Evening star., 1949-04-16

used by The eo!oTed popalAttoa arr near
enough TO eoioFed high sehools to teach
swimming 10 the senior high school students
Here again we ind public facilities denied
q large section Of the taxpayers solely be-
cause Of race or color. To duplicate facih-
ties on the separate but equal basis would be
costly. Are the taxpayers willing 70 eqaAllse
these opportunities In the deprivation al
these recreatsonal and educational neeeSSs-
ties lies the cause Of q great part Of the de-
lnqnency for which We pay heavily IN other
ways What Is the answer
EB HENDERSON
Discus Taxing In Arlington County
In Terms Of Three schools Of Thought
To the Eeisor o; The star
When the vehicle. business and pro!es-
sional license taxes were proposed In Airing
ton last year. they were presented as tax
relief measures for small homeowners since
IL was argued. they would tap scouroes OF
revenue other than property. These new
taxes became effective IN Arlington in the
first quarter Of le4s. In the same quarter
the county manager transmitted tentative
budget for the next fiscal year involving an
increase in the real estate tax OF from $S2s
per 500 of assessed valuation to $&l&. This
proposed 6Sc tax increase is over 35oT OF the
largest previous single year tax increase in
the county. Moreover this increase Is pro-
posed at time when the anticipated revenue
from the newly enacted license taxes is esti-
mated TO be the equivalent Of ale In the
real estate taxi
AS see the problem Of municipal finance
In Arlington. there are three principal schools
Of thought with respect to taxation In the
county. All three OF these recognize the need
of revenue increases for the county. The
principal difference between these groups is
the extent TO which they are willing TO in
crease taxation Immediately. For conven-
ience I shall refer 10 these groups reSpec-
lively. as the moderate tax increase group. the
medium tax increase group. and the high
tax increase group.
The moderate and the medium tax groups
recognize the necessity for maintaining
program of capital improvements. They favor
most of those outlined by the county man
ager, but they think that too rapid an ex-
pansion In a single year viii cause unneces-
sary hardships to small homeowners More
over. they feel there Is q real advantage in
waiting now. since material prices are moving
downward and the prospect OF less work and
keener competition for available work Is
making for greater labor productivity.
High Tax Advocates Favor Spending
The high tax group. on the other hand. Is
willing to hand q blank check to the school
board and In lesser degree to the county
manager. Their attitude. as expressed by one
Of their group. to the sound Of loud applause,
at the recent courthouse hearing on the
county budget. Is: Spend whatever you
think necessary TO give US better schools:
then send us the bill" Most Of US cannot
afford to run our own households on such .
basis and don't think We can afford to run
our municipal government on such basis
either.
The high tar group Is made UP In larEe
part of higher echelon Federal officials
whose income Is considerably above that
OF average Arlingtonians They ridicule the
thought that Q more than three-fold in
crease over the largest past increase in the
tax rate could seriously affect anyone imam
cially. They tend to ignore the cumulative
effect Of past tax increases, higher assess
ments, and the tax increases which will un-
doubtedly be required next year to finance
school and other bond issues.
When the county treasurer stated ut the
courthouse hearing that over 10000 tax
payers were delinquent In their taxes tdespite
the fine attached TO delinquency, and that
many had come to him with their financial
problems. some Of the high tax group booed
him and In other ways indicated they
thought he was making q sentimental appeal
which had no validity. The high tax group
acted like crusaders who were fighting .
holy war. At numerous instances during
the budget hearings. by applaudins at the
wrong time. by whispered or shouted COM
ments they made 1t clear they cared TO
hear no arguments In opposition TO the full
amount Of the tax increases requested Prac-
tically all Of the rTA and civic association
who attended spoke tn favor
Of the unusually large proposed tax In
creases. Some Of them even demanded
more.
Crusade Associates stiu Q Unit
Many Of the leaders Of the high tax group
were formerly active In the successful and
desirable crusades for an elected school
board and for a. school bond issue. They
effective organizations. followers.
personal loyalties which are carried over
INTO the tax fipht They are loath TO give
up the exhiiaration Of . successful crusade
Another important factor In the effective
of the high tax group was this:
The school board has appointed over 32s
top leaders from oil civic associations and
PTAs to serve on its IL exploratory com
mittees and its 3o-odd advisory committees.
each of the schools In the
county These civic leaders. who number
the most articulate and effective speakers
in the county have an ofY,ciai iiatson with
the school board and II h perfectly natural
for them TO fnd 1t easier TO agree than 10
disagree with the boards spending proposals
These people demonstrated their effective
ness at the budget hearings In the court
house The moderate and the medium tar
groups had no comparable representation
with the possible exception Of the county
treasurer. In self defense. the county board
may have 70 adopt . similar plan Of ap-
pointing civic leaders On special counts. com
mittees IL IL wishes 10 develop comparable
support for its financial proposals
From the point OF view Of the moderntes,
The high tax movement Is painful. but uiti-
mateiy self defeating. A. tar increases
mount year after year. - they must with
pyrsmiding obligations incurred By the COM
petitive spending race between the county
manager and the school board. the temper
,f the public viii change under Increasing
y