“The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit
that carries any reward.” —Economist John Maynard Keynes
For those Keynesian procrastinators who have put off paying
property tax until the last moment, December 10 is the deadline for
writing a check to the Santa Barbara County Tax Collector, sans
delinquency penalties. While most taxpayers view the obligation
with trepidation, Montecito resident Dan Eidelson finds levity in
the annual levy. For this former teacher, past Montecito Citizen of
the Year, and avid Internet researcher, the sight of the tax bill
brings renewed energy. For Eidelson, the tax tab means time to don
his celluloid cuffs and get up to his elbows in tax charts, graphs,
and reports from the county auditors office. (See the same reports
for yourself at www.co.santa-barbara.ca.us/auditor).