Go to Sleep, My City Council
Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Stars, Goodnight to the Government Meetings That Should Close Before the Bars
I hereby propose a new rule to improve the quality of California’s local democracy. When the bars in your city close, so must your city council.
The idea occurred to me while watching recent Santa Monica City Council meetings, including one gathering so long (nine hours plus) and so full of nonsense and hate (from hundreds of public commenters) that it could make you reconsider your support for free speech and self-government.
The bars had shut at 2 a.m., but the council was still going, groggily, at 3:30 a.m. when it logged …