at least those of later gen
erations, believes that one of the es-
/ sential things to advance the interests
of the state is to have network OF
good highways in every section OF
; every county; but it seems to me
: that a scheme to have the state Issue
and attempt to sell bonds to the
) amount of the figures proposed
. twenty million dollars-would have q
: tendency to load the horse with Sc
. heavy a burden that the steed woulC
: soon be sWayback."
The Apalachicola Times, in regior
. where they need roads badly, declares
: that: "Floridians want good roads
9 and they are willing to be taxed .
: reasonable sum to pay for them. How
o ever, they will not agree TO be taxed
: by additions that will mean confisca
: ton. Keep your eye on the wild-eyet
: Extremist; he probably has nothing
Ito tax"
:. In these four instances we have 1
flair representative paper from eaei
OF the four sections of the state, ant
in each we find the determination il
that no such iniquity shall be put owe
on the people.