Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1921-08-17
THE STATE TAX BUGABOO
TAX CONSCIOUSNESS STATE
MENT SHOWING FACTS
Only SIPS, 1853 of Peoples Money Used
In Running State Last Year

"0ne of the most persistent errors
on the subject of public finance is the
belief that the state is responsible
for the present high taxes. When the
people back home complain of their
taxes, they are either directly misin-
formed or impliedyl led to believe that
heavy state taxes are the cause OF
their distress, in the face fthe fact
that the most eursory examination
of the tax roll would refute the state
ment.
.'The only taxes paid by the aver
age citizen are the tax on his proper
ty and the tax on his income. The
aggregate general property tax lev
led for all purposes, Estate, county
local and sehOol) in 1919, and collect
ed in 1920 was SIC, 1895 and the
states share of this amount was
81, 125 1865, or a little more than ter
per cent of the total The aggregate
income tax collected in the sameyea1
was $6,310,229, and the state received
$631 ,022of this amount. 1t follows
that the aggregate taxes collected
from the people of the state for all
purposes for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1920, was SIG, sos, 205, and
that the state received only $7,756, SS7
or 10.1 per cent of the total
even if this entire amount were
retained and used by the state, il
could not be charged that it was the
cause of high taxes. nor would 1t show
extravagant expenditure, but as a
matter of fact over 81 per cent of
this amount was returned by the state
to the several counties in the form of
school and highway aid, and for the
support of penal and reformatory in
stitutions. The exact figures are:
the state received $7,756,887 in the
form of property and income taxes
during the year in question, and re-
turned 81, 527 ,424 to the local districts
for the various aids mentioned so that
the net cost of state government to
the people of the state for that year,
including the University and Normal
Schools, was only 1929, 463
"Of course it costs more thar S229,-
463 to support the state government,
but the additional revenue required
for that purpose was derived from
taxes on railroads, express, telegraph
and other public service companies,
and from the inheritance and insur-
ance company taxes.
"The various purposes for which
the state furnishes aid are: Teachers
County Institutes, County Training
Schools for Teachers, State School
Fund Income Apportionment, County
Teachers, County Schools
of Agriculture and Domestic Econo-
my, Other Educational Aids, County
Agricultural Societies, Sanatoria for
tuberculosis, Care of Insane in Coun-
ty Asylums, State Highway Aids, Mo
tor Vehicle License Fees, Mothers
Pensions"
Figures for Vernon County are:
State tax $s2,217.49, states share of
income tax $445.35, total $S2, 1852. "a.
Educational aids SAT, S45.25, highway
aids $20,41370, all other aids $40, 703.-
&c, total $SS,962.40. Thus it will be
seen that Vernon county received bet
ter than $4,000 more than she paid
to the state, due to our taking advan-
tage of so much state aid. Crawford's
total tax was S45, 369.49; total aid
$55, 698.64. Richards total tax was
$73, 216.85; total aid $94 ,310.8S. Mon
roe's total tax was $73, 336.18; total
aid $70,650.23. Lacrosse county's to-
tai tax. was $106, 999.99; total aid
$135, 766.70. Milwaukee county is the
daddy of the state with 81 ,664, 437.20
tax and $1,105, 635.29 aid. Florence
is the infant with $9,368.S9 tax and
$16,SS1.40 aid.