The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1962-12-14
After the Election, A Curious AboUf-Fuce

After the Election, A Curious Abouf-Fuee
Ever since the Legislative Assembly completed its
surgcal needed governmental services and went
home Administration other Republican leaders through
November 81 pratted endlesy about the beter business eli
mate that Legislature had brought Montana They stretched
the u staggered the imagination and apparently succeeded
in bamboozlg enough of the electorate that return
gagemen" be anticipated next January and February.
However, with the most famboyan of truhwisters
nee comes day Either their concences III any eaten up
with hem the facts just cannot be kept under the
longer.
For example, in the Nov 20 issue of the State CofC' s
CITIZEN there lengthy Planning
Director Tom Collins and headed Go Slow In Tax Credits
for Industry, Says Collins
While speaking particularly about Temporary
tax subsidies and the dangling of other lures before
dus the points he makes actually nvadate the
peddled with flourish Republican parsans defense
of their antihuman attitude during the 1861 session.
Collins the CITIZEN reported, cited the South
ample of wherein tax and other concessions have been
made to attract industry and yet for all these inducements
er capita income of southern workers has not risen as anc
paed They have found that they have attracted
industries that have additionally paid that at the
bottom of the list and do not generate the economic leverage
desired"
And the Planning admitted that while long
tax picture important labor markets and material
main vital considerations for industrial location
Tax concessions Collins believes, have influenced
decisions investment only when significant
in the profit picture -
This point by Collins repeatedly made
by students of who out that rank
where from 18th to 18th in Importance when Management of
industry considering location Markets. labor
ply education facilities community facilities pure air. avail
ability of unpouted water availability of low for
industries which large of electricity those
factors considered greater Importance than the level of
taxes.
More enlightened industry in particular is interested not
much the level but what the levied buy in the
way of needed public services.
The anax campaign carried by the State CofC. and
the Republicans following adjournment of the 1859 Demo-
cracaly legislature did not have its
reduction taxes. And you will recall taxes
WERE reduced for all of the 1860 campaign oratory.
The aim of that propaganda offensive far in
dou The state budget for the current bennum would be
kept the level of the 19596 bennum the of na
on growing population and the growing needs for services
resulting from increased population BY process of a
ton the planners reasoned they would
finally force the people of Montana into resgnng themselves
to a General Sales Tax.
Indeed, general sales the books, the
ready operating within the state would be improved by shift
clippers would drain from Montana via Montana
Power Anaconda and oil company dividends
Tax concessions to industry whether by temporary
subsidies placing greater emphasis sales taxes
has rarely brought the most desirable of industries to
state This fact being brought home to Southern states
with either because industrial payrols have
fallen short of providing the kind of purchasing needed
maintain and expand their economies meet the costs
of added public services made by increased indus
trial development, through heavier welfare loads.