UF00083756_00033.pdf

UF00083756_00033.txt

UF00083756_00033_pdf.txt

1.8013 CAMPAIGN SPEECH
942

' we live in a changing Roads that yesterday were busy
with traffic today are quiet. Some businesses" that yesterday were
prosperous today are struggling or gone. hany families that yesterday
:were complete today watch egorly for letters from sons and husbands
{and brothers who now wear the uniform of .their country. There is
mly one thing tht we could have been sure of yesterday that we can
still be sure of today. we could have been sure, yesterday, that
whatever mu' circumstances then, they would pe different teday. And
we can be sure that, whatever our c'ircunstances today, they will be
different tomorrow.
. That is why, throughout this campaign, I have always remsed to
me what actions I would take in 1943,11' elected to-the legislature.
And yet I recognize, as I know you do, that there are certain
fundamental conditions which exist today which my will exist in
,19H3. It is about a few of these that I wish:o talk. with yo-u now.
While employed as an auditor in the office of the Comptroller

of the State of Florida I because convinced that the various departments

of our government were overstaffed almost without exception, and that
many of the employees of the state government wereoover-paid still
believe that to be true. It has always seemed -to use that [we
employee should have tower): as hard as a person in private iness,
and that he should get no more for the work he does. And so I have
pledged swself to do as much as possible to call public and legislative
attention both to too-nunsrous employees and to over-:paid employees

in an effort to see those conditions improved. '

I have also been convinced that the work of our government can
be performed Just as efficiently and mch more economically by fewer

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dis-rerent departments .

That is another way or saying that we should
combine the offices of many inspectors, each with a salary and
traveling expenses, to visit the same places of business to do work
that could be performed by one inspector.

I further believe that the people or this state would support a

son who would try to reduce the cost or the legislature by constantly

calling to public attention exalples or graft and waste. It would

be Iy effort to do so.
As our state government has,grown in size, and state employees
become more numerous, it has beoo-s' increasingly noticeable that
the employees or the state government are taking an active part in
state and county politics. It would be a terrible thing to find that
our state had become an instrument or machine pontlciana as has been
the case in ap many states, and it is my conviction that this
possibility shouldbe nipped in the bud by legislation which would
prevent active participation by state,employees in state politics.
Finally, I wmt to direct your attention tor a moment to the
problem or state taxation. For aany years the back-bone or state

Other forms of

taxation was the ad valoren tax upon real property.
taxation grew up around the ad valorea tax as supplements to it, and

as and whenever the occasion seemed to Justify them. The rlhuf is
that today,sils we no longer have a state ad valoren tax, we have no
system of taxation which distributes the burden equitably and according
to ability to pay, but a hodge-podge collection of miscellaneous taxes
and licenses and fees, I believe that our entire system of taxation

is due for a thorough going over with the twin goals or placing taxes
upon those who benefit from the services of the state government, and
upon those who can afford to pay than:




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