The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-04-03
TOO MUCH TAXATION
Opinion of the Gainesville Sun Re-
garding the Proposed
Amendment
Gainesville SUM

and our people are willing to build
and pay for them. Many counties
have already built and bonded for
them. The last legislature provided
for raising three millions of dollars 10
be set against another three millions
to be donated to US by the govern
ment.
But the legislature of Florida. at its
last session. proposes an amendment
to our constitution which if adopted
at the election in November, would
fix an intolerable burden on the al
ready over burdened taxpayers.
All of the thought and much of the
language we employ in this editorial
staken from a manifold letter of our
friend, Col. Peter o. Knight, of Tam
pa, than whom there is no profounder
thinker in this state. 1t relates to a
proposed amendment to Sec. 6. Article
~, which amendment would be simply
monstrous. Sec. 6. if amended, would
read:
"Section 6. The legislature shall
have power to provide for issuing
state bonds only for the purpose of
repelling invasion or suppressing in
surrection, or for the purpose of re-
deeming or refunding bonds already
issued at a lower rate of interest. or
for the purpose of acquiring, build
ing and maintaining system of good
roads and bridges throughout this
state under such regulations as may
be prescribed by an act of the legis-
lature, provided that any bond issues
authorized in pursuance hereof for a
system of good roads and bridges
shall not exceed in amount five per
cent. of the total tax assessment of
the state at the time of ISSUE"
In other words, the purpose of the
amendment is to permit the state to
issue bonds to the extent of five pei
cent of the total valuation of all ou1
property, for road and bridge pur-
poses alone.
The thought is staggering.
The property of the state will be
valued this year at an amount in ex.
cess of four hundred millions of dol.
lars. This will permit bond Issue
of twenty millions of dollars. We
had until few years ago a state debt
of five hundred thousand dollars. We
thought this was large. But by the
payment to the state of the Florids
Indian war claim, we were enabled tt
wipe out this debt. And we have beer
able, and others who are interested
in this state, to tell prospective inves
tors and people in the north general!
that this state did not have a dollar
of bonded Indebtedness. 1t is now pro
posed to bond it for twenty millioI
dollars for one purpose alone.
The state tax used to be two anC
one-half mills. Now it is in excess o.
twelve mills, Twenty millions of dol
lars of bonds could not be sold, in oul
opinion, in the future. to better al
vantage than about a six per cen
basis; but if we sell them upon a fiv'
per cent basis, which we seriousl!
doubt, we would have an interes
charge alone of one million dollars ;
year. Fancy such stupendous sum
And this in addition to the sinking
fund, and to the repair and up-keep o
the roads, etc. Up until few year
ago the total cost of the state admin
istration did not exceed one million
dollars annually. And now, we vii
be compelled, if this goes through, b
pay an annual interest charge alon
OF twice as much every year as tn
. total debt of this state used to be.
D IF the purposes of this amendmen
and the consequences we are likely I
have from its adoption were know
} to the people of this state. it woul
{ receive the most complete defeat g
the hands of the people at the neS
election of any amendment that eve
has been proposed. That the expenC
iture of these funds by the state wi
bring in a like amount of money frol
\ the federal government does not alts
b the situation, because whether I'll
public funds are spend by the feder;
government or by the state govern
ment, they come out of the taxpayer
pocket just the same. And the tin
d has come to call halt. The Gaine
{ vile Sun intends TO do its best to d
lfeat this amendment.