The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-05-19
SITTING in WITH
THE LAWMAKERS
BY RUSSELL KAY
F'lorida Press Association

| NOAos 1Ol SdhltIS ever
election promise that had to dc
with economy, staged a COM
plete and unconditional surren-
der to the tax-spenders last
week. All hope the humble tax
payers might have had that gov
ornamental operating costs would
be curtailed were blasted when
the Senate upped appropriations
several million above the figure
called for in the Budget Com
mittee's report.
The three weeks effort of the
Appropriations Committee to re-
move from the body polite the
growing cancer of bureaucratic
expenditures, or at least retard
its progress, went for naught
Its recommendations, which
would have trimmed a million
Oh so from operating expense
of the states innumerable boards,
bureaus, commissions and de-
partments, brought a storm of
protest as tax-Spending officials
and bureau chiefs appeared at
the hearing with tears running
down their cheeks and cries of
anguish that would have touch
ed the heart of a wooden Indian.
The committee might have
saved a lot of time and effort If
it had simply added five or ten
percent to the budget recommen-
dations and offered that as q
substitute measure fol the Sen
ate appropriations bill. However,
their empty gesture of suggest
ed cuts gave the boys on the
floor a chanc to do their stuff
and later on they can remind
this or that bu1eau chief how
they saved his skin and ask a
little favor like a job for Uncle
Willie or a contract for Cousin
John. All of which is necessary
regular and according to Hoyle
ignoring every other proposed
revenue measure, a joint House
and Senate Finance and Taxa
ton Committee set wheels il,
motion last week to force through
the governors SC tax on cigar
cites. With 36 signers on the
bill to start with, whipping boss
es stormed Though legislative
halls like Roman Gladiators
Horse trading reached its height
by the end of the week.
A courtesy hearing was staged
Thursday afternoon to give
those opposing the measure
chance to be heard, but Chair
man Leedy of the House COM
mittee announced at the start OF
the hearing that no matter what
anybody might say or do the
bill would be recommended fay-
orably and, what's more, passed
over as man dead bodies as
might be necessary.
A packed Senate chamber
listened for an hour and fifteen
minutes while former Senator
Pat Whitaker of Tampa gave a
masterful presentation OF why
the bill should not pass.
According to Editor Carl Han
ton of the Fl. Myers News
| Press, the Stands Committee
might well change its name Il
..'Jim Lees Campaign Commit
tee since they have been in
stsumental in picturing Jim a:
the States Number One Reason
why ''Millionaires Leave Home"
1T is awfully hard to get the
average citizen to view witt
any degree of alarm the SAD
plight of the millionaire and
anybody who successfully kicks
them around is more apt to be
| looked on as a hero than a ty.
rant. The public has become SC
accustomed to investigations
that even if the worst is ur,cov-
cred they still Won't believe it..
The so-called free" school
books have long cost the tax
payer plenty and while this fac
is usually brought out at ever!
legislative session, little or notn
ing is ever done about it. 1t i:
a touchy subject, as full of TNI
as a hand grenade, and to get t.
the bottom of it the Senate ap
proved by a vote of 35 to l !
resolution authorizing the Shand,
Committee to investigate thu
! whole question, extending thu
committees life for two year
and appropriating $4,000 for it.
use. Aftermath of the Senate:
action came when Superinten