Ah small town politics…and blogs don’t mix, some would want us all to think. NOT. It is always the people’s right to know what is happening within the walls of the local Town Hall building.

My town selectman Jim Dannis is under fire once again. Much of this is about his blog. Where he actually shares information. And ideas. And some DON’T like it.

MILFORD, N.H. — Selectman Jim Dannis opened his blog two weeks ago to find a comment from a contributor named “LIB.”

“LIB” wondered why the town, at a time when obesity is a health issue for many Americans, had chosen a photograph for its voters guide cover that showcased Police Department employees whom “LIB” described as “obese.”

Dannis said he believed the comment by “LIB,” whose identity he said he does not know, raised a public health issue, so he did not screen it out and publicly posted it on the blog, or journal on the Web, that he created to discuss town issues.

Thus ensued a nasty dustup in the rural southern New Hampshire town, where some residents have called the blog posting a cruel and insensitive attack on town employees, while others have cried free speech and labeled blog critics Luddites.

The clash’s intensity highlights the impact of blogs in small towns, where the political is personal, and the Web’s immediacy can churn online chatter into real-life feuds faster than a blogger can hit the refresh button.

Oh come on now! Are these public servants or little children here? Sticks and stones- does it ring a bell people? And the media needs to get with the times and identify the correct terms when it comes to blogs. A comment was left, pointing out the picture of FAT people who work for my town…this was a COMMENT, not a BLOG POST. Sheesh. People who leave comments are trying to maintain a dialog with the blog owner…in this case, a town selectman. If these comments were blocked we would hear cries of censorship. You can’t have it both ways. Also in small towns, leaving a NAME can be a BAD thing. Really. This irks some, who have little understanding of how blogs work.

My town is riddled with politics…and the talk at the diners and small cafes is abuzz with recent election results. One thing about blogs- people who have something to share will DO SO. Freedom of speech is alive and well in the blogosphere and so many are threatened by this. Another Selectman lost his bid…and people here are trying to explain WHY. Larry Picket had his own blog.
From my local paper:

MILFORD — One objected to airing the town’s “dirty laundry.” Another used the word “troublemaker.” A third referred to “distrust and turmoil.”

They are voters explaining why they believe that Mike Putnam won such an overwhelming victory against incumbent Selectman Larry Pickett last week, lambasting him 1,465-566.

“I would have voted for anybody against Larry Pickett,” said Pauline Boggis as she ate breakfast at the Café on the Oval on Monday. “He’s been a troublemaker.”

“There’s been nothing but distrust and turmoil since (Pickett has) been on (the board). People are sick and tired of it,” said Al Hart, who said he liked Pickett personally but voted for Putnam.

There was general agreement that since Pickett was joined on the board last March by Selectman Jim Dannis, there has been an air of distrust and disdain for municipal workers, and voters didn’t like it.

Boggis, for instance, said the duo had been “nasty” to Selectman Noreen O’Connell, whom she described as “a sweetheart.”

And Mike Cardoza, owner of Cardoza Flooring on the Oval, was incensed at the posting by Dannis on his Internet blog revealing Putnam’s seven-year-old bankruptcy. Up until that posting, Caroza had resisted a request from Putnam to put a pro-Putnam sign in his store window. But after reading The Cabinet’s story about the blog posting, he put one up.

Why shouldn’t people know of the bankruptcy? It is relevant. It is noteworthy. Why did some people go to great lengths to hide this? If they didn’t think it would matter, after all.

Now for some harsh reality:
As for town employees who didn’t like Picket…no one likes to be held accountable when they’ve been in a cushy job for decades.
People resent it when a new boss comes on board and tries to set some standards. New ideas and expectations always rattle those who are set in their ways. The duo of Dannis and Picket tried to be accountable to the citizens of my town. But old habits are hard to break. And the level of resentment is high. Change is difficult. But needed.

Citizens of my town love it here; they are hard workers (for the most part). They deserve to know what is happening at the local level of government. This includes the silly stuff- the nit picks and dirty laundry so often tossed into the fray. It’s these small things that drastically alter how the big things turn out. I expect my town leaders to be professionals. To look out for the best interests of this town and it’s people. I want to know my tax bucks are being used in good ways, with common sense. It’s not too much to ask for…The blogs are one tool to be used to show us what’s happening.