Evening star., 1932-05-23
Weighing the Local Tax Burden
Washington's Lev;es and Functional Expenditures
Are Compared With Cities Nearest in Population
to Show Excess of Cost and Higher
Revenue Demands.

|
Richmond. Washington'S per capita OF
sl877 exceeds by S49O the average per
capita expenditure of Sl3.87 for the
| other cities.
Washington's expenditures under the
heading of Recreation" are in excef-
of those of any city compared, and tn
same is true in expenditures under tn,
combined heading of Sanitation" am
in Conservation of Health"
These larger expenditures under the
different functions of government for
current maintenance in Washington in
dicate broadly the excess of expendi-
lures required of this city for national
purposes over corresponding expendi-
lures in the average, self supporting,
commercial city.
weighing the Local Tax Burden"
But there is a great difference be-
tween excess expenditures because this
is the National Capital and excessive
expenditures. IL is natural, and there
are examples ON every hand. that ex-
penditures i'm the Nations Capital for
municipal maintenance are necessarily
in excess of those demanded by the
normal American community. But
there is additional evidence that such
expenditures, in the absolute and not
the relative sense, are by no means
excessive. Witness, for instance, the
threatened deficit that now c0nfronts
the District, not through excessive ex-
penditures-uniess 1t be on such semi
national projects as the Municipal
Center, where the expenditure is exces-
sive in relation to items more
local in nature. because practically the
entire burden has been placed upon
the shoulders of the local taxpayers
but because of an inability to spread
available revenue to cover the many
necessary functions of local govern
ment and to provide for even normal
improvement. And this deficit Is
threatened on a budget that has been
carefully trimmed by the Commissioners
and still more carefully trimmed by the
Bureau of the Budget.
Congress has spent more on the cur
rent maintenance of the National Capt.
tai in respect to the most important
items than self developing, self govern
ing cities have spent upon themselves.
Yet, Congress has not been extrava-
CANT in these large expenditures. Every
cent of the money spent has been
needed-and more. Analysis of the
Commissioners estimates from year to
year, and study of the rough financial
program prepared for future years, dis
close the truth, both as to needs for
current maintenance and needs for
permanent development. In such
year as this, permanent development is
crippled to spread the money over cur
rent maintenance. and even mainten-
ance suffers because Of the shortage.
Repeatedly has Congress felt COM
PEELED by financial reasons, or has been
led by other motives, to deny the Capt.
tai maintenance and development items,
the necessity of which and the desira-
bility of which were generally conceded.
In recent years the failure by Congress
to live up TO the provisions of substan-
tive law has drastically curtailed the
amount Of revenue available to accom-
modate growing demands of a growing
city 1t is not in extravaganza on the
Capital that Congress may be accused
Of error, but in following a policy of
unwise and uneconomical economy
Comparison With Two Cities.
One of the most significant compare
sons of all is found in the two tables
which are reproduced on this page, and
for convenience numbered tables l and
2. They appear in the volume OF
tables as Nos. XII and XIII)
Here these tables, by dealing only In
exclude every controversial element of
guesswork or estimate, and escape any
criticism for the use of per capitas.
These Minneapolis and New Or
leans-are the nearest cities to Wash
ington in population. The difference
in population Census estimate for mid
die Of fiscal year, is only 19,4O0 in the
case of Minneapolis. and 25,20o in the
case of New orleans.
A comparison between municipal ex-
penditures and tax burdens in Mime
apolis and washington alone ought to
throw the strongest light on the ade-
uuacy of the local tax burden. For
Washington, like Minneapolis, is eff
GENTLY and carefully governed, the ex-
penditure Of its every penny is closely
scrutinized by Federal officials respon-
sible only to Congress. If expenditures
and tax levies in washington compare
favorably with those in Minneapolis, 1T
| should set at rest the contention that
Washington is undertaxed.
The table No. 1 on this page shows
that Washington's expenditures under
the different classificationS OF govern
ment exceed those of the two cities with
which it Is compared in all comparable
factors having to do with current main
tenance with two exceptions, these being
| SOllStl FdllOu VI Ilcdltu, WAiClC ~ 40
exceeded by Minneapolis (although
when Conservation of Health" and
Sanitation" are combined, Washing
tons total exceeds that of the other
cities), and Libraries" where it is ex-
ceeded by progressive Minneapolis.
High Expenditures Necessary.
In the case of police and fire protec-
ton, and highways-those items which
reflect so strongly the excess expendi-
lures necessary here because this is the
National Capital-Washingto expen-
ditures are far in excess of those of the
two other cities.
Washington's expenditures under the
head of "All General Departments" eX-
ceed the comparable item for Mime
apolis by $l0,489, ,284 and the compar-
able item for New Orleans by $17,718,-
sos.
Is this not remarkable Illustration
Of the higher expenditures neces-
ton happens to be the Capital of the
When it is found that Washington must
spend $40, ,489, ,284 more for general gov
ernment than is necessary in Mime
apolis, and $17,718,505 more than is
necessary in New Orleans-the greatest
difference in population between them
being 27,000-there has been striking
| demonstration of the problem of gov
eminent in Washington, and of f1nanc-
| ing that government, that Is peculiar to
! this city alone.
Table 2, reproduced on this page,
S-als only with the actual figures that