The Key West citizen., 1952-12-17
MAY OR MAY NOT
fCOnfinued from Paee Onal

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nlously impressed by the Island
and the drive down over the high
way On a one-day visit last year
This year the Mayor was driven
down from Miami airport in a
Casa Marina car. He too was i'm
pressed by the beauty Of the over
! seas ride.
Today and for five days the
Mayer VIII forget about the more
then two billion dollar annual
budget Of his city which is being
thrashed ont now. This is larger
than the budget Of any state in
the union, including New York,
and Of course, overshadoWs that Of
any other municipality. In fact,
New York Cify's giant budget is
second only to that Of the entire
United States.
"Bishf noW I'm sacing The
pEoelem fnsf all business men
and housewives in The nation are
confronted with, The spiraIing
casts. whieh can lead 20 run
awaY Initiation. I'm trying 10
bsisaee eur cifY's budget despite
risins costs, and it is 3 lob. +"
"BusiueSs mea can pass on rising
COSTS 10 their customers in mark.
ed Up prices: Housewives can pass
on rising household costs by ask
ing Iheir husbands for more money.
In city government, however, there
is Just oae way Of meeting the
higher costs CT operation, and
that's by taxes" ImpeIlitteri said
New York City already has a
three per cent sales tax. The Fed
I eral end STATE government gobble
up most Of the tax money, I'm.
pellitteri said, leaving the impres.
sion that city taxes are strictly
nuisance taxes.
Yet running a city the size Of
New York cost 81, 500, ,00o 900 last
year, with an additional $500, 900,
600 for building Of schools, hospi-
tails and other municipal struc.
lures.
Inpellitteri's solution to the pro-
blen is TO levy one-haf of one
per cent more tax on real estate,
bringing that tax up to two and
one-half per cent.
Il can't conceive of a city with
ia lower rate than that" he said.
'sAt a recent conference of mayors
II learned that all tho
major cities are affected by rising
costs as we are in New York. .
Impellitteri said that he hopes
the new President can stem infIa
ton, '.but / doubt it, he said
ruefully.
81 am and have been an adj
voeafe % stronger controls on
costs. Anything is better than run
away inGation," he said.
Though vacationing, the Mayor
is in touch with his office and
Commissioners every day. Mrs.
Impellitteri could not accompany
him because Of illness Of her
mother.
Tie Mayer said he was happy
to be In a place where there is a
good beach and sunshine. Though
he loves the Isle Of Pines where
he visits sylvio Garguilio, expor-
ter, he missed swimming facilities
thace.
The Mayor may take a trip to
Dry T0gtagas while here. He may
also take crack ct fishing.
''I'm not q fisherman, though, .
he smiled.
Tee Italian-hnrn executive be-
came President Of the New York
CITY Council in 1875 and was
elected again in 1919. Though he
now occupies the Mayors mansion
at Gracie Square uptown, his own
foots are IN down town New York
on the lower west side, 14th Street
and 18th Street.
The boss ofa eco city employees,
90 per cent of whome are civil
service, today seemed happy and
content to give no orders except
For breakfast. When the bell hop
brought in the morning paper, the
DemocT Mayor grinned and
said: "A Republican paper, chr"
Roman roads were often 3 feet
20 more thick.