Editor’s note

We believe in speaking softy while carrying that big stick called the First Amendment. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention our ongoing battle with the city of Springfi eld over a committee that meets in secret and effectively decides what health benefi ts taxpayers should provide to city workers. As reported in the State Journal-Register, our lawyer was awarded $12,000 in fees last week. But the fi ght is not over, contrary to the perplexing assertion of corporation counsel Mark Cullen, who told the city council even before a ruling was made that the litigation had been decided. Not. We continue to believe that the city is conducting the public’s business in private, and so the legal battle continues. –Fletcher Farrar, editor and publisher

Cover image based on illustration by Rick Nease/MCT