Open meetings law is simply worthless

So much for Maryland's Open Meetings law. If governments in the state don't like the law or don't agree with it, they can ignore it without consequence.

This is obvious from the Worcester County Commissioners' reaction to the ruling by the state Open Meetings Compliance Board, which found that the commissioners broke the law when they met in closed session to discuss a major downsizing of its departments.

The commissioners respectfully disagreed and added that they would do the same thing again if similar circumstances arose.

While the various sides in this matter debate whether the commissioners were morally right to hold their discussions in executive session, the greater concern is the existence of an Open Meetings law that is worse than worthless.

It poses as a law but is more of a guideline, considering that nothing happens when it is violated. It is not a big deal because it was enacted in a lame attempt to keep news organizations and public interest groups happy without making government officials uncomfortable.

Besides, state government too is subject to this statute and legislators are not inclined to impose serious restrictions on how they conduct business.

There are so many ways to get around the Open Meetings Act that the commissioners could have done everything they wanted without having to go into executive session. Memos, phone calls, letters, emails and small meetings are just a few of them.

That, however, would have been time consuming and inconvenient. It's so much easier to meet and ignore a law that doesn't mean anything anyway.