LABOR LOOKS AT GOVERNMENT FINANCES
In: The annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Band 379, S. 72-77
ISSN: 0002-7162
Our age is one of rapid & radical changes in technology, Ur growth, & race relations. Vast soc needs have been accumulating. Public apathy has kept down gov expansion & increased appropriations required to meet these needs. No quick & easy solutions are available to cope with our nat'l needs. Soc investments are needed in a wide range of activities, such as educ, public facilities & low-rent housing for the poor, which cannot bring in businesslike profits. The key to the nat'l complex of soc & econ problems is federal gov policy. The gov must be the employer of the last resort for the unemployed & underemployed in providing needed public services. The gov must also be the landlord of last resort-to build & rehabilitate housing that poor fam's can afford. To meet the nat'l soc & econ challenge confronting us, increased funds, primarily from taxes, must be found. To avoid unnecessary taxes, continuing efforts should be made to eliminate the types of wasteful expenditures that develop in all large enterprises, both private & gov. But essential domestic programs must be maintained & expanded. As our economy grows, tax revenues will increase. Much of the increased revenue should go for soc investment purposes. Public support is required for necessary appropriations. Such support, in turn, hinges on the development of a fair & adequate tax system. More emphasis should be placed upon the ability to pay taxes. HA.