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How can a town endorse a blog?

4/12/08 When, yesterday, I wrote the following I wanted to be restrained and not overreact to my initial impression that there was something quite untoward about the town of Plympton endorsing Mary Tuft's "Gladys Kravitz" by not only referencing it as the only blog they included in their list of websites, but especially by calling it "educational and entertaining".

They (the town of Plympton) even have an official municipal anti-casino website with links to articles, and to various anti-casino and gambling education organizations, and also to CasinoFacts.org, CasinoFreeMass and to one blog, the Gladys Kravitz blog by Bridgewater resident Mary Tufts. They refer to her controversial blog which has come under fire for being in bad taste, for sarcasms and for mocking Middleboro town officials as "educational and entertaining!"

Yesterday we were driving to Plymouth through Plympton on the new four lane Route 44 and it occurred to me that there would be minimal impact on that town when the new resort casino opens. All I could think of was increased traffic on the expressway particularly after 10:00 PM.

I believe that this roadway was designed to lessen the noise of vehicles as it is set back from residences and has at least one large noise barrier.

I'm puzzled as to why Plympton officials like Joseph Frietas and John Henry have taken such a firm stand against the casino that they would submit a 14 page letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. (You can read the official letter from Plympton to the Bureau of Indian Affairs here. )

Of course that is merely my conundrum.

I don't know why they would go as far to complement a blog which I think has pushed up to and perhaps beyond the limits where a civil court would determine that it engaged in defamation of character against pro-casino individuals.

I can't imagine the Middleboro Board of Selectmen countenancing any such endorsement on any of its associated official websites.

Can you imagine the uproar from the casino opponents if any of Middleboro's official websites endorsed Casino-Friend.com?

In fact, most would agree that town websites should not only refrain from endorsing blogs or other websites, but they should stay neutral when it comes to reviewing and rating any town businesses from restaurants to dry cleaners.