Should elected officials use private email to do state business? ?
From Alaska Daily News:
“[Governor] Palin routinely uses a private Yahoo e-mail account to conduct state business. Others in the governor’s office sometimes use personal e-mail accounts too.”
Even before the McCain campaign plucked Palin from Alaska, a controversy was brewing over e-mails in the governor’s office. Was the administration trying to get around the public records law through broad exemptions or private e-mail accounts? Activists, still fighting to obtain hundreds of e-mails that were withheld from public records requests earlier this year, say that’s what it looks like.â€
http://www.adn.com/sarah-palin/story/526281.html
Gov. Sarah Palin is using flimsy grounds for withholding potentially embarrassing e-mails from a political supporter-turned-critic.
Former Republican candidate Andree McLeod has appealed the governor’s decision to withhold or redact some e-mails and other state records. She’s seeking the records in a dispute about the Palin administration’s recruiting and hiring decisions.â€
http://www.adn.com/opinion/sarah-palin/story/525455.html
What do you think: Is it okay for state officials to use private email accounts to conduct state business?
campaignmonitor.com
Posted on March 23rd, 2009 in Politics |
March 24th, 2009 at 12:24 am
no, they shouldnt. Should Presidents use the oval office to get BJ’s from interns?
March 25th, 2009 at 2:08 am
I think the lawyers should duke it out. An allegation is not a fact proven. I mean if it turns out these e-mails were private business, the public in not entitled to them.
For example, I’m not a public official, but I communicate with a couple local ones who are friends and our e-mails are personal. I don’t know how closely they monitor their various accounts. I think we are turning into a rabid people if we automatically believe people are always lying when they say “this is personal.” Our government officials should get the same rights as we give our accused, should they not?
I would think an arbitrator who is bound by the privilege could look at the e-mails in question and quickly determine the nature of them.
March 25th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
The state of Alaska no doubt can afford an official email system. No, governors should not be conducting state business over yahoo.
Despite all the flaws of McCain and Palin, I still prefer them over Senator Barack Obama.
If the Democrats had nominated Biden and the Republicans had nominated Huckabee or someone else like that, creationist type, I’d of course vote for Biden, even Richardson, maybe Edwards.
I can’t in good conscience vote for a man whose expirience is giving speeches. Yeah law school professor and all that, but realistically, the man’s been giving speeches for the last four years, thats not a qualification for President.
Thank you.
March 29th, 2009 at 7:22 am
As a former public official , I can assure you that anything, ANYthing one does in an official capacity is public information. I don’t care if you used smoke signals.