The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1936-10-15

voters of the state are being asked
70 place their apprival upon some
thing like Sos, 100000 in new BOND
Issues at the general election In NO
rember. This is in the way OF a
general mortgage upon all proper
~ privately owned in the state.
Nv Initiative No. lis, the SOCIAL
cd pension plan, an additional tax
~ s18OOO,00O year is laid upon
business, industry and property
vit, an authorized deficit of anoth-
or $4,000 900, or another s36,ooo'-
600 taxes must pay. -
Then along comes Initiative lls,
the production for-use program.
This calls for another general prop
ertv tax of between $10,000.000 and
s11 100000 year. =.
Here we have grand total OF
more than s165, OOO, 900 to come from
somewhere and to be paid by the
ctate: that is if they do not
have to turn all their holdings over
"a the commonwealth to pay de-
linquent taxes.
This is just a part of the problem
which faces the voters in November.
Il should overshadow everything
else-but it will not. E ....
There are four initiative measures
IN the ballot; one referendum, one
initiative to the legislature, and
three proposed amendments to the
state constitution. Each and every
one of these proposals with the pos
sible exception of No. ia, the 40
mill tax limitation should be turn
ed down by the voters. Each and
every one is simply new way OF
grabbing every available cent in the
wav of taxes for the benefit Of a
comparatively few at the expense OF
the future growth, development OF
the state and prosperity Of all.
Too much study cannot be given
to the three proposed amendments
to the constitution. These repre-
sent more "tinkering" that needs
attention. The first proposal will
permit the legislature every two
wears to trade around and change
tax levies and tax claSsifications.
: This means there will be no way
for any property owner or indus
try to ever know, year by year, what
his tax bill is even going to approx
innate.
The second amendment gives
each legislator a SIS expense account.
This has some merit, but not enough
to offset the danger of constitu-
ton tinkering at this time.
The third issue calls for bond
issue of approximately 500, 000, 900,
or general obligations equal to three
percent of the assessed valuation OF
taxable property in the state.
This latter issue will go a long
ways towards showing the state into
bankruptcy, and is part and par
Gel of the old Trotsky advice to
ruin by taxation where you cannot
get direct action"
Initiative 119 calls for $50 900 900
In bonds. This is the production
for-use measure. Referendum No. 4
calls for $15,OO0,O00 in bond issues.
This is the flood control proposal
sent to the voters by the 1885 ses-
sion of the legislature. These two
proposals alone demand STE, 0O0, 900
in interest bearing, general obliga-
ton bonds.
Then along comes constitutional
amendment with a demand for $685.
100000; more interest bearing tax
exempt bonds. Then NJ. lis, the
old age pension with its huge tax
increase. All-in-all it is something
to cause a taxpayer to catch his
breath.
One of the interesting things
about this entire program is that
the principle sponsors will be found
to be the same type Of politician
who harranges his audiences day
and night over the "evils and dam
gers Of Wall Street." and declares
that the bankers and wealthy people
Of the nation are grinding down
the poor small home owner"
AS matter of fact the sponsors
Of these measures are the friend of
the banker and the wealthy invest
or as they are providing a safe
method of investing capital in tax
exempt bonds. The poor small
homeowner" Is the victim of
dangerous plot which originated in
soviet Russia. This plot is one of
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