SOMETIMES IT IS WISE not to rock the boat. That may be the case regarding the discussions on how to divvy up the sales-tax pot known as LOST. That’s the always-there penny that is applied to lowering property taxes (look at your last bill for the numbers). If Floyd County, Rome and Cave Spring can’t agree then ... the tax expires on Dec. 31 and your property taxes will doubtless go up, probably by about 40 percent.

In the recent past, these governments have been pretty civil in such discussions although all, naturally enough, desire a bigger slice of the pie that is basically (but not actually) cut up by population served. The new talks began cordially, a good sign and perhaps reflecting an awareness that changes — even if warranted — serve no purpose right now than to take skin off the other guy’s nose.

All these governments are hurting. All are dealing with lower revenues from this same source because of the consumer spending slowdown. That’s unlikely to change in the short term.

What they all need is stability, such as it is, from their basic revenue sources whilst looking for more operational efficiencies, should any remain. Greater Rome governments were actually early to catch on that the economy’s rainy day might be a monsoon season.

If the base providing their major income remains stable, at least for the moment, these governments can keep all their attention on finding more cost savings, uncovering revenues lost through avoidance and picking up a few pennies from user fees not now existing and so forth.

In other words: Good time not to rock this boat.