Late on the Google crushes the little guy story.
Here's the short version. Claremont Insider gets city pay information and posts it. Without personal information, SS numbers etc. The city complains to Google. The First Amendment forgetting company folds. And all sorts of blogosphere and newspaper fun ensues. It's even picked up by Instapundit.
UPDATE:why indeed.
Google's action are certainly part of the story, but the real issue is why the City Attorney took the action she did? The records, as the Supreme Court recently stated, are clearly public information. How could the City attorney threaten legal action without the authorization of the City Council? They are charged with making such a decision on behalf of the City and yet no record exists that they met with the City Attorney to authorize such action? Did they meet secretly? Was a serial meeting held? Lots of questions still unanswered...
From my experience, some city attorneys are often prompted to do things by single council members without a majority decision. Inappropriate, but it's done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTpw_y8Q7n