The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1954-03-05

| Tor the peOple. l. TIC OoiiiHiA
poets the people to defend themselves,
and at the same time pay their tax
money for the Commission to defend
them. This vicious little circle should
break someplace, sometime. is 1t
now? Small wonder utility consum-
ers are trying to form local and state
leagues, to set up consumer defense
councils or whatever they might be
called.
When people take their antagonism
out on the members of the Commits
sion | can't get excited because Leon
ard Young, for instance, has been
elected, reelected, reelected and re-
elected and he has always voted the
same. This is no new policy with
Leonard. He has never had any rea-
son to even suspect that the people
disapproved. He ran for Governor
on the basis of his vote-getting ability
for RR Commission and he still fig
ures he can win for Commissioner as
long as he wants to run.
What would people think if they
knew Arnold Olsen was inquiring
around about the price of printing?
At the Capitol the other day | was
asking if any more requests for def
cit spending had been submitted to
the Board of Examiners.
1t seemed a good idea to know be-
fore elections how realistic the last
legislature was in determining fiscal
policy for the state.
Apparently these figures are more
or less in a state of 'limbo" and are
never really available to the public
for scrutiny and comparison. 1t is
my understanding deficit problems
are not considered by the board until
in November, which is, of
course, after the elections.
With the possibility of a decrease
in state revenue becoming with every
passing day more of a probability
the state budget will present more
anguish and suffering to the next leg
stature than ever before.
The Controller can not compile the
budget until late in the year, so his
figures are not accessible until after
the legislature convenes. He does
not deal with deficit spending any
how
1t has been prophesized that the
1855 legislature will be faced with a
arge deficiency appropriation, per-
laps the largest ever.
Republicans are campaigning on
heir record at the last session, say
ng they balanced the budget with
)ut raising taxes.
How are we as voters to know
what is the truth?
1t is no secret that each session the
deficiency appropriation grows larg-
II, and legislators live in terror of
laving to tell the people that govern
nent services cost more, and refuse
o find means of providing adequate
unds for biennial functions. So to
ontinue functioning the departments
perate on credit.
Then the legislators come back
many of them being the same ones
Who wouldn't recognize the reason
ng of department heads for adequate
unds) and abuse the public servants
or deficit operations. They yell and
hey scream and they pound and they
temp. Then, having proclaimed their
righteousness, they turn around, bury
heir heads in the sand and prepare
mother inadequate budget.
The thing that should worry every
ne is that we would get to the point
here we are running a government
on credit if it were carried
the extreme, and how are we to
nd out how much credit we are oper-
ting on now?
I've had precious little luck find
lg out. At the last session | was
wen merry run-around, cordially
nd politely, naturally. | was treated
ke nice moron, and | wasn't too
Ire whether | was or not, so wasn't
ersistent enough. From now on Pm
Ding to be more persistent.