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I suspect our professed love of open meetings and proceedings is a modern anomaly. During most of our history, our government has operated using executive sessions. This means private, closed to those not elected. That way our representatives could vote their consciences, without being watched by the all-powerful lobbyists.

Witness our Supreme Court today; its proceedings are very private. So too are the discussions between lawyer and client. But Congress is supposed to operate in the open. No wonder we have such a muddle and that the well-heeled interests are so well represented.

Jeff Douthwaite

Santa Barbara