These are not 'Liberals'. Mitt Romney is a Liberal. The people running these jurisdictions are communists who call themselves "Progressives" .
Progressives believe that humans are all born as tabula rasa, blank slates, and the the role of nature vs nurture is virtually insignificant. They genuinely believe that an avante garde of politically pure (or correct, if you will), can, through control of language, culture, history and media, create some form of utopian society, can "progress" human civilization towards this utopia. Of course, in order to do this, they must control politics. They must control power in order to lead the unenlightened to the glorious future.
These local politicians on the Left Coast and in other Democratic Party strongholds are the lower orders, apparatchiks for the Party. But they have to evidence their power. They have to show off their command of the levers of power, especially after the phenomenal setback of the 2016 elections. They have to demonstrate "progress".
In this, they are mistaken. Because the fellow-travellers, useful idiots, and vassal classes can smell feces in the streets, can see homelessness rampant, can feel crime rates rising. And at some point, the fundamental failure of totalitarian progressivism, its key flaw, comes into play: human nature.
At some point, the suburban soccer mom cowed into obedience to the Party by fear of being called a "racist" drives into th city and her olfactory sense is assaulted, her sense of good order is offended, and she is relieved of her possessions by a " justice system involved person with a substance abuse history". And Hell hath no fury like Becky from the Burbs with poop on her Jimmy Choos and a stolen Pandora bracelet...
So, keep it coming Comrades. Let slip the Antifa scum. Unleash the Kraken of human waste. Tell us all that Johnny Meth-head is a stand-up member of society who really just needs a hug.Because at each and every step, the rule of law sounds more sensible, the Party that filibustered the Civil Rights Act calling everyone racist sounds more bizarre, and the Orange Abomination in the White House like a little more re-electable.