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From Labor Action, Vol. 5 No. 42, 20 October 1941, pp. 1 & 3.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
LaGuardia is being big-hearted three weeks before election.
He is asking the City Council to pass a bill cutting the sales tax to 1 per cent.
To make sure that he will cash in for this “good deed” at the polls, he is pressing the Council to put the cut through by November 1.
But the Democrats are going the Mayor one better. They will introduce a bill to slash the tax down to one-half of 1 per cent or to abolish it altogether.
Thus the flypaper is spread out for catching votes.
LaGuardia sprinkles his with sugar.
The Democrats for O’Dwyer cover theirs with honey.
BUT IN EITHER CASE THE WORKING CLASS VOTER WILL BE STUCK.
This last minute “good deed” does not wipe out LaGuardia’s anti-working class record.
Neither does the Democrats’ “better deed” cancel out the fact that as the majority in the City Council they did nothing to stop the Mayor.
LaGuardia has squeezed the transit workers to pay the bankers. Not a peep of protest out of the Democrats.
LaGuardia has tried to break up the Transport Workers Union. The Democratic politicians approved by their silence.
LaGuardia has opposed union organization of civil service employees. The Democrats were well pleased.
LaGuardia has done next to nothing REALLY to solve the terrible housing situation of the city. The majority in the City Council didn’t lift a finger.
LaGuardia has cut down on much-needed schools, clinics and hospitals. The Democratic councilmen did not interfere.
LaGuardia has kept $21,000,000 collected by the sales tax from the 139,000 families on relief WHILE THE COST OF LIVING HAS BEEN SKY-SCRAPING. The Democrats did not intervene on behalf of the poor families.
THUS THE LABOR RECORD OF THE LaGUARDIA ADMINISTRATION IS PRETTY BLACK.
THAT OF THE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN THE CITY COUNCIL IS OF THE SAME COLOR.
Now they come out with their rival proposals to cut the sales tax – and want the working class voter to forget the past. LET BY-GONES BE BY-GONES.
Every working man and woman whose shrinking dollar has been still further reduced by the sales tax wants to see it removed.
But no working man or woman wants to see it removed at the expense of the 139,000 families on relief whose subsistence standard of living has already been pushed down further by the enormous increase in the cost of living!
LaGuardia and the Democrats will both cut the sales tax. BUT WILL THEY RAISE MONEY IN ANOTHER WAY FOR THESE NEEDY PEOPLE OF THE WORKING CLASS?
The only other way is to tax the rich!
The Wall Street bankers who are pocketing millions for the watered stocks of the subway lines bought by LaGuardia should be compelled to disgorge some of their ill-gotten gains IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE FAMILIES ON RELIEF.
THE WAR PROFITS OF THE BOSSES SHOULD BE TAXED TO IMPROVE THE LIVING LEVEL OF THE UNEMPLOYED.
To cut the sales tax without providing a tax against the rich for the benefit of the poor is a sham and a delusion.
BUT LaGUARDIA WILL NOT TOUCH THE PROFITS OF THE BANKERS.
AND THE DEMOCRATS WILL NOT TAX THE RICH EITHER.
They will reduce the sales tax to make a good impression on the voters before election – AND THE FAMILIES ON RELIEF WILL FOOT THE BILL.
There is a candidate in the field who has no respect for profits. He is concerned only with the needs of human beings.
MAX SHACHTMAN, candidate for Mayor of the Workers Party, stands for abolishing the sales tax AND FOR A TAX ON THE RICH TO FEED THE POOR!
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Last updated: 26 August 2014