Milford chronicle., 1949-11-04
WHERE WILL 1T END2

ton for greatly expanding the scope, and
the cost, of social security have been receiv-
ing intense national attention. In the mean
time, while the debate over this is going on,
a number of the states have gone in for well
fare activities on an unprecedented scale, and
are now struggling with problems of expense
administration, and policy which the voters
apparently didn't anticipate when they Okay-
ed the tax raising measures on their ballots.
The Far West seems to be the testing
ground. Washington has gone in heavily for
state-paid medical care and liberal pensions,
and her financial problem is acute. Oregon
passed an Old-age pension measure at the last
election which, in the view of many, would
have actually imperiled her credit but it has
been held up by an opinion of the Attorney
General, and by legislative action. California
shot the works on a unique constitutional
amendment, passed by relatively small ma
jOrity, which seems to have established a new
high in spending for Old-age pensions, and
which is causing turmoil in the states fnan-
cial affairs. What gives the California mea-
sure national Importance is that it is reliably
reported that the sponsor of the measure,
who has come in for some king-size criticism
in the press for the methods he used in his
promotion, intends to expand eastward with
similar ideas.
On November 8, CalifOrnians will vote
again at a special election and one of the
measures on the ballot would repeal most of
the provisions of the legislative amendment.
The repeal proposition has an impressive list
of sponsOrs-the California Council for the
Blind being the leader. And the reasons why
repeal is being urged on behalf of the needy
no less than the harassed taxpayers, are of
great interest.
First of all, there is the matter of cost,
and there can be no doubt about what is hap
pening. .CalifOrnia's Director of Finance told
the last legislature that the additional cost to
the state entailed by this measure would total
$118,O00,000 by June 80, 1850. The Legisla-
tive Budget Auditor anticipated the cost for
the 1949-50 fiscal year at $90,000,000. Ex-
perience has borne out these estimates, and
then some. For example, CALIFORNIA; social
security costs for last June were almost three
times as great as New York s-yet New York
has nearly half again as much population.
If this goes on, the advocates of repeal say,
the burden to- California taxpayers will be
intOlerable, and the state will be placed in a
ruinOus financial position.
The amendment also involves some very
important questions of principle, and these,
the advocates of repeal believe, are as inn
pOrtant as the cost element. Under it per-
sons aged 1854 may qualify for pensions
and the state must pay the whole cost for
these age claSSificatiOns as the Federal gov
ernment contributes only for people of 65 and
over. Residence requirements were reduced
which, naturally, further encourages an in
fiuX of the aged into the state. The old re-
quirement that relatives who are financially
able must support their own aged was can
celed-sO the parents of a millionaire could
get pensions. And, finally, the law is so
drawn that the Department of Welfare is to
all practical purposes beyond reach of either
the Governor or the Legislature. The De-
partment's director has amazing power for
nOn-elective official
Under the repeal measure, the amount
OF aid to which an aged or blind person would
be entitled would not be reduced But other
provisions, such as age limits, qualifications
protective limitations, etc., would be return
ed to the status prevailing prior to passage
of the amendment. According to the Council
for the Blind, pensioners themselves would
actually be better off if the amendment is
tossed into the discard than they are now.
Moreover, there is a very strong feeling that
the interests of the aged and blind are def
nitely endangered by measures which cost so
much, and create so many problems, that they
may prove absolutely impossible to maintain.
Should that happen, heavy cuts in the amount
of assistance paid to individuals would be
inevitable. The advocates of repeal want to
take action before that can happen.
Both sides to the controversy are urging
that everybody vote. The size of the demand
for absentee ballots indicates that the vote
will be a gOOd-sized one for special election
The results will be widely watched, and they
will be of national Importance, for the rea-
son that the stand taken by CalifOrians will
undoubtedly influence sentiment toward SINH
lar measures in other states.
5000
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