Posted under Politics
Annapolis Alderman Dave Cordle is proposing legislation banning “politics” from the city’s website, saying it should be a “handbook not a soapbox.” The Capital has the details:
Alderman David Cordle plans to introduce legislation that will banish political soapboxes from the city government’s corner of cyberspace, allowing only information that helps Annapolitans better access city services and follow official affairs.
Cordle, R-Ward 5, decided the law was necessary after a PowerPoint presentation by Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson that was critical of the city manager form of government appeared on the city’s Web site.
Cordle has identified a problem but picked the wrong solution. We shouldn’t ban the policy views of members of the city council from the website – this is useful information for all voters. Rather, we should simply make sure that official communications from the city and clearly delineated from the views of individual elected officials.
The United States Senate provides a model. If I want official information about the U.S. Senate, I go to senate.gov. If want to know the policy positions of Sen. Ben Cardin – from the Supreme Court nominee to the Chesapeake Bay, I got to cardin.senate.gov. Similarly, Alderwoman Finlayson should be able to publish her PowerPoint at finlayson.annapolis.gov.
A handbook is a static document that people put in a drawer and ignore. The city website should be a vibrant and dynamic resource for residents who care about the future of the city.
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