Monday, June 04, 2007

End the Great Dallas Blog Ban!

An apologetic county employee looking for information he'd read on Grits emails to let me know the Great Dallas Blog Ban is still in effect. If it was unintentional as John Wiley Price earlier declared, can anybody say why county employees' access to blogs hasn't been restored?

Note to Dallas County IT gurus: Though I try to answer all such inquiries, if you removed the blog ban your employees could find information on Grits and other blogs without a) waiting for an email response or b) bothering the writer. Would you ask the Dallas DA employees to email Ralph Blumenthal to read the article about their boss in the New York Times? Just a thought.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Edinburg School Dist. Where Aaron Pena is from banned Edinburg News.

I know the city employees can still read it.

But to censor Edinburg News is just terrible

Anonymous said...

Did anyone ever get any details on *which* blogs were banned?

I know Kuffner was asking whether it was just Blogspot and Typepad blogs, which seems logical; I am sort of interested, though, in finding if there was some partisan leaning to the blogs that have been blocked.

Anonymous said...

The control freaks that run Dallas County believe they can hide all their dirty little secrets by blocking the free exchange of information between Dallas Co employees and the free world. I don't necessarily include Dallas Co. as part of the free world because, in many ways, it more closely resembles that which is found in some of today's totalitarian third-world regimes. We are starting to come out of our shell, however. Dallas Morning News editors, for years, killed reporters' stories when they exposed corruption among priviledged local elites. Reporters couldn't touch these "sacred cows" and, since The News is the only paper in town, the sacred ones were able to operate with impunity. Times are a changing, though. Once the owners and editors of the paper figured out that bland news stories don't sell papers-which meant falling profits-they reluctantly started tackling the tough stories. Blogging blocks won't stop employees from exposing corruption. We know where the bodies are buried and the principal blog blocker will soon find himself in the news. Stay tuned...

Anonymous said...

Why don't you file an open records request on the county and ask for -

- a copy of the blocking policy?

- a copy of the list of sites being blacklisted or blocked?

Avi S. Adelman
BarkingDogs.org

Jaime Kenedeño said...

We have the same problem down here in Corpus Christi with Del Mar College.

The problem is the cliques that are benefiting from the preferential treatment and those who benefit from keeping secrets are having the light shined on their actions. Now, they want to blame and eradicate "the problem".

The Cliques are the Problem.

At Del Mar the faculty can no longer receive emails from outside the College and if the visit outside websites their JOB opportunities are modified.

Here is one of the sites forbidden.

http://delmarhousekeeping.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Thats great that Edinburg News was banned. The blog is nothing but lies and slander. The rep. has done great things for south Texas and we don't need a slanderous website defaming prominent people of our community.

Anonymous said...

Why do you say E-News is lies and slander? Cause i'm telling the truth?

Aaron Pena rented an apartment for his 16 yr old son. Because his current wife couldn't handle him? TRUE

Aaron Pena has a police report on an assault charge on his first wife? TRUE

Aaron Pena writes hot checks? TRUE

Aaron Pena voted for Craddick? TRUE

So where are the lies and slander?

Aaron needs to get out while he's on top.

Anonymous said...

How about Burnt Orange Report, 5:55, Rep Pena banned them from his blogroll too. Are they nothing but lies and slander? How is it that everybody - Edinbug News, Grits, BOR, Senfronia Thompson, Rodney Ellis, all of them are liars about Pena, according to him, and only he behaves honorably? That's really a stretch, don't you think?

Anonymous said...

First, Pena rented for his eldest son.

Second, E-news is nothing but lies and hate

Third, why would Pena go with the Dems. speaker candidate when the Dems. gave the Valley the Chile?

E-news = lawsuit..real soon!

Anonymous said...

All the Valley reps. voted for Craddick because the Dems. gave the Valley a bunch of promises and ZERO dollars.

Anonymous said...

If you want to criticize Edingburg News why don't you go to their blog? I still didn't hear an answer as to whether Grits, BOR, Senfronia Thompson and Rodney Ellis are all liars, too?

As for Valley Democrats backing Craddick, some of them did, but most like Lucio had the cojones at the end of session to admit they were wrong and call for a new Speaker. No amount of pork is worth throwing representative democracy out the window, I don't care how many zoos or new DPS stations you fund.

Anonymous said...

Grits, BOR, Senfronia Thompson and Rodney Ellis are all liars, too?

I believe these people are just angry because the poorest area in the Nation are finally getting the funding they deserve.

Houston, Dallas, Austin stop crying that Valley Reps. are controlling public policy for the first time in Texas History!

Its funny that a dictator like Craddick sees the light that the Democratic leadership never did.

Jaime Kenedeño said...

"Thats great that Edinburg News was banned."

You must have your nose suck way up Pena's a$$.

Censorship, why?

What are you afraid of?

A few words for Big Head Pena; there is no I in team.

I see Grits has him rated highly when it comes to "key criminal justice and civil liberties issues facing the state" but he did nothing for his constituents and they (his constituents) are being censored.

How un-american can you get.

As far as slander (Libel) why dont Aaron Defend himself? I bet Shane one day will admit how he watched Aaron's big head grow.

Besides Aaron sucked on Craddick from the get go.

A comment from another local who supported Pena:



CorpusChristiCouncilWatch said...

Sadly, Pena stepping aside would be best for his constituents.

His poor judgment in supporting Craddick earned him a committee leadership position he didn't earn or deserve, and -- in retrospect -- which he was unable to handle.

Pena blew it on the innocence commission, and the worst part is that some in the ledge are saying he threw that important piece of legislation under the bus in an act of political revenge for a personal slight to Pena (it was the most important bill his committee considered all session).

Add to this list the fact that Pena missed the key voting rights vote.

I supported him like crazy earlier in his career, and I used to enjoy his blog, but he's gone so far off the path now that there's no turning back.


There are many more.

Censorship and suck ups truly a disgrace.

Jaime Kenedeño said...

BUT>>>>>>>>

I went to the Edinburg News and wanted to respond to the piece titled:

Where Does Aaron Pena Live?

Owner ID: O595631
Owner Name: PENA, L ARON JR & MONICA
Owner Address: 3101 LAKESHORE DR
EDINBURG,TX 78539-7734
Property Address: 3101 LAKESHORE DR
EDINBURG, TX

This would put him in Veronica's district. Also a neighbor of Richard Garcia (former mayor)


This website does not allow comments and Pena only lets through what his Vanity and Craddick will allow.

Censorship is for prevaricators and puppets who are afraid to compete in a fair and just manner.

Jaime Kenedeño said...

Now my point on the residence is; this property is not claimed as a HOMESTEAD.

Where is his homestead for purposes of elections district / jurisdiction matters.

Gritsforbreakfast said...

yd - nobody here is jealous about the Valley's pork barrel money, and I'm sure Ellis and Thompson don't care either. My criticisms are of Pena's criminal justice policy stances as committee chairman.

Anonymous said...

Although one cannot pull up Grits on the Dallas Co. system, one can easily access JohnWileyPrice.com, the fundraising website for the Wiley man's 2008 re-election bid. Come on Grits fans, start donating your hard earned cash for this stalwart champion of Free Speech. The people cannot afford to lose this mighty steward of the commissioner's court.

Anonymous said...

Rather nice place you've got here. Thanks for it. I like such themes and everything connected to this matter. BTW, why don't you change design :).