Thief Busy In Shadows

Hello Folks — I think that withholding taxes from the payroll is another of our growing evils, as far as government is concerned. It is almost another form of hidden taxation; that is, the money is never seen by the payee, he or she does not realize that it is being paid as it is not handled through the family budget.

Government is a service to the people and therefore should be treated the same as any other service we buy. Meaning that we should know and be willing to pay out the amount necessary to promote the necessary services for the efficient operation of government. We would never had gotten into the financial jam we are now in if we had had direct taxation from the start.

When we know that we have to pay for what we get and know what we are paying for we are pretty apt to keep the costs in line and keep better tab on the ones who handle it.

We lived under the 'soak the rich' plan for many years and got the idea that we have a 'sugar daddy' who was footing the bill and would continue to do so. Now we are beginning to realize that taxes and deficits really hurt and that 'Santa Claus' was the long-bearded fellow who reached into one of our pockets and took out $10 while we saw only the $5 he gave us back.

When the wage earner has his taxes taken out of his earnings before he gets his check he gets the idea that taxes aren't so bad and that the politicians who spend it are not doing wrong in making it bigger and bigger all the time. The pinch he feels is in the size of actual check he gets, and probably blames it in the belief that he isn't getting enough wages. So he either gets sore at the employer or gets another job to up his take home pay; when al the time the fault is the politician who robbed him behind his back.

Peterson Files for State Representative

Edwin Peterson, 42, Oakland area farmer, filed for the state representative, the post now held by Rep. Edmond Conn, Alden.

Peterson, who operates a 120 acre farm northwest of Oakland in Moscow Township, is a native of White River, S. D., and has farmed in Freeborn County since 1937.

He is a past resident of the Freeborn County Farm Bureau, served two years on the Oakland School Board and was the chairman of the Oakland School reorganization committee.

The Petersons have 10 children.