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 Post subject: Cal City Official Cries Foul Over Comments
PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 7:13 am 
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Bwaaaaaa...sounds a lot like Sprinkles.
The Times wrote:
CALUMET CITY | Fifth Ward Alderman Roger Munda publicly took aim Thursday at an entity he thinks has been unfair to his colleagues in Calumet City government: the largely anonymous group of people who post comments on the news stories published at NWI.com.

Munda said during Thursday's City Council meeting that he thought much of the commentary posted about the activity of the City Council is unfair.

"We are all working collectively, very diligently, to try to solve our city’s problems," he said. "We are all very concerned about the people who hide behind the curtain of the Internet."

Munda, who was elected last year to his first term as an alderman, objects to the comments that readers are allowed to post at the end of stories as a way of encouraging a discussion on the issues.

A recent string of reader comments connected to the story about the eight Calumet City police officers laid off from their jobs included accusations that the mayor’s family and relatives of aldermen were having their city jobs protected.

One reader went so far as to call 4th Ward Alderman Brian Wilson as a "midget" who "sits on a phone book" during City Council meetings, while another wrote the reason police were being laid off was "so the politicians can conduct their criminal activity."

Munda said such comments bothered him because he thought his colleagues were behaving properly.

"There is no secret what we are going through," Munda said, adding that he may start his own blog that would allow him to criticize the critics.

Robert Blaszkiewicz, the new media coordinator for The Times, said the Web site does not preview comments prior to posting, but does require people register before adding their opinions to the site.

On a typical day, the site gets between 600 and 700 comments.

Those same people who are registered to post comments also have the ability to report inappropriate comments to the site’s editors, who can then remove offensive comments.

"We rely on our readers and users to help us monitor the comments," Blaszkiewicz said.

Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush said she approved of Munda’s statements.

"I don’t read (the reader comments), but evidently we have all taken hits lately," she said, denouncing the commentors as, "cowards who hide behind the Internet."

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 Post subject: Re: Cal City Official Cries Foul Over Comments
PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 8:26 am 
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Funny how politicians of a certain ilk hate the Internet.
Guess what? You're going to have to deal with it, it ain't going away.
I know public involvement with the issues makes life a bit hard for politicos, but that's the way things are supposed to work.
The new technology just makes it easier for citizens to get involved. They can read the news online, and comment on it without having to troop down to City Hall. I love it!

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 Post subject: Re: Cal City Official Cries Foul Over Comments
PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 8:34 am 
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Would the REAL Brian Wilson please (try to) stand up...
ImageImage

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 Post subject: Re: Cal City Official Cries Foul Over Comments
PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:56 am 
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"We are all very concerned about the people who hide behind the curtain of the Internet."

So even if those comments were made during a PE session (assuming Cal City has one) would it make those concerns any less valid?

I get the frustration of being bombarded with numerous comments except that elected leaders have "microphone & media access" that the average person does not. But they also may choose to post comments/ responses right back just like anybody else.

I realize that special interest groups may at times try to portray support or opposition in a false perception of numbers, but in Hammond haven't we had a number of people comment during PE who basically just tried to recite the Wes Miller mantras? If nobody shows up to say otherwise you'd think the whole town was in lockstep support of the entire Miller agenda.

This story seems to me to be more about government having the desire to control or ignore public opposition. But government already has ample opportunity to do that and some citizens find their only opportunity to weigh in and be heard at all through internet postings. The core principles at stake here are the foundation for the 1st Amendment to the Constitution.

True there is at times abuse of the often afforded anonymity to post outlandish claims with little or no proof. Just because you aren't hearing it doesn't mean that people aren't necessarily talking about it. No different than talking to your neighbor except for the opportunity for many more "neighbors" to be connected at the same time. So to that extent maybe it's better to have such comments voiced so that any misconceptions can be addressed by fact.

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 Post subject: Re: Cal City Official Cries Foul Over Comments
PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2010 8:10 am 
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hiding behind the internet? Why would that be?

I am hearing this more and more from our political arena...more and more each day we hear of ''regulating'' the internet.

WHY?

We saw what happened to Joe the Plumber for speaking his mind...

he asked a question on a video that spread across the internet in a matter of hours.

then all of the sudden Joe is subjected to background interrogation and smear tactics by the office of the POS of the US.

anything they could dig up on Joe so DUMBO could avoid having to confront the question Joe asked. A piss ant bullshit childish reaction by a narcissistic crybaby who had the full force of the national media at his beck and call...

but it shut Joe up didn't it?

I have even seen the same happening at the municipal level, first it's the fines for long grass and then, well you get the picture.

As far as I'm concerned if someone runs for PUBLIC OFFICE then PUBLIC SCRUTINY goes with the package and if THEY DO THE JOB THEY WERE ELECTED TO DO AND THEY TOOK AN OATH TO DO AND THAT THEY REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF ALL THE CITIZENSthere won't be any ''critics hiding behind the internet''.

It is as simple as that and if they aren't enough of an adult to understand it then they are in the wrong line of work.

Quote:
Democracy requires information, dictators require its control.


If these ''leaders'' happen to display it out of pride or out of vanity, I don't care which it is, but they need to take a good look at that flag that hangs in their office. Do they even have a clue what it represents? A lot of people died for the right to criticize them or praise them and vote them into office. Real leaders would ask themselves why the criticism and correct it and not point fingers. Real leaders look out for ALL the people they represent be it in the town hall or the battlefield. The people are not stupid, they know. You politicians ARE NOT ROYALTY...you are no better or no worse than they are. However it IS THEY who entrust in you the power to enforce our laws but you are expected to obey them as well. NOT use it as a response to criticism.

So I WELCOME ANY POLITICIAN who wishes to open a blog to respond to his/her critics. I for one promise to visit it often.

What better way to find out who your elected officials really are.

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