Expose Erie Politicians… and Those who ‘Expose’ Them
Posted May 14th, 2005 @ 07:08pm by Erik J. Barzeski
There's quite a bit of blog energy surrounding one local blog lately - "Expose Erie Politicians .com" is run by an anonymous person or group of people. Erie residents like Greg Valiga write about it, saying that the Erie Times gets it right when they say:
Some liar -- we don't shrink from this accurate word -- has created a Web site smearing several candidates for Erie political office. The site has no credibility, none whatsoever: Its creator has faked an identity and deceived Web users about his or her place of residence. This is fraud, pure and simple -- malicious fraud. Don't fall prey to its cowardly misinformation.
Me, well, whatever. I think that if you're going to say something, you should do so with a name, a face, and a voice that people can identify. It's one of the reasons I delete comments left anonymously on this site.
As for the politics, well, I really couldn't care less about Erie politics.
Donate Life
Posted 14 May 2005 at 11:45pm #
I agree with the tone 100%. Not, make that 110%.
There's a place for everything. Blogs without comments... right/left wing blogs... geek/sports blogs...
And this site simply wants to be a voice that it has NOT earned. Hell, it will NOT earn until they lose the anonynity. Plain and simple.
I happen to agree with alot of what they say. Erie politics ARE dominated by a few families, names, and even more - MUCH MORE - by the voters who vote with no regard for the future.
Just look at the track record of the "Two Ricks". One of whom I voted for.... and the other I would have had I lived in the city. And BOTH have simply failed to LEAD.
That said, there's no reason for idiots to hide behind a cloak of anonymity. Trust me.... there's more than enough people and places who are happy to accept you for what you can do - not what your last name is.
Posted 15 May 2005 at 11:47am #
Some nice investigative work is going on at http://boldt.us/exposed/.
Posted 16 May 2005 at 6:03pm #
That's too bad. Our country has a rich history of anonymous speech, and I think it really needs to be protected or we will lose something valuable. As an example, look up Silence Dogood to see what I mean.
I have no idea what's going on in Erie, so I can't comment on that specifically, but I expect it's like most political situations: that is, it is probably controlled by a few individuals who are almost completely unresponsive to their constituents.
Posted 17 May 2005 at 1:43am #
If this 'expose erie' site was really interested in exposing corrupt politicians, they would be telling you about the current Erie Incumbant mayor Rick Fillipi's legal woes. But they're not.. not even a single word about it.. which prompted the local Erie newspaper raise the possibility that someone from his camp was responsible for this site.
Only after the newspaper pointed this out did Rick Filippi suddenly appear on the smear site for some minor crap which was completely unrelated to his current legal problems.
Also, the fact that whoever created this site spent so much effort trying to hide themselves sure seems shady.
I'm not against anonymous usage of the Internet, but I for one want to know who is REALLY behind the expose erie site.
Posted 18 May 2005 at 10:44pm #
and now we know!
Posted 20 May 2005 at 5:33pm #
does anyone have a copy of http://www.exposeeriepoliticians.com?
Thanks
Posted 24 May 2005 at 6:21pm #
I am a local buisness man and I kind of understand where this guy was coming from. I don't believe he was right by everything he has done by I would say this. I believe he is on to something. I think poloticians should be held accountable for wrongdoings by the public. We don't see accountability anymore. Not in Erie.... Rick Filippi will finally be held accountable but that is because now post Expose Erie it is different. Politicians wrong doings got put on front street now the government has to make an example out of someone and fast. Might as well be Filippi he is in to criminal activity. Mark my words though, if this guys name would of been posted he could have endured much hardship from people around any community for simply expressing his views and oppinions. Look, some people were outraged at first. If his name and address was sitting right there on the front page people would have threatened him from his doorstep. I am going to make my site private soon enough because 5% of the adult population is mentally unstable. I don't want someone showing up at my door because they think me and my family is "interesting". Since when did blogging become a first and last name thing? If I don't post my last name, then I don't have a right to an oppinion?? That goes against what my country stands for! My friends and family fight everyday now and long ago to ensure these freedoms for me and each one of my children. I will post my last name but just because I want to see this comment appear on your blog without any excuses being made.
Posted 19 Jun 2005 at 1:37pm #
I agree with you dude that it can keep you from retaliation but it opens the door for a lot of immiture stupid crap that does do harm to the city's reputation and the cost is too much.
Posted 25 Jul 2005 at 10:51am #
I was looking in to getting a copy of the site to look at and the wayback machine doesn't provide me any archive. Is that because it is censored or removed? Or do you think it is a membership thing?
Posted 07 Jul 2007 at 3:34pm #
mark you really speak it to the t. i'm also a buisness man in the pa area who make 40,000 a year those types of things worry hard working middle class people like myself.