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The Nevada Tax Review PUBLISHED BY NEVADA TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION NUMBER 62 _____________________ RENO, NEVADA______________________________AUGUST, 1942 THE EFFECT OF THE WAR ON STATE AND LO CAL GOVERNMENT O R M A N Y years ou r state and local governm ents have been under constant pressure fo r the expansion o f governm ental activities or the addition o f new services. M u ch o f this pressure originated from the Federal G overnm ent. U n d e r w a r conditions the picture is changing. T h e p roblem n o w is to keep the essential services o f govern ­ment functioning efficiently. B oth state and local govern ­ments are losin g m any trained employees to the armed forces, and, in some cases, to the m ore lucrative jobs in w a r industries. A n d even the Federal G overnm ent is n o w b rin g ­in g pressure, on all units o f governm ent to give the w a r pro gram the righ t-of-w ay. Instead o f governm ent as usual, in the near future it w ill be h o w to keep essential governm ent g o in g and h o w to p rovide efficient governm ent w ith few er employees and w ith less equipment and supplies. So fa r the impact o f w a r has been stimulating. T h ere has been a rush to get things w h ile the getting w as good . F or a fe w months w e have enjoyed a livin g standard, govern ­mental services included, never before attained by any people in the history o f the w o rld . F rom here on fo r the duration and a period thereafter w e k n o w that the trend w ill reverse. T h e part o f state and local governm ent in this w a r w ill have to be that o f any ordinary citizens or business engaged in peacetime pursuits. T h e w a r program must have the righ t-of-w ay. H o w ev er, there is an apparent apathy in many o f our local units o f governm ent particularly to w ard the problem s bein g created by this condition. Th ere is a ten­dency to let circumstances force the m ove rather than to plan and to m ake moves to meet farseeable circumstances. W e have a righ t to expect m ore from ou r state and local governm ents. W h ile there are m any services p rovided by our state and local governm ents w hich w e cannot afford to curtail too greatly, fo r exam ple, police, fire and health protection; on the other hand, there is m uch that can be eliminated w ith less serious effects, fo r exam ple, than the general curtail­m ent o f autom obile travel. A l l public w ork s fa ll in this class except w h ere it is a case o f essential sanitation. In addition, there are costly items in all services w h ich w e can very w e ll eliminate w ithout hurting or curtailing the essential elements o f the service. W e do not w an t to cripple our state and local govern ­ments by forcin g the blanket elim ination o f governm ental activities. H o w e v e r, it is not unreasonable to ask that a part o f the sacrifice w hich w e all must make in the interest o f the w a r effort should be m ade in governm ent itself w here it w ill be applicable to all people on a near-equal basis. Each community and each unit o f governm ent w ill have different problem s and w ill find different spots w h ere the w a r sacrifices can be m ade w ith the least h arm fu l effects. H ow ever, there are a fe w general points w h ere sound cur­tailment can be applied by all units o f governm ent. Some o f these are: 1. In the field o f public w ork s all activities should be eliminated fo r the duration o f the w a r unless the project o r projects are absolutely essential to preserving the health and safety o f the community. Curtailm ent in this field w ill make the greatest single contribution to the w a r by releas­in g materials and m an pow er fo r essential w artim e construc­tion. A lre a d y much is bein g done a lo n g this line in N e v a d a . U nfortun ately, how ever, the force o f circumstances w as the largest contributing factor to this curtailment, not the patriotic w illingness o f public officials. T h e q u alifyin g measurement fo r this last statement is: W e r e the projects postponed w h ile materials and supplies w ere still avail­able, or was the postponem ent m ade after it w as no lon ger possible to obtain essential materials an dsupplies ? It w o u ld be much better i f the situation w as view ed realistically in the first place and projects never started which have to be le ft h a lf done. : VY Yj 2. T h e w o rk o f some departments is bein g curtailed because o f the shortage o f materials and supplies. A check o f the duties o f the personnel in these departments w ill p ro b ab ly show that m any jobs could be consolidated or eliminated entirely, thus releasing w orkers fo r m ore essen­tial tasks. W e must get as much as possible from each w ork er d u rin g this emergency. 3. N o w is an opportune time fo r adoptin g labor-saving devices in the keeping o f records, especially i f the equip­ment fo r d oin g this is still available. T h is w o u ld also release w orkers fo r other essential activities. 4. State governm ent especially is g o in g to feel the w a r­time pinch in the loss o f certain types o f revenues, particu­larly in the field o f m otor vehicle and m otor fu e l taxation. A t present it appears that there is no w ay ih w hich this actual loss can be m ade up. H o w ev er, the effect o f the loss can be partially offset by elim inating earm arked funds, in other w ords, by putting a ll the eggs in one basket and d ra w in g from that basket the financial support fo r a ll essen­tial functions regardless o f h o w these essential functions w ere previously financed. It w ill be the jo b o f the legislature to determine w hat can be maintained and w hat must be eliminated. 5. State and local governm ents should make every effort to pay o ff outstanding debts du rin g the w a r period. T his w ill have a tw o -fo ld effect. First, it w ill tend to shift these invested fund^ to Federal securities, thus h elpin g to finance the w ar. Second, it w ill strengthen the financial position o f state and local governm ents, m aking it possible fo r them to m ore adequately cope w ith post-w ar problem s. 6. State and local governm ents must prepare themselves fo r any emergency by im p rovin g administrative standards and procedures. N o one ean predict w h at the future post­w a r demands on ou r state and local governm ents w ill be*; but w e can be certain that those demands w ill be greater than ever before. W h e th e r our state and local governm ents w ill be able to meet those demands w ill be demonstrated by just h o w w e ll they cope w ith the wartim e emergency. T h e w a r is presenting a challenge to ou r system o f democ­racy w hich must be m et i f that system is to survive the w a r and post-w ar readjustments. T h a t challenge cannot be postponed. T h e b ig jo b n o w is to make every contribution possible tow ard w in n in g the w ar, and in d o in g that our democratic system w ill demonstrate its strength and ability to cope w ith any future post-w ar problem s.