Imperial Valley press., 1920-10-30
Vox PopuH
Wants Lower Taxes

Editor Imperial dlIes 1893.
Voters of Imperial county should
carefully inspect and study the meas
ures to be voted upon next Tuesday.
Advocates of these measures and
amendments have been lavish with
their propaganda and unthinking cleo
tors will be led into support Of many
of them which should be voted down
overwhelmingly.
While there is merit in some of the
propositions, voters should go slow IN
support or any which call for addl-
tional tax assessments against prop
erty.
In this county as we'll as in other
sections of California, the people are
struggling under a burden of taxation
which is well-nigh unbearable. In
some instances, the taxes in this
county are confiscatory with the eX-
cessive valuation placed upon it.
Last year valuations on realty and
personal property were doubled by
the board of supervisors. This year
valuations were again increased very
greatly and the tax rate is doubled.
The state and county taxes on my
own home were $80.50 in 1917. This
year, the same property is taxed by
the county for $235.00. In addition,
there will be city taxes, also heavily
increased Irrigation taxes based on
| the inflated valuations of the county
assessor. Street assessments, insur-
ance and sundry expenses in connec-
ton with the upkeep of property. Al
together it will average $4,000 per
month-rather high rental for home.
For this condition, the people them
selves are largely to blame. AS
Comptroller Chambers says, they vote
bonds for every old thing, forgetting
that pay day is sure to come. They
rest under direct tax assessments by
those in authority without protest only
rising to complain when the tax state
ments are received.
Prominent citizens are telling the
voters of the second supervisoral dis
trict that affairs have been economi-
cally administered. l. is somewhat
hard for the average taxpayer to rec
oncie this statement with the soaring
taxes now prevalent.
Some Of them are even thinking of
that 100000 per month added to sal
aries of county officials recently, os-
tensibly for county publicity work. A
perfectly absurd proposition. A good
man qualified for this work can be
secured for $500. 90 per month. These
subterfuges to raise salaries Of those
in office merit the condemnation they
are receiving on all sides.
Another item that caught the atten-
ton of taxpayers 1t has been an
lnounced that the high school board is
SOON to ocgin the erection Of $4,000
machine shop. Such gross eXtrava-
gance is responsible for much of the
tax burden of our people. Certainly
no private firm or corporation in the
county has more expensive equip
men than that proposed. The writer
is one who had the audacity to oppose
/ the last excessive bond issue for high
school buildings. On the statement
of members Of the faculty at the time
these bonds were voted, adequate pro-
vision for the shop wc,k could have
been carried out with $4,000 or
| $50 900.
There is something Of sentimental
attitude toward school bond PROPOSE
tlonS winch IS leading to gross eX
travagance on the part of those in
charge Of educational matters. All
want good schools, but the vast sum
asked for from time to time for en-
larged buildings and equipment,
should be investigated by those who
must pay the bills. The elementary
schools needed the money voted last
spring for more buildings. The high
school could have gotten along with
much less in the judgment Of those
)who took time to compare tire number
Of students enrolled with the equip