The Seattle City Council voted yesterday to revise the city's taxicab regulations to permit cabbies to drive their taxis wearing costumes.

Some will ridicule this. But it doesn't bother me that the City Council devotes its time to so trivial a matter. Better this than, say, spending large amounts of the taxpayers' money on worthless nonsense, or offering safe harbor to criminal aliens. Besides, anytime a legislature unshackles the people from pointless infringements on their liberties, it can only be a good thing.

On the other end of the spectrum, the newly inaugurated loony-toons members of the Seattle School Board want to tighten the shackles of bondage on the city's children who are trapped in failing schools: They are considering taking a formal position against charter schools.