Montgomery County sentinel., 1941-02-06

AtOA NdAk DC Mduc WItIIOut
Unbalancing The Budget
In a speech before the Mary
land Senate at Annapolis Tues
day, February 4, State Senator
Robert Peter, of Rockville, Mont
gomery County made the follow
ing remarks in regard to the
Income Tax bill:
"Mr. President and Gentlemen
of the Senate:
"The Finance Committee of the
Senate has discussed Senate Bill
% over the period of the past sew
eral weeks, and there has been
considerable talk of changing the
division figures in the income tax
feature of the bill from 1880 to
10000, which discussions were
based on the theory that the State
with 7Oeo could still balance it's
budget and have a safe surplus.
have felt that if any saving could
be made, it should be returned to
the taxpayers rather than to Bal
timore City and the Counties.
"At the meeting of the committee
on Wednesday, the 29th, no change
was voted in the division figures
of the income tax portion of the
bill as written but on Friday there
was an amendment, changing the
figures from 7b-2596 to 70-3O9o.
But / felt that if any saving could
be made 10 should ~ IIbse. n ~
the taxpayers, and therefore
prepared amendments reducing
the rate on unearned income from
I5% to 40 and the rate on earned
income from 22o to 1h9o. This
morning there appeared in the
"Sun" a statement by the minority
leader, the Senator from Caroline
County that we were drafting said
amendments, which is correct in
that the Senator had asked if he
might join in the amendments
which l had then prepared, but
had not introduced.
"This morning ! discussed this
matter with the Governor and the
Deputy Comptroller and both told
NE that in their opinion there
would be serious danger that the
budget would become unbalanced if
the rates were changed from those
as set forth in Senate Bill No. 90.
/ have therefore, decided not to
introduce my amendments. The
headline in the "Sun" stating that
Coalition Plans Fight on Tax Bill
- Democratic COP Group To At
tack Measure in Senate Debate
Today" is entirely misleading so
far as l am concerned, as my per-
sonal feelings in the matter are
that the taxpayers should receive
every possible reduction but not
to the point Of unbalancing the
Budget and not having a safe
surplus. All the Democratic men,
bers Of the Senate will remember
that a balanced budget was one
Of the principal planks in our
platform. of 1888 and upon which
platform we were all elected.
II do not think this question
should be made a political issue
and from the discussions Of the
matter with the Governor and the
Assistant Comptroller and from
the printed statement of the Comp
troller and the State Treasurer
l do not think we should take a
step that might possibly result
in a veto Of the present bill,
which would leave the taxpayers
Of Baltimore City and the various
Counties in their present condi-
ton, which is a great deal worse
than If it would be If the present
bill became law. SO far as the
taxpayers Of Montgomery County
are concerned, they are entitled to
tax relief now and / want to see
them get as much as they can,
and / do not want to do anything
that will jeopardize their chances
of getting the reduction they win
get in Senate Bill No. 90 under
the hopes Of getting greater re-
ductions by an amendment which
might cause veto Of the whole
Bill.
II would like to bring to the