The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-02-15
NO SALES TAX

by exploiting defenseless and already
over-burdened class.
.aiox, There has never been any satisfactory
substitute for old-fashioned honesty and
adherence to agreed-upon plans.
.ar g. Most emphatically will The Citizen
qoppose any plan whereby the load of taxa
: ton is sought to be shifted from the prop
erty benefited by the expenditure of taxes,
to the shoulders of the wage-earner, the
day laborer and other classes possessed of
no property.
More especially would any proposed
sales tax be obnoxious because the less
abb a man is to bear an additional bur-
en-, the greater is the proportion of the
burden that the sales tax imposes upon
him.
By The consent and agreement of the
electorate, sufficient tax is imposed upon
reakproperty 10 meet the needs of the city
BY their oath of office, the officials of the
city are bound by the law, which is con-
tract to which we are all parties.
There is no need for any extra-legal
taxation in Key West. 1t is true that there
are some citizens, beaten down by sue
cessive misfortunes, who can not pay their
taxes.
There are enough citizens able to pay
their taxes-and not doing it-enough
citizens who regard their taxes as the first
Ob1iuation 70 no chirl,od ond tho Lost to ho
honored-to do the decent and honorable
thing and meet the payroll of the city as
it falls due.
When men have performed their
stipulated duties they are entitled to the
money they have earned and due-bill
which they can only use at a discount is an
unnecessary and dsgraceful way for the
city to treat the men it hires
There is no need to harm the really
unfortunate The day when Shylock was
regarded as being within his rights in de-
handing his pound of flesh, has passed in
to the discard.
Let the collection of the taxes on real
estate go forward as provided for by law.
The tax laws are not optional things to be
set aside in consideration of ties of blood
or friendship, nor because of an assumed
Influence"
If that is done, then every tax payer
who has not shirked his responsibilities is
loaded up with another tax payers obliga-
tions and by that much the conscientious
citizen is Swindled.
Can the law be executed impartially
without working injury to the tenn
porary delinquent?
Surely. Make just and equitable
assessment and an impartial collection. Of
the man who can not pay, require an oath
that he is insolvent and give him a speci-
lied time in which to make good.
If a man is too proud to take a
"pauper'ss OATH, he should be too proud
to hum his way as property holder at the
expense of his fellow citizens. And his
fellow citizens should have a little too
much pride to allow themselves, their
wives and their children to be imposed
upon.
No sales tax is necessary; and if the
citizens of Key West once realize the ter
upon those already crushed beneath hard
ships, the city fathers will be well-advised
to raise their revenues from the estab-
liShed channels.
There is too much money being sent
out of the city for goods, now. The man
who has charge account might pay the
stipulated 2 or 3 per cent; the man who
must buy five and ten cents worth at
time, will pay from ten to fifteen per cent.
If the tax-roll does not provide suf-
ficient revenue for the city, we may have
to look for other means to pay as we go.
But, not until all other possibilities have
beer exhausted, will our citizens tolerate
taxing the loaf of bread and the can of
milk. The laborer can carry no additional
burden. If we will be guided by ordinary