Our staff is still analyzing Maggie Brooks' sales-tax plan, but it's easy to draw one conclusion:

There's no excuse for the Brooks' administration's secrecy and ramrodding.

Yes, we've all known that Brooks wanted to buy into the state's "intercept" plan. But until 5 o'clock yesterday, she hadn't said how she would do that and continue to share the sales tax with the city, towns, and villages. Nor had there been a hint that the county would start charging municipalities the costs of their Monroe Community College students - something that deserves a full, thoughtful airing.

Announcing a far-reaching plan at 5 and scheduling a 6 o'clock meeting to vote on it? That's not democracy. Nor is holding a meeting in Republican headquarters to explain the plan and inviting only Republican town supervisors.

Brooks didn't have to do it this way. And no town supervisor should have gone along with it.