Repressive governments are bent on complete control of its citizens.

Such was almost the case, but luckily the residents woke up in time to stop a certain councilman from dominating them into submission. He was determined that a lagoon should be attached to our lake to satisfy the financial gap in our treasury. But voters rose up in anger. They did not like the methods he used of undermining their intelligence, education, experience and common sense.

Freedom to think as you will, and to speak as you think, are indispensable means of protecting truth and democracy. When people don’t speak out with their opinions, the government assumes those opinions don’t exist fermenting a sense of quiet conformity which gives them a sense of invincibility; they say “we are your council, we can ignore the law, because who are you going to complain to?”

Sneaky methods of only informing certain select groups is extremely dangerous because this type of censorship of thought is a means of preventing certain ideas from emerging, and used by bullies as a way of political control. But when the people find out about this they are doubly upset and react with a vengeance.

Euripides, 406, B.C. “The tongue [is] mightier than the blade.”

Honesty will always be the best policy. But how do you keep your government honest? That is what the Open Meetings Law was designed for. Trying to cover up their mistakes by making us sign in at the first and only open meeting, without apologies, only proved they still don’t understand we no longer trust them. This childishly transparent defense mechanism of signatures to use in court that they did not violate the law was another form of control.