San Francisco May Regulate Blogging

Personal Democracy Forum ^ | 03/31/2005 - 3:15pm | Michael Bassik

[Brian Mosely]

Just when you thought the Federal Election Commission had it out for the blogosphere, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors took it up a notch and announced yesterday that it will soon vote on a city ordinance that would require local bloggers to register with the city Ethics Commission and report all blog-related costs that exceed $1,000 in the aggregate.

Blogs that mention candidates for local office that receive more than 500 hits will be forced to pay a registration fee and will be subject to website traffic audits, according to Chad Jacobs, a San Francisco City Attorney.

The entire Board is set to vote on the measure on April 5th, 2005. I wonder if they'll be forced to register their own blogs!

The legislation was written by Supervisor Sophie Maxwell.

So, I’ll do what I always do and issue a challenge!

Let’s all send quick e-mails – even just a sentence or two – to Supervisor Maxwell.

Encourage her to treat bloggers and cyber-citizens as she would treat traditional journalists and voters. When it comes to protecting our privacy and First Amendment rights, it shouldn’t matter what medium we use. Post your e-mails below so we can keep track!

[LA Conservative]

The People's Republic of San Fran on the march.

[coydog]

Who does this bimbo think she is?

[tet68]

City declares world FLAT!
News at 11.

[goldstategop]

Liberals want to extinguish freedom. 'Nother hare-brained idea coming out of the Bay Area. Watch What You Say And If You Don't, Expect A Visit From Big Brother!

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Carry_Okie]

Unbelievable.

I'll bet the fees don't cover the cost of the lawsuit.

[Killborn]

Can the Goovernator do anything about this? I'm pretty sure it's against the State Constitution, not to mention the US Constitution.

[CzarNicky]

If local blogger have to register won't that wipe out a lot of liberal bloggers? Is San Francisco really that stupid?

[FairOpinion]

Isn't there something about the constitutionality of this ordinance, it is in a collision course with the First Amendment.

[dervish]

Another sign that the name 'liberal' bears no relationship to the reality from the leftist nuts in SF.

[Pharmboy]

Who knew that they would beat the ChiComs at this!

[absalom01]

No wonder they want to confiscate the citizen's guns.

San Francisco Considers Handgun Ban

[lowbridge]

bump

[Rocky]

What about FREE SPEECH? Geez, what a bunch of wackos.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

In the liberals minds, they are exempt, ex specially the gays, we can be sure they will be protected.
This is a effort to shut the mouths and voices of the right/conservatives you can be sure of that.
Remember back in the 90's the HUSH RUSH champaign against talk show host ?
This is something we need to fight and vanquish, because if we don't, our freedoms will be gone in this country.

[Brad’s Gramma]

San Francisco and the word "ethics" do NOT belong in the same sentence!!!!

[BJungNan]

No one is going to get my traffic reports and I will write and report what I dang well please. Who do these people think they are?

[JWinNC]

I doubt it would apply to liberal bloggers... they would be classified as non-partisan think tanks, or freedom fighters or other such nonsense. You can smell the selective enforcement that would certainly follow this regulation.

jw

[Prophet in the wilderness]

You got that right.
Just like, Christianity and feminism don't mix or don't belong in the same sentence.