California County News

Extreme Makeover Website Contest: Local Governments Invited to Enter; Deadline Dec. 9th

Is your county website in need of a major makeover? Well, then you’re in luck, as government website developer CivicPlus is inviting cities and counties from all over America to enter into the Extreme Website Makeover Contest. There will be 11 grand-prize winners selected that will receive a free redesign and functional upgrade of their official government website.

The entry deadline is Friday, December 9, 2011 and city and county government officials are invited to complete a brief entry form found on CivicPlus' website here.

Ward Morgan, founder and president of CivicPlus, commented the following about the contest:

“The tight economy has been choking city and county government budgets for years. As a result, many municipalities have put off making much-needed changes and upgrades to their websites, which ultimately translates into less service, less communication and less convenience for their citizens. The Extreme Makeover Contest is our way to give back to local communities and demonstrate how yesterday's government website can be transformed into today's community engagement platform."

Winning entries will be notified December 16, 2011.

E-Government Survey Shows 67% of Local Governments Use Social Media

The International City/County Management Association recently conducted an e-government survey to see how local governments are putting technology into practice. Based on the results, 97 percent of local governments have an official website and 95% permit individual departments to have web pages on the local government site. Only 27 percent of local governments use cloud computing, and of those respondents, 67% use it for software applications. Here are some highlights from the survey:

• 48% of local governments have a formal information technology plan
• 59% report a separate technology department
• 50% provide streaming video and  59% percent use e-alerts
• Citizen access to local government and access to information are cited as the major reasons for e-government applications
• 86% say e-government has improved customer service and 24% say it has reduced administrative costs
• When it comes to financing e-government, 78% say there is no separate budget item for e-government
• 67% use social media

Read more on the survey here.

Social Media Detective Work: San Joaquin Sheriff’s Dept Uses Facebook for Cold Cases

There are over 500 million active Facebook users, and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department has decided to tap into the social network’s popularity in order to help authorities solve cases that have long remained inactive. So the Sheriff’s Department has created a Facebook page that features unsolved murders and missing person information so that users can possibly provide missing details on cases that have remained unresolved, i.e. cold cases. Assistant Sheriff John Huber first reportedly came up with the idea as a way to bring attention to cases that may otherwise continue to go unnoticed. Steps to embrace technology arguably can put such tools to good use for authorities who need all the help they can get in obtaining information on cold cases, such as unresolved murders. Lodi News reports:

“The Facebook page is part of a broader effort by the Sheriff’s Department to use technology and social media as a way for the community to help thwart crime. Earlier this year, the Department set up a text message tip line called Text-A-Tip. The service allows citizens to text information to the department anonymously by sending a text to CRIMES (274637). There is also a Sheriff’s Department Twitter account (@SJSHERIFF), although Department spokesman Les Garcia said there have yet to be any ‘tweets.’ But that hasn’t stopped 354 users from following the feed as of Tuesday. ‘By embracing today’s technology, social networking gives our citizens an opportunity to help us with our continuing pursuit of solving cases and bringing justice to the citizens of this county,’ Sheriff Steve Moore said in a statement.”

While other police agencies around the country have reportedly started using social networking, using it for cold cases remains appears to be a fresh idea. By keeping such cases alive, authorities hope the social networking site will be effective, especially since many younger people may not read traditional news sources. Lodi News reports that the Facebook page currently “features important information and photos about cases. Currently on the page is a photo of Tracy Melton, a missing 32-year-old Stockton woman who was last seen at a methadone clinic in 1998.” For more, see here. View the Sheriff's page here.

CountyNews Wants You! Social Media is Your Friend, So Be Our Friend Too…

Social media has its share of supporters and detractors, but here at CaliforniaCountyNews we’re pleased to have greater engagement with our readers through Facebook and Twitter. This summer we’ve taken steps to have a more active presence on such social media platforms and we hope you’ll join us in our pursuit to offer more access and avenues of information. If you haven’t already, you might want to take the time to become a “fan” of CountyNews on Facebook, as you’ll receive an update each time our twice-weekly newsletter has been sent out as well as updates about new job board postings and any other breaking news we may have to share. You can also become a follower on our Twitter feed if you want even more up-to-date info on when individual blog articles have been posted to the web site.

Finally, if you’re a fan of political videos and love viewing all the latest ads, gaffes, and campaign-related entertainment, then you might be interested in becoming a “fan” on Facebook of our sister-site Poliflicks. Through Facebook you can receive a “Video of the Day” update that will keep you in the know regarding all the latest political videos…

So hop aboard the social media train along with us, and thanks for your continued support.

~The CaliforniaCountyNews Team

Rules for the 21st Century: FPPC to Adopt Regulations for Online Activity after Election

Earlier this month we relayed that the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) was weighing how political activity on FaceBook, twitter, YouTube, and other similar sites should be regulated. The question being grappled with is whether updates and announcements through these mediums should be held to the same standards as paid advertising. The commission recently met to discuss the issue of regulating online political advertising and reached the conclusion that rules should indeed be proposed for online activity. As it stands right now, political ads online do not have to issue any disclosure as to who is actually paying for the ad. The Chronicle reports that FPPC Commissioner Elizabeth Garrett said, “What we try to do here is ensure that the voters of California know who is behind paid political communications on the Internet so they can make informed decisions. Unless there is something to hide, I do not see how that can be objectionable in any context.”

In addition to regulation of Internet activity, the FPPC is also set to expand rules on disclosing an ad’s backers, even if the ad does not explicitly direct voters to chose one candidate over another. Directing voters to explicitly support one candidate is considered “express candidacy” and is triggered by the so-called “magic words” like “vote for” or “reject.” The FPPC’s Chairman, Dan Schnur, wrote an op-ed for Capitol Weekly on the issue of expanded regulations. Schnur writes the following:

“When groups engage in express advocacy, they have to periodically report where they got their money and include this on their ads.  The same is not required for issue advocacy. But recently, the US Supreme Court determined in Citizens United v FEC that either those magic words, or their “functional equivalent,” which “is susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than as an appeal to vote for or against a specific candidate” can trigger this campaign disclosure. Here the intent of the communication is to motivate you to vote for or against someone, even if it doesn’t explicitly tell you to vote.”

However, any changes implemented will not take effect until after this November’s election.  You can read more here and the rest of the op-ed here.

Sign of the Times: FPPC Considers Regulating Pol. Activity on the Internet

The Guardian recently reported that the 20 billionth message was recently sent on Twitter since the micro-blogging site launched back in 2006. The popularity of the site has soared in recent years and Twitter and other social media websites have become a major player in political campaigns. As a result, the Fair Political Practices Commission is weighing how political activity on FaceBook, twitter, YouTube, and other similar sites should be regulated. Should updates and announcements through these mediums be held to the same standards as paid advertising? That appears to be the conclusion in a report released by the FPPC earlier this week. FPPC Chairman Dan Schnur noted that new technology should be reflected in the 36-year-old Political Reform Act, meaning it needs to be rewritten. The Chronicle reports that Schnur said the following of making changes:

“Our goal here is to meet the new challenges of 21st Century technology. There's no way that the authors of the act could have anticipated that these of types of communicating a campaign message would ever exist.”

Full disclosure of who is actually writing tweets or messages may prove difficult, though it’s possible that tweets and texts could be required to link to a website that includes full disclosures. If such regulations are passed, it would be the first time they would be applied to Internet communications. In other recommendations the watchdog agency made, it also noted that voters should be able to know who’s paying for an ad, even if the ad does not contain words like “vote for” or “vote against.” The commission’s next meeting is August 12th, when these issues will be discussed.  Read more here.
 

reThinkCali: Virtual Constitutional Convention Encourages New Ideas for Reforming CA

Within the hellish landscape of banality made ubiquitous by social media and much of the Internet in general, one is free to debate the merits/practicality of a new web site called reThinkCali.com, which has been created to use twitter in crafting a new state constitution; in other words, participants can engage in a virtual constitutional convention. While it’s far from easy to articulate well-formed thoughts and points within Twitter’s word limits per post, the effort’s proponents hope that Californians can work together through such technology to engage in ideas about how the state’s governing process can be improved. Anthony Rubenstein, a Los Angeles-based social entrepreneur who is the brainchild of the effort, stated:

“We’re going to unleash the spirit of invention and out-of-the-box thinking that has made California the global engine of economic and cultural innovation. By using California’s new media tools like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to throw open the gates, we want to encourage everyone with an idea to fix what ails us to get involved, get heard, and get rewarded.”

The rewards refer to incentives including prizes, scholarships and “stardom” for participants’ contributions. Games and challenges will be used to spur ideas, ratings, and comments. This project stems from the New Ameirca Foundation. Mark Paul, Senior Scholar and Deputy Director of New America’s California program, stated, “The New America Foundation’s California program is dedicated to finding new voices with new solutions for our state. For us, reThinkCali is an innovative way to bring those new voices into the conversation.”You’ll recall that recently there was a ballot measure that would have called for a constitutional convention in Sacramento, but if failed to gather enough signatures. You can visit the web site here.

Government Web Sites Put to Good Use by Increasing Number of Americans

According to a recent Pew study, a growing number of Americans are relying on the use of government services provided online, whether it’s finding information, paying a parking ticket, or renewing a driver’s license, among other activities. In fact, according to the report, 61 percent of adults in the U.S. looked up information or made a transaction on a government Web site in the past year. You can view the results of the poll here. Some of the highlights of the study’s findings include:

• 48% of internet users have looked for information about a public policy or issue online with their local, state or federal government
• 41% have downloaded government forms
• 33% have renewed a driver’s license or auto registration
• 23% have gotten information about or applied for government benefits

Also of note from the study is that 31 percent of those polled said they also use blogs, social-networking sites, online video, and e-mail and text alerts to keep tabs on the government’s activities. Aaron Smith, a research specialist at the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, said the following of the results:

“Government interactions in the information age are often fueled by data. Online citizens can--and often do--'go to the source' in their efforts to monitor government activities, evaluate the impacts of new legislation, and track the flow of their tax dollars.”

View the findings here.

Media’s Request for Disclosure of iPhone Warrant Denied by San Mateo County Judge

While we relayed here about San Mateo County authorities being dragged into a spat between Apple and editors at Gizmodo who revealed the prototype of the company’s new iPhone, in recent news a judge in San Mateo has denied a request from media organizations to disclose the search warrant affidavit that was used to justify the search of a Gizmodo editor’s home. By purchasing a new iPhone prototype that was mistakenly left at a bar by an Apple software engineer, Gizmodo angered the software giant by dishing out details on its upcoming release. A legal brief was filed by CNET, the Associated Press, Bloomberg, the Los Angeles Times and other news organizations, but the District Attorney’s office opposed the request by arguing the importance of “maintain[ing] the security of an ongoing investigation, which may well be compromised by the disclosure of the search warrant affidavit.” CNET reports:

“Prosecutors also said the sealed affidavit is ‘not a public record and thus is not subject to requests under any public-records act.’ The judge who originally signed the search warrant for Jason Chen's home--a warrant that may be invalid under California's newsroom search act--is Judge Clifford Cretan. The judge is currently presiding over a trial and is not expected to consider the request until next week. Wagstaffe said in an interview with CNET that there is "further investigation we want to do, people we want to speak with." He defended his office's decision to search Chen's home office, saying "our belief is that it's a proper search." He said discussions with Chen's attorney over the computers seized during last month's evening raid are ongoing.”

It was Judge Stephen Hall who rejected the group's request for a hearing on Thursday, so the judge who presided over the case a month ago will consider arguments next week. Read more here.

San Mateo County Authorities Dragged into iPhone Investigation

The tech world was recently abuzz when a prototype of the new iPhone was mistakenly left behind at a bar by an Apple software engineer and was later purchased by editors at Gizmodo so they could post about the unreleased technology. As a result, the San Mateo County Sheriff's office was dragged into the spat with Apple when it became involved in a criminal investigation surrounding the new prototype. A San Mateo County judge signed a search warrant which led to the seizure of computers and servers at Editor Jason Chen’s Fremont home. CNET reports that Chen said the following of the search:

“When I got home, I noticed the garage door was half-open. And when I tried to open it, officers came out and said they had a warrant to search my house and any vehicles on the property 'in my control.' They then made me place my hands behind my head and searched me to make sure I had no weapons or sharp objects on me."

Critics of the search contend that it was a violation of the federal Privacy Protection Act, but others say the blogger in question should not be considered a journalist and therefore cannot receive immunity from such searches. Apple likely pushed hard for an investigation so that revelations about new products do not harm its stocks while helping competitors. In a brief, Apple stated, “If these trade secrets are revealed, competitors can anticipate and counter Apple's business strategy, and Apple loses control over the timing and publicity for its product launches.”
Read more here and here.