"The time is always right to do what's right."

-- Martin Luther King Jr.

Collinsville last year got heat for being one of the few metro-east cities that didn't observe the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. But the city's half measure this year makes no sense.

City Hall will be closed to the public on Monday for the holiday but the workers -- whose primary job is to serve the public -- will be at their desks. Doing what, we're not sure.

Both Mayor John Miller and City Manager Scott Williams believe that what they're doing is not enough. "We felt it was a good first step, since we've never closed City Hall and never really honored the holiday," Miller said. Williams said he agreed with critics "that the city's approach is not going far enough."

So if it should be a holiday, make it so. It's not like they haven't had time to consider how to do that. King's birthday has been observed as a federal holiday since 1986.

And if they believe it's too costly for Collinsville, they should have the courage to keep City Hall open and explain that rather than this farce of only closing the building.

Bottom line: Either celebrate the holiday or don't, but quit trying to have it both ways.