Kootenai County blog ban lifted

Kootenai County Clerk Dan English thinks Web logs are an important new way to communicate with voters and track public sentiment about county services. That’s why he objected this week after the county commission banned him and other county employees from viewing a popular local political blog.

English often posts comments about elections and voting procedures at Huckleberries Online, the blog maintained by Spokesman-Review columnist Dave Oliveria.

In a letter to commissioners Wednesday, English said they had no authority to block another elected official from the Web site.

“I can’t imagine that the public feels it is within the rights of one public officer to tell them (members of the public) how they can converse with another elected official,” English wrote, adding, “I believe it is poor public policy.”

This week, Commissioners Katie Brodie and Rick Currie reversed their initial support of the ban, which was specific to Huckleberries Online. County employees can access the blog again.

Commission Chairman Gus Johnson said he still doesn’t believe it’s appropriate for county employees to look at or comment on blogs, specifically Huckleberries Online, while at work. Johnson also disagrees with English and said the commission has control of all Internet and computers in the county, even those used by other elected officials.

English wants the steering committee that reviews county policies governing computer use to come up with more specific guidelines for accessing blogs and other Internet sites.

English, a member of the steering committee, said that one specific concern is with county employees posting comments on blogs using aliases instead of their real names. If someone wants to post a comment using a county computer during work hours, he said, they should use their name, just as he does.

“That should self-correct any abuses,” English said.

The commission isn’t opposed to the steering committee making recommendations, but neither Brodie nor Johnson thinks any changes are needed to the policy. Brodie said she thinks the policy is clear, and that’s why she sent it to all county employees Thursday in a memo clarifying that access to local blogs was restored for “appropriate use as seen fit by supervisors, department heads and elected officials.”

She didn’t explain why she initially agreed to ban Huckleberries Online.

“I can’t answer that,” she said.

Johnson verbally ordered the county’s information systems director to block the blog May 25, two days after voters in the Republican primary kicked him and Brodie out of office.

The defeat became a highlighted discussion on Huckleberries Online, with the public posting comments and photos speculating why the commissioners lost and poking fun at Johnson for refusing to comment to the local media.

The decision to ban the blog – www.spokesmanreview.com/blogs/hbo – was made by all three commissioners. Johnson said employees also aren’t allowed to access Idaho Lottery numbers.

He said the commission was tired of the “character assassination” on the blog. Johnson also said that The Spokesman-Review was allowing the publication of “hurtful” actions against him on its Web site.

“I feel it’s unfair and actually revengeful,” Johnson said in an interview Tuesday, his first since his defeat. “No human should have to go through that.”

Currie said he initially agreed because he thought employees were abusing the privilege of using the Internet. He changed his mind Tuesday, saying that employees do have the ability to access the blog on their breaks and lunches.

Brodie said she reversed her stance because the whole issue was “taking on a life of its own.”

“There’s a lot bigger issues in the county,” she said.