There’s a troubling realization dawning in Los Angeles: the City Council, under the leadership of its president, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, is waging an all-out assault on public participation. In a city of nearly four million people, the voices of ordinary Angelenos are being silenced, sidelined, and erased—both literally and figuratively.
It began with the quiet elimination of virtual testimony at committee meetings, a lifeline for residents unable to attend in person. Now, President Harris-Dawson is doubling down, cutting call-in options for full City Council meetings as well. This isn’t just a procedural tweak—it’s a calculated move to muzzle dissent and fortify the council against scrutiny.
Let’s call this what it is: a mockery of a travesty of two shams. The council’s treatment of the public process has devolved into farce. Take the city’s $12.8 billion budget. In the eyes of this council, it’s treated as a single item, and members of the public who wish to speak on it are capped at one minute. One minute to weigh in on a sprawling, complex document that dictates the city’s priorities, impacts millions of lives, and funds over 40 departments. It’s Orwellian.
Adding insult to injury, the council routinely fills its chambers with large groups to deflect genuine public scrutiny. These include unions, neighborhood associations, Black Lives Matter, and the Trans Latina Coalition.These groups deliver coordinated talking points, taking up every seat and serving, intentionally or not, as human bollards to block dissenting voices. If they understood their presence was being weaponized to suppress critical public oversight, they might reconsider their role in this charade.
Even if you manage to show up, the council ensures you’re invisible. Council Rule 93 mandates that cameras show all speakers equally, but dissenters are relegated to a barely discernible blur. You’ll appear no larger than the size of Bob Blumenfield’s nose on screen, erased from public view.
Meanwhile, the council’s mismanagement continues unchecked. In just six months, the city has spent more than double its $87 million annual liability budget. A significant portion of these payouts stems from settlements agendized for closed session but approved in open session in such a way that they deny comments from viewers like me, who know about the problem. It’s a blatant attempt to evade accountability while draining public coffers.
The solution? According to this council: longer vacations, fewer meetings, and more parties for insiders. It’s a cynical game, one that turns public service into private farce. And while President Harris-Dawson may think this playbook of obstruction will hold, history—and the appellate court—has proven otherwise.
Angelenos deserve better. They deserve transparency, accountability, and a seat at the table. It’s time to dismantle the bollards, restore public input, and hold this council to account before the farce becomes tragedy.
Eric Preven is a writer, producer, SoCal Journalism Award winner, who took on the Los Angeles City Council and won a pivotal battle for public transparency and the right to speak in the 2nd District Court of Appeal.