The Tax Amendment
Goes Through
The State Senate and House of Representatives have passed
the bill providing for the submission to the people of the proposed tax
amendment to the Constitution which will make possible the taxing of unearned
incomes of the predatory rich. The bill passed the House by practically
unanimous vote, but certain special interests made a desperate attempt to
defeat it in the Senate. That they failed is due to the splendid leadership of
Senator James A. Gray of Forsyth. He laid his plans well and had the backing of
Governor Bickett to the limit of his ability. The vote of three-fifths of those
present, and voting was necessary, under constitutional requirements, to put
the proposed amendment through. On a roll call 35 voted in the affirmative and
only 9 in the negative. This means that the people will have an opportunity to
say at the next session whether unearned incomes shall bear their proportional
part of government expenses. The provision of the Constitution to be amended is
as follows:
“The General Assembly may also tax trades, professions, and
incomes provided that no income shall be taxed when the property from which the
income is derived is taxed.”
This is rank discrimination in favor of the citizen whose
personal income from ownership of property is derived without effort on his
part, in that he is not taxed a single cent, while the user of property is
required to pay to the limit. As we have said before, if this amendment is
ratified, as it surely will be if the people can be brought to the point of
understanding it, a very moderate rate of tax on income from property as well
as from wages and salaries and fees would yield sufficient revenue to take the
place of property tax now levied by the State for the support of the State and
its institutions. The General Assembly has done well in submitting this
amendment. It will be ratified by 100,000 majority.
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