, 1935-09-25

Continued from First Page)
makes the wheels Of government &c
around.
Right here in Brownsville just the
other day the city manager was APP
preached BY one who Is a fairly
large property owner with the pro-
position that Brownsville should
build a new and imposing city hall,
But where will the money come
from"
Borrow Il from the Public Works
administration. We ought 20 get some
Of this government money while It
Is going round"
But II We borrow II from the PWA
we will have 10 issue bonds as Sc
curity to the PWA for the loan"
improvements Mean Taxes
we ought &c do 1t any way"
With the remark BY the city man.
sger that the present city commits
sion has expressed itself many times
as being opposed to any more bond
issues, the conversation changed It's
course. and drifted. as converse
tons will these DAYS, 70 q discus
sion OF taxes.
And the same person who had
fust advocated the borrowing OF
money to build q new city hall clos
cd that conversation with the re-
mark that something must be done
about taxes. they must come down,
or development will be stifled."
Bonds make taxes.
W. Lnwrn hnF,-r sgr ~ ~n~ ur~tA~ n
letter received by the city Of
Brownsville Tuesday morning.
The writer advocates some very
desirable civic improvements. among
them the paving Ct certain streets
IN certain neighborhoods.
And enclosed in the same letter is
o clipping Of remarks made recently
by william Randolph Hearst on the
subject Of taxes, while written on
the side are these words:
Taxes must be reduced to en-
courage people to make their homes
here"
+, Paving costs money
The only way the city Of Browns
Wflle or any other city can get mon
ley with which to pave streets is BY
u leVyinE OF taxes.
Civic Improvements make taxes.
Right there Is one answer to the
question, Where do we 60 from
here?-
II you don't want your taxes in
creased. don't vote any mor bond IS
sues.
Bonds Built Valley
OF course. we all realize that most
Of the bond issues We have voted IN
the past were voted for two rea-
sons: first. We thought the improve
mentS to be financed by the bond
issues would be well worth the cost.
and second. We thought that the
improvements would better US fl
nancially TO an extent that We would
be better able 10 pay our taxes. even
the increased taxes the bond issues
entailed. And II the bottom had
not dropped out Of things In general,
we would probably have been right.
This is a young country. Had II
va been for bon diSSueS. the Valley
Never would have been. The
chances are that We are going TO.
have 70 issue more bonds IN the
years 10 come. But let Us hope
that when We do vote more bond
issues. we will have clearer under
standing OF what we are doing. that
we will realize that when we vote
bonds. we are voting taxes.
And while We are getting wiser
about taxes brought on by bond is
sues. We might devote a little per-
sonal study 10 taxes brought ON by
maintenance and operations.
Budget Hearings Unpopular
With ali the talk about taxes and
the cost OF government. how many
Of us know what our school dis
tricts. our county, our cities. our
water districts. do with the money
we pay in fer taxes?
Cameron county, our school dis
tricts. our cities. all are compelled
by law to hold a public hearing on
their budgets the ensuing year. and
n budget OF expenses Is the basis for
sfhe tax rate.
within the past SO days Cameron
county and the Brownsville indie
pendent School district have at
tempted to hold that public hear
ing. We say attempted" advised
IN. for outside OF a Brownsville
Herald reporter not one single soil
tary taxpayer showed ND at either
hearing. although both had been
given due publicity through the
press
City Of Brownsville had the same
experience at It's last budget hear
ing. ana We have no doubt but that
officials Of other cities and school
districts could relate the same ex-
perience.
yet. the money these budgets call
Tor car be obtained in but one way.
lakes.
Tfomorr0w-a further discussion
n where DO We Co From Here?HJ \