By David Dayton McKean
Not only does he know what the people should think
and what they should hear, but he also knows how they
should be governed. He is fond of referring to himself as
an expert on local government. Though he does not like to
have non-residents comment upon his city, he does not hesitate to talk about other cities, even to go to Albany to do so.
He thinks the commission type of city government the best
devised to date; as might be expected, he can see no good in
the city-manager plan, and his legislators have consistently
opposed bills to make its adoption easier in New Jersey.
They have likewise opposed measures seeking to establish
the county-manager system in the state to displace the present
freeholder, or commission, type of county government.
As an expert on local government the Mayor apparently
sees no objection to the indefinite multiplication of boards
and commissions, such as boulevard, bridge, water, and
sewer commissions. Each of these agencies provides jobs for
the organization, even though it may be virtually useless to
the public.
The Mayor's position upon the question of taxes is clear
and consistent. He favors a continually increasing public
revenue. One of the chief reasons he advanced in his speeches
in favor of the horse-racing amendment to the state constitution
was that `this amendment will mean an increase in
the revenues of the state to help solve the unemployment and
relief problem.... We are on the verge of bankruptcy now,
ladies and gentlemen, and if this opportunity is permitted
to slip by, every man and woman in our state will suffer
thereby.' (Speech in Jersey City, June 1, 1939.) It has been pointed out elsewhere in these pages
that the tax rate and assessments have gone up and up in
Jersey City and Hudson County; while Mayor Hague has
never indicated in public that he foresaw any ceiling to the
taxes, he has always favored state financial aid to localities
with a minimum of state control over them.
It does not matter much to him how the state raises the
money, though he liked the sales tax and made his legislators
vote for it. He turned against it only when supporting it
became politically dangerous. He is said to be opposed to a
state income tax, and his legislators voted against one at
the time they voted for a sales tax. To oppose an income
tax and to favor a sales tax would seem to fit in well with the
Mayor's other ideas on democracy.
Public debts, whether local, state, or national, seem not to
worry him in the least. The Jersey City debt has gone up
almost to the statutory limit under the Hague regime. He
supported a recent state bond issue of $'0,000,000 for relief,
both through his legislators and through his organization,
when the proposal had to be ratified by the electorate. The
state officials connected with his machine have never be-
longed to any economy bloc.
This Web version, edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2003
| Next |
| Main Menu |
|
|
|
|
Journal Square Package Shipping and Mailbox rentals
Global Mail accepts drop offs for all carriers. If the package is completely ready there is no charge. Passport photos and copies, too!
 |
| Featured Link |
Text Link Online Advertising Program
A text Link is your business name and a Link to Your Site in bold red text on one Line and a description of your services on the next. The GET NJ network serves thousands of visitors each day!
GRAVE ROBBER Jersey City Computer Repair
297 Griffith Street, Jersey City, NJ - In the Heights just off of Kennedy Blvd. - Very close to Journal Square and Union City, just five minutes away from Hoboken, Downtown Jersey City, Newport, and the Waterfront -
 |
|
|
|
|
|