The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1961-03-24

The General Fund Deficit and
the 1q61-63 Budqef

All during campaign up the closing days
of the 1861 Legislative Assembly Gov Donald Nutter repeat
paraded the hob-gobn of $65 $40 million
deficit before the of Montana The wping out
deficit he warned made it that the State
trench appropriations for the biennium ahead.
Having sold his bill of goods cutting back State
appropriations the Governor reveals he perperaed
monsrous hoax the people and the legislature He
admits, what the VOICE suspected many months ago-tha
the estimated fund deficit for the bennum
to close June 80 will be substantially less than his inflated
s6.5-$7O million s@ vffs
VOICE readers recall that in the December 1860
issue it pointed out had reliable information that
the probable deficit would be between S3 and "a mlonor
approximately one half of Nutters magic number
Nutter, in an interview with the MONTANA CITIZEN
of March H. for all ntens and admits having
been less than candid with Montana people this deficit
question He says eve estimate present action
deficit in the general fund of from $35 to $3.8 million.
Ct certain the Interpretation of under present
action If he that because of 1861 legislative action the
budget deficit will be lower then he is plain banumizng
the readers of THE CITIZEN The 1861 Legislature had
ious little to do with effectng economies for this biennum
All appropriations for the twoyear period ending 80
made by the 1859 SESSION.
This lowered estimate he knew should have known at
least early did VOICE. Why delay
ing this information public until after the legislature had
achieved "rock bottom budget and gone home?
Do not the people of Montana deserve higher level of
political integrity than this loathesome bit of chcaney
poyed by the Governor order expedite ffment of his
fanacal determination keep uneascay low the appro
pations for cuoda Institutions for the public schools the
university system the highway PATROL the office of state for
estry, and many others?
The butterflies months contended that there
having produced little evidence
generality This 9th Republicans have
also footed long and loud the need for oldng the ne
a@ S.
look at the latter first will shock to
many people, the various devious Nuter Co. nicked
you right and left
overall state aren't going go up your
income increases the bennum ahead but most of
going to find local property tax eves higher both to
maintain schools and Tin counes to meet larger share
of your public welfare
You through higher property evies going to
tnue and increase the subsidy to sockmen holding leases
school grazing leases Because the COP House refused to do
a
comparable level with private grazing leases you
Immediately out of pocket couple hundred thousand of dol
representing that much grazing will
produce in 1861 than in 1860 Overall the legislatures failure
to adjust rentals upward will million
dollars year in higher local property |.
Then, there number of authorized
further into pocket book One these will be the
$1OO (33 hike in your drivers license your
mug license. Some of going to be paying
higher professional license fees Others of youdependng
merchantwil be paying two cent sales tax
groceries, for those notorious little heard
so much about during the late, unamented session.
about the 1961-63 budget? of week. the Sec
of States office estimates totals out at $4446 745
approximately $780, less than the budget for the
bennum. is
that appear cutback
children entering leaving public
schools each because the University enrolment
increasing of four per year. because all is
along the ne whether inmates of cuoda institutions the
need for due population growth this
budget reduction a matter for graveSt Ie