Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-13
Reckless Tuxution

After forty-fve minute discussion
between four members of Congress
and the Commissioners in the office
of Chairman Randolph of the House
District Committee yesterday, the
announcement was authorized that
tentative agreement had been
reached on a plan to increase local
taxes by S4,500,000 and the Federal
payment by ST 100000. The Commits
Sioners were then instructed to re-
turn Immediately with a six-million-
dollar list of projects on which the
money might be spent and this list
was furnished a few hours later.
This is reckless taxation. 1t is
reckless government, no matter what
may have been the possibly well-in-
tentioned motives of those behind
the scenes.
Consider the situation leading to
this brief conference, with its ILL
considered conclusions on what adj
ditional taxes are to be plastered on
the unrepresented taxpayers of the
District. Every organization of tax
payers testifying on preparation OF
the District budget has urged that
it be kept within the sum that could
be supplied by current taxes. That
budget, to be reported to the House
today or tomorrow, is said to be
the largest in the history of the Dis
trict, but comes within anticipated
revenues. Yet, even before this
budget has been made public to the
taxpayers who must foot the bill, be-
fore the House has seen it and before
the urgency of unmet needs is
weighed against the problem of
financing them, this hurried confer
ence is called and this rash decision
to slap more taxes on the people Of
the District is announced.
1t is true that the Federal Gov
eminent, through its defense activ-
ities-for which the taxpayers of the
District will pay heavily in their
national taxes-is adding every day
to the cost of local government in
the National Capital. 1t is true that
after the years of running the Dis
trict on a basis that has permitted
little more than maintenance, addi-
tional capital expenditures will be
necessary to meet an emergency.
But in no other city of the United
States does the National Govern
ment plan to force extraordinary
local tax burdens on the people to
meet the extraordinary needs arising
from its defense activities. A pro-
posal to do this in Washington is so
unfair that it condemns itself.
The whole case for the Overton
plan, ably supported by members of
the House District Committee, was
based on the fact that the District
already is bearing high burden of
taxation in relation to other cities;
that the National Government, not
the loyal taxpayer, has Shirked a
recognized obligation and that the
capital expenditures which could not
be financed on the present division
of expenses should be met by an in
crease in the Federal payment. The
President went even further, sug-
costing that all capital expenditures
be met by the Federal Government.
If it is the thought now that by
boosting local taxes, an increase in
the Federal payment may be oo-
tanned, such wishful thinking is illu-
sorry and should be abandoned. The
record will show that past increases
in local taxation have been offset, to
a great extent, by reductions-not
increases-in the Federal payment.
That fact is the root of our financial
difficulties today.
The proposal to increase the real
estate and personal property tax Is
a grave threat to the District. 1t
would increase a tax that, with the
scale of assessments, is already too
high. 1t would increase tax that
experts have shown to be bearing a
disproportionate share of the local
tax burden. 1t would add to the
already complex and distressing diff
f1culties of housing the low-salaried
Federal employees, brought here to
man the defense machinery. 1t
would contradict almost every prin-
ciple of sound, not to mention fair,
taxation and it proposes to do ex-
actly what the imposition of local
income tax was supposed to avoid.
Yet this is the sort of forty-five
minute taxation with which the
District is threatened, without any
mature consideration of the Dis
trict's existing high tax burden;
without any consideration of other
methods of financing future emer-
gency needs created by purely ma
tional demands; without any con-
sultation with or consideration for
the unrepreSented taxpayers who
would have to find the means to pay
this new bill.