Blogs Banned for Kentucky Employees

By: State employees will no longer be able to access a political weblog that has criticized Gov. Ernie Fletcher and other Kentucky politicians.

The weblog, www.bluegrassreport.org, was among Internet sites to which state government recently denied employees access. State officials this week blocked various categories of Web sites, including those dealing with entertainment, online auctions, humor and blogs.

But Mark Nickolas, operator of the bluegrassreport site, said he believes his site was targeted for its political content -- some of which has been critical of the Fletcher administration. Nickolas has blasted Fletcher and his administration during the ongoing personnel investigation and was quoted this week in a national newspaper criticizing the governor.

?It?s outrageous, it shows that we are in the people?s republic of Kentucky now -- that government will block political speech that it does not approve of,? Nickolas said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. ?I think it just shows that Governor Fletcher continues to lead the gang that couldn?t shoot straight. Rather than provide us the unvarnished truth, they would rather block state workers from knowing what?s going on.?

However, the sites were blocked following a review that occurred nearly two weeks ago of those most accessed by state government, state Finance Cabinet spokeswoman Jill Midkiff said. State officials were not targeting particular sites, but entire categories to prevent inappropriate employee access, and the timing was coincidental, Midkiff said.

?It?s not any particular site,? Midkiff said, adding that the total number of sites involved in the recent action was ?voluminous.?
Fletcher spokeswoman Jodi Whitaker referred questions about the action to Midkiff.

State officials began restricting employees? Web surfing through a subscription service called ?Webwasher? nearly two years ago, Midkiff said. Employees would still be allowed to access newspaper sites, daily weather reports and ?things they need to have access to,? Midkiff said.

Employees who feel they should be viewing some of the blocked sites could also appeal, she said. The restriction took effect Tuesday, Midkiff said.

Nickolas, who was U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler?s campaign manager, said his site gets about 25,000 visits per week. About 10 percent of his site?s visitors are from state government computers, Nickolas estimated.

His site has been critical of Fletcher, a Republican, during the ongoing attorney general?s investigation that resulted in Fletcher?s indictment on misdemeanor charges of political discrimination, official misconduct and conspiracy. Fletcher, who issued a sweeping pardon to administration officials other than himself, has pleaded not guilty.

A Franklin County special grand jury investigating the allegations that protected state jobs went to Fletcher?s political allies has returned a total of 29 indictments in the case -- 14 of which remain sealed.

?It?s not like they?re viewing pornography here,? Nickolas said. ?This is political speech, this is information about our government and both political parties. I don?t discriminate against political parties here.?

Charles Wells, executive director of the Kentucky Association of State Employees, said state employees should not be accessing any Web sites that aren?t work-related during business hours. But when they?re not working -- either before or after work or on breaks -- state employees should be allowed to look at the sites.

?There?s nothing inappropriate on that site that should merit the state blocking it,? Wells said. ?Unfortunately it is their system. But I think, as always, this administration is spending too much time on political motivations versus the good of the taxpayer.?