The Ann Arbor City Council is not the world's greatest deliberative body

Some clever person at an environmental group did a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request for emails that Ann Arbor city council members sent one another during a recent city council meeting. Oh what fun ensues:

The e-mails poked fun at the legislative achievement represented by passage of a resolution supporting the Audubon Society-backed initiative and a previous environmental protection measure:

8:14 - Hohnke to the group: "Hey! Don't forget the Earth Hour ... the nonbinding resolution to dim your lights to help global warming."

8:15 - Taylor to the group: "Dim lights are a natural constituency for some of us."

8:16 - Greden to the group: "Mostly the 5th Ward."

The story connected a subsequent remark by Taylor - "yep ;-)" - to Greden's quip.

Who knew the city council members were having so much fun! Who knew they would dare to make light of something as sacred as Earth Hour at all, let alone within the city limits and outside the security of their own homes.

I don't think anyone does this at economics department faculty meetings, though there are some looks exchanged now and again that communicate similar information.