I take a break from politics in the other Washington (DC) to observe those of my hometown’s city government. That would be Langley, Washington, population somewhere between 1,000 and 1200.

The town council meetings are lively at times—heated arguments over building an elevator, or maybe a funicular, from the harbor up the bluff to the town center. What changes should we allow to historic buildings? How do we manage parking in an increasingly crowded downtown? Should we allow portable food wagons within the city? If so, all year or just in the summer? And so on.

Recently, Langley has experienced a growing problem with our rabbit population. Some of the town’s citizens are irked because the bunnies enjoy munching on landscaping and vegetable plants in their yards. Many others defend the creatures.

The mayor says the town is not going to become involved in euthanizing or otherwise harming the bunnies. “It would upset too many of our citizens,” he says. He obviously knows which side his political bread is buttered on.

Too bad election to national public office requires the contributions of wealthy individuals in the billions of dollars. Otherwise, elected officials in the other Washington might listen to their less wealthy constituents the way our council members do to Langley’s citizens.