Staff has proposed an increase

of 1 mill in your property taxes, an increase of over 20 percent. I had

asked staff to prepare an analysis of what it would take to have a zero

percent increase in the millage rate, a commitment I made several months

ago.

Well, there were all sorts

of cuts and delays in projects put forward, some of which were politically

sensitive, of course, but I still maintain that it is a reachable goal,

and I will work hard to offer a plan that will NOT increase the millage

rate.

In words that would make the

likes of Ted Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, and Cynthia McKinney proud, Mr. Brown

kept referring to the need for "revenue corrections" in the

budget planning process. Finally, not being able to take it any more,

I asked the mayor to please stop referring to tax increases as "revenue

corrections." Mr. Brown seemingly could not bear to speak of "expenditure

corrections" (which is what we need) but he sure had no problem with

"revenue corrections."

I think it was Abe Lincoln

that said you could fool all of the people some of the time and some of

the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of

the time. Whoever said it was right.

Maybe it's just me, but I thought

we lived in a fiscally conservative Republican community. Mr. Brown might

want to trumpet his "revenue corrections" philosophy in his

next mayoral run.

If he runs for mayor of Berkeley,

Calif., he just might win.

Dan Tennant

Peachtree City

[email protected]