Which community serves as the county seat, is strongly influenced by a local Kiwanis chapter, has a modest web site designed for a princely price by Civic Plus, covers less than 14 square miles, has a population of approximately 20,000 citizens, per capita income under $20,000, and an administration that doesn't admire bloggers and disdains FOIA?
A) Christiansburg, VA
B) Portsmouth, OH
C) Both
If you answered C, you got it right.
Portsmouth's mayor has a quite a mouth, too, and apparently forgot the motto "Where Southern Hospitality Begins." Maybe Mayor Jim Kalb didn't know how to spell h-o-s-t-i-l-i-t-y or maybe they have great hospitals there and he got confused. The biggest difference between Christiansburg and Portsmouth appears to be that the latter reverted to a mayor-styled leadership from the manager-style back in 1988.
Actually, administrative "outrage" over people using the internet to share opinions or report on public business as being a nuisance or intimidating cuts a wide swath. Some individuals just seem to chafe at the greater level of public accountability and immediacy these new forums provide.
Other examples range from Salisbury, MD all the way to Barnet, North East London, England. Guess that takes the "Progressive" out of small town blogger's sails? Nah.
Hat tip to Two Burgs for sharing.