Mayor Dave Cieslewicz recently started a blog on the city's website, at cityofmadison.com/mayor/blog. But Ald. Brenda Konkel says it's unfair that the mayor can use city resources to blog, when alders can't.
"It's just frustrating," says Konkel, who notes that city policy prohibits anyone from using its website for blogging. "I don't mind if they changed the rules. It just would have been nice if they had informed all of us."
Sarah Edgerton, the city's webmaster, says the city bans blogging because it doesn't have the staff to moderate comments.
But since Mayor Dave's blog doesn't allow comments, it's okay. "What the mayor is doing is not a true blog," says Edgerton.
The city may let alders have "blogs" on the website, too, if they follow the same simplified format. Edgerton says the city is revising its policy.
Konkel wonders whether any politician should use city resources to blog, since it could be considered electioneering. "Every post you'd have to think, is this something intended to help my next campaign?" she says. "There's going to be a chance for a conflict of interest."
