Being an elected official - especially in a small town - must be a weird experience. People who have been normal, rational, friendly human beings and neighbors suddenly start acting completely differently. Perhaps its just that access to power brings out the worst in people.

We're seeing first-hand evidence of this in the City of Keizer. Not too long ago, the City Council there ignored the will of the people and enacted a brand-new cell phone tax. To no one's surprise (except, perhaps the City Council's), a coalition formed to ensure that voters had the final say. This will be accomplished by collecting signatures to refer the new tax to the ballot. Because having this new tax is - in the view of the City Council - an "emergency" - the coalition has only 30 days from enactment to gather signatures. AFP's Marion County Chapter is participating by recruiting local volunteers to help with the signature drive.

The reaction of the Mayor and a City Councilor to this effort has been instructive on the kind of people Keizer voters have elected. The Mayor has accosted a volunteer gathering signatures at the local Post Office and a City Councilor has been spreading dis-information about the tax - and the referendum effort - that would make the editor of a Soviet-era edition of Pravda blush.

These elected officials also are providing some unintended humor to the situation. Understand that a "wireless tax" is the equivalent of taxing air. Cell phone companies already pay a price to erect cell phone towers - normally leasing the ground under the towers from private or public owners. This is the only infrastructure that's necessary. One can understand how cities might be interested in charging land-line phone companies a "privilege tax" since lines are strung all over town, and they are all connected to what some see as unsightly telephone poles, or have to be buried under public streets or sidewalks.

But once a cell phone tower is erected, what city assets need to be used to send signals back and forth across Keizer? Well, the air has to be used. The City Council set an interesting precedent on what they believe they can tax.

Incredibly, and potentially recognizing that they may have gone too far, Keizer's wise men/women have now decided to reduce stormwater and sewer fees they recently increased.

In May, Keizer voters are going to have a chance to force the City Council to reverse course and start listening to the people. Watch this space for incredible tales of waste, fraud and abuse over the coming weeks. And information about what the new Keizer wireless tax applies to in addition to your cell phone.