The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-03-13

Present Fiscal System Keeps People
in the Dark.
Last year more than eight millions
Of dollars were spent from the public
treasury. A staggering sum, even in
these days when the reckless waste
of public funds, state and national, has
become the rule rather than the ex-
ception.-nearly 400 per cent more
than was spent ten years ago. During
that same period the population of
Florida increased less than so per
cent In other words, our expenses in
creased about 500 per cent faster than
the population.
There are in Florida, in round num-
bers, million people. L doubt if one
hundred of them know where that
eight million dollars came from, eX-
cept they have a vague sort of idea
that il came directly or indirectly
from the pockets of the people, except
that portion of ii which was contribu-
ted by the national government. They
do not know what the money was APP
propriated for-still less what the
state received for it; whether a dollar
was made to do the work of dollar
or the WOrk OIL u penny.
The right to be heard before being
taxed has ever been a jealousy guard
ed and validly defended prerogative
of our people, and justly so. But, un-
der our present fiscal system, the peo-
pie who are staggering along as best
they may under a tremendous back
breaking and heart breaking burden
OF ever increasing taxation, have about
the same voice in, and know about as
much about the taxes which are levied
upon them by each session of the leg
islature as the man in the moon.
OF course / am aware of the gener-
ally accepted idea that in demo-
cratic form of government such as
ours, the people are informed through
their representatives of Ehat takes
place in the legislature; but nothing
could be more misleading in fact than
this idea served through three gen.
eral sessions and one extra session.
While there / enjoyed the reputation
of not being very far below the aver
age of my colleagues in intelligence.
was practiclly always in my seat and
was deeply interested in the work,
which / thoroughly enjoyed and gave
earnest attention to the proceedings.
But, / am frank to say that at the end
Of the first two sessions 1 knew almost
nothing about appropriations. During
the last session 1 served on the aps
preparation committee and therefore
had an opportunity to come more di-
rectlys in contact with and know more
about them.
1t Is not unusual for 1000 bills to
be introduced during the so days of
the legislature term. Every member
serves on five or six or more com
mittees. They have thir own bills to
look after, and it is impossible even
for those who are experienced to keep
an accurate account of the various and
sundry appropriations that are asked
! for, ranging from matters of great i'm
portance to those that are utterly ri
| diculous, so that at the end of the ses
sion, If the people were to ask what
appropriations had been made, and
why very few members could give any
definite or worth while reply. The ma
| iority of our legislators are usually
newly elected and totally without
! legislative experience.
! Budget Procedure No Longer an Ex-
pertinent.
As stated above. the budget system
! is no longer an experiment. Since Wis
| consin and California adopted it in
1913, 80 states have followed suit, IS
! OF which have found by experiment
! that the executive budget is the most
satisfactory These states faced eX-
actly the same condition that is now
| facing Florida. Their needs for spend
| ing money Outran their available rev.
enues and it became necessary for
| them to adopt some means by which
| every dollar spent could be made to
| do more and better work. In 1915 our
! own legislature put our own counties
on a budget basis. If these other states
succeeded in bringing fiscal order out
| of chaos, as they did by the adoption
of the budget system, can any logical
argument be advanced why it would
not serve the same purpose in Flor
| ida? The truth of the whole matter is
| this: Every state, Florida among the
rest, will be obliged sooner or later to
adopt the budget plan What, there
/ fore, is the sense of putting it off
J from year to year? 1t is true that a
! few reactionaries in the state may
succeed for a time in preventing its
! adoption, just as they have always
| consistently opposed and delayed as
| long as possible the adoption of every
progressive measure. 1t is well. how
ever. for us to recognize the fact
| that this is an era of advancement.
| No set of men can stop the wheels of
progress any more than they can stem
the tide of destiny. AS soon as the tax
payers of the state clearly understand
what a scientific budget means, and
| its many advantages over our present
loose and unbusiness like fiscal sys-
I TEN. they will demand its adoption.
When they find that it will substitute
| business efficiency and economy for
! extravaganza and responsibility, and
! destroy invisible government, they
| will elect to the legislature only those
who pledge themselves to its adoption.
| The people will no longer be content
/ TO submit to a system the tendency
| of which is to burden them with taxa
| tion without allowing them an OPP
4 syp-