The Sidney herald., 1959-01-14
"CRUCIAL FISCAL SITUATION'
SAYS GOVERNOR IN MESSAGE

ways is: Economy at whose ex-
pense? In practice, it certainly is
not at the expense of the pressure
groups responsible for forcing ap-
propiation ever and ever higher.
Appropriation requests are neal
ly double the amount appropriate
ed in 1857, and undoubtedly more
requests will come in as the as
sembly proceeds. In this matter
my sympathy is with the legisla-
tors who really try to hold the line
and keep the budget in balance.
But when a lawmaker is confront
| ed with pressure group reprisal at
the next election, it is ordinarily
hardly to be expected that he will
be entirely a hero.
The budget that the 1859 assem-
bly, has to deal with will not be
balanced without overwhelming
public support-and / still am
waiting for the time when the
general public, despite its demands
for economy in government, will
rise up in support of a legislature
trying to give them economy and
hence lower taxes.
For the first time in more than
a decade the legislature is con-
fronted with an actual, and not
merely potential, state general
fund deficit. Each biennium the
surplus was whitfield down until
now there is nothing more to
white. l recall when years ago
the highest hope of u legislature
es was to get the general fund into
the black. On one occasion at least,
this was done by converting the
warrant debt into bond debt,
merely changing the form of in
debtedness. Then in two years
the treasury would be back in the
red again. Good economic condi-
tons during the administration of
Gov. Sam c. Ford Q941-49) got
the general fund into the black,
and there it remained until last
year.
To some politicians, having the
general fund with a surplus was
terrible. / have in mind one can
didate for g~overnor-and he was
elected that time-Who bemoaned
the surplus and said the state
should spend it. We have spent it.
Except, as it were, for the few
years the kline fattened in the val
ley of the Nile, the overriding
problem of Montana legislatures
has been fiscal. So there is nothing
new about that, nor about COVER
nors pleading for frugality. Always
there are essential services that
must be maintained. Always there
are pressure groups determined to
get their cut regardless of the basic
needs of the government. 1t is no
different now.
The governor, whoever he
happens to be, al urge economy
and exert such influence as he
can on legislators. But rarely does
a governor veto an appropriation
bill and thus tell the legislature
and the public that he is willing
TO use this constitutional power in
an effort to bring expenditures in
line with revenues.
However, one of Montana's gov
ernors, Joseph NJ. Dixon C1921-25)
did substantially that. His mistake
that, contrary to his constitu-
-ional authority, he pared down
TENS in appropriation bills. 1t
would have been within his power
veto entire items, but the SUI
court held that cutting
hem down was an attempt to
invade the legislative field.
The result was that Governor
Dixon had to convene the legisla-
ure in special session. There was
lot of political Juror about all
Dixon was defeated for
-e-election-but his attempt to
,ring appropriations closer in line
With state income was courageous.