Imperial Valley press., 1945-04-12

the action of the legislature regard
ing continuation Of the tax reduc-
ton measure and an allotment OF
sl0O, 100000 for postwar spending
Sparkling the debate and stirring
the citizenry is the measure label
ed the Hatfield-Hulse hill.
Among observations patent 10 the
subject is an editorial comment by
Ebert G.. Adamas, publisher Of The
Livingstone Chronicle, in the north
ern part of the state.
What he says follows:
Because the tax fight situation
in the legislature is easily made to
appear different, in fact, opposite
from what it really is. it has been
made just that by some of the me-
tropolitan newspapers and, if you
please, the Governor himself.
To hear them tell it, Senators
Hatfield Of Merced county, Hulse
/
leaders in the Senate are nothing
less than pork barrel manipulators,
callous to the welfare of the tax
payers. They are selfish fellows who
are out to grab the gravy, and more,
tn raise taxes.
The fact is that Hatfield, Hulse
and the eighteen other state SEN
ators who, last Friday, voted = TO
postpone action ON the Governors
budget until April Is, rather than
permit it, and then the admins
tration so-called postwar earmark-
ing bills, to be passed before action
is taken on other earmarking and
appropriation bills, were doing their
duty to their rural constituents in
particular and ad valorem taxpay-
ers in general and when and if they
succeed in getting favorable action
on their 100000 bill for post
war spending by the cities and
counties they will have saved the
property owners of California that
much money at least.
CITES PROGRAM
Governor Warren and others who
oppose the Hatfield -Hulse idea are
proposing to spend over s250,000,-
600 themselves, but their idea is for
the state to do the spending. Tied
IN with that idea is that the spend
ing shall be done mainly in the
metropolitan areas and for such
things of very doubtful merit as the
Governors proposal for the state
to go in for State-sponsored recrea-
ton. In the field of highway ex-
penditures,, Warren and his follow
crs are for free access roads and
freeWays in the congested areas,
while Hatfield and Hulse perceive
the critical shortage Of money for
the upkeep, let alone the expansion,
OF rural roads County roads arc
going to ruin all over California and
the supervisors can't help it. Hat
field and Hulse propose to help the
cities and counties.
IF just share of money from
the swollen and fast swelling state
treasury is not made available TO
the cities and counties, then the
burden Of doing the very necessary
road work and construction will
have to fall on the ad valorem tax
payer.
The state itself has imposed addi-
tional costs on the cities and coun-
ties. Only last November the people
voted to make it possible to raise
salaries during a term of public
office and these salary raises, prop
or and just, are now being made.
Merced county. among others, re-
Gently added new department, and
a good and useful one, the office Of
Service officer to aid veterans and
their dependents. Costs on cities
and counties have risen sharply as
q result Of war conditions. Cover
nor Warren and his minority of
followers would let the cities and
counties carry the load. and that
means put the increased taxation
on property owners. That ad yalorem
tax is the old reliable. but its base
should be broadened by way of aux