The Parcel Tax insures a revenue stream that is consistent and predictable and will allow the town to continue to maintain infrastructure, have its own police force, and responsibly pay down its unfunded liability. If property taxes rise enough to make it no longer necessary, our council can eliminate it.

These are not tax and spend professional politicians, for goodness sakes. They are our small town neighbors, volunteering to serve in the best interests of our community. We should be talking to them about our interests, working with them and thanking them for their service, instead of impugning their integrity. Let's try to cooperate, as neighbors should.

Keith notes that Atherton residents should cooperate with the officials charged with determining the amount of the parcel tax, suggesting it would be more neighborly to do so. But, the finance committee actually determined the parcel tax is not necessary, at least at its current level. The finance committee is comprised of our neighbors.

I believe the approach of going with the lower tax now, and possibly asking for more later if the finance committee analysis turns out to be too optimistic, is a much more responsible one than asking for the full amount now, and possibly rebating the monies if the analysis is correct AND the monies don't otherwise get spent. My recommended approach honors our neighbors' analysis as being correct.

Keith suggests that the integrity of some or all of the individuals involved is being impugned, but I failed to detect that in this article (or elsewhere). I actually believe it is quite common for people with integrity to adopt an approach of identifying themselves as fiscally conservative, against a "tax and spend" mindset –– but not when it has to do with issues that affect them or they find important. This facet of human nature has resulted, cumulatively, in trillion dollar deficits. Nor do I believe that Atherton's small size exempts it from these usual considerations; as Tip O'Neill said, "all politics is local."

[Post removed; stick to the topic.]