The New Exchange » Trump Orders Media Freeze at EPA; Bans Press Releases and Social Media

TheLagerLad · 1/25/2017 11:51 am

Common Sense wrote:
TheLagerLad wrote:
Giving government back to the people by micromanaging every last tweet......

In a memo sent out to staff at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Trump Administration has prohibited press releases, social media postings, blog posts or new content placed on the agency’s website.

I can only assume that this will be expanded to other areas of the government.

This is messed up.
So are you saying that a Federal Government Agency should be able to post what ever they feel like?
Never mind the polices of the current administration? Would the Obama administration have allowed a government agency to post items or tweet information that went against their official policies. Of course it would not be allowed.
The new administration is changing many policies that the Obama administration supported and all the Federal Government will now have to support the policies of the Trump administration. There is nothing unusual about this.

The individual people working for the government can have their opinions on issues but they will have to support the administration policies while at work.

That's a valid question Common. I think it is fair for the Administration to expect the various departments to carry out the strategy and direction of that administration.

But here's the problem. NOT EVERYTHING IN GOVERNMENT IS POLITICAL!!! There is political government and functional government.

Go to the Department of Education website: It's 100% functional government programs and data. Student Loans, Grants, Laws, and Data are the four main sections of the site. In other words, the site is providing information to the taxpayers of the country.

Information is good.

Now I don't know what information Donald Trump is preventing the EPA from sending out via press releases, its website, and social media, but I'd be willing to bet you that it's 99.99999% functional and perhaps, maybe, .00001% political.

So the Trump administration is being a bottleneck to providing information to the taxpayers of this nation.

That's both outrageous and moreso, completely unnecessary!!

Goose · 1/25/2017 11:58 am

Common Sense wrote:
Goose wrote:
Common Sense wrote:

So are you saying that a Federal Government Agency should be able to post what ever they feel like?
Never mind the polices of the current administration? Would the Obama administration have allowed a government agency to post items or tweet information that went against their official policies. Of course it would not be allowed.
The new administration is changing many policies that the Obama administration supported and all the Federal Government will now have to support the policies of the Trump administration. There is nothing unusual about this.

The individual people working for the government can have their opinions on issues but they will have to support the administration policies while at work.

Do you have any evidence of the Obama administration imposing such a ban?
So are you saying that a Federal Government Agency should be able to post what ever they feel like?
Never mind the polices of the current administration?

The new administration is changing many policies that the Obama administration supported and all the Federal Government will now have to support the policies of the Trump administration. There is nothing unusual about this.

The individual people working for the government can have their opinions on issues but they will have to support the administration policies while at work.

So, that would be a "No".

Rongone · 1/25/2017 12:00 pm

"So are you saying that a Federal Government Agency should be able to post what ever they feel like?
Never mind the polices of the current administration?"

Well there is this niggling little thing called freedom of speech that is guaranteed by this funny little document called the constitution of the United States. From what I recall, there is nothing in that document concerning that right that differentiates between your right to express your views being dependent upon who your employer may be.

Besides, how confusing to employees would it be that if every four years, what they could say and what they were prohibited from saying was redefined. Sounds like total chaos . . . Hey, maybe that's the direction this administration favors.

Common Sense · 1/25/2017 12:12 pm

Rongone wrote:
"So are you saying that a Federal Government Agency should be able to post what ever they feel like?
Never mind the polices of the current administration?"

Well there is this niggling little thing called freedom of speech that is guaranteed by this funny little document called the constitution of the United States. From what I recall, there is nothing in that document concerning that right that differentiates between your right to express your views being dependent upon who your employer may be.

Besides, how confusing to employees would it be that if every four years, what they could say and what they were prohibited from saying was redefined. Sounds like total chaos . . . Hey, maybe that's the direction this administration favors.

You are very confused! A administration controlling the message from the executive branch agency has nothing to do with your 1st amendment rights. You can't go to work and start send out material on company blogs, twitter accounts or letterhead that you want but the company does not authorize. Like Obama said: Elections have consequences.

tennyson · 1/25/2017 12:17 pm

Common Sense wrote:
Rongone wrote:
"So are you saying that a Federal Government Agency should be able to post what ever they feel like?
Never mind the polices of the current administration?"

Well there is this niggling little thing called freedom of speech that is guaranteed by this funny little document called the constitution of the United States. From what I recall, there is nothing in that document concerning that right that differentiates between your right to express your views being dependent upon who your employer may be.

Besides, how confusing to employees would it be that if every four years, what they could say and what they were prohibited from saying was redefined. Sounds like total chaos . . . Hey, maybe that's the direction this administration favors.
You are very confused! A administration controlling the message from the executive branch agency has nothing to do with your 1st amendment rights. You can't go to work and start send out material on company blogs, twitter accounts or letterhead that you want but the company does not authorize. Like Obama said: Elections have consequences.

Worldwide that has been true for centuries.

And, most times when the government tries to control information flow it has resulted in less than good results.

Last edited by tennyson (1/25/2017 12:18 pm)

Goose · 1/25/2017 12:20 pm

So, where is the proof to back the suggestion that the Obama Admin did the same thing?

And, we aren't talking about your employer barring you from posting naughty picks.
We are talking about political hacks controlling what scientific information The People can get.

Common Sense · 1/25/2017 12:22 pm

TheLagerLad wrote:
Common Sense wrote:
TheLagerLad wrote:
Giving government back to the people by micromanaging every last tweet......

I can only assume that this will be expanded to other areas of the government.

This is messed up.
So are you saying that a Federal Government Agency should be able to post what ever they feel like?
Never mind the polices of the current administration? Would the Obama administration have allowed a government agency to post items or tweet information that went against their official policies. Of course it would not be allowed.
The new administration is changing many policies that the Obama administration supported and all the Federal Government will now have to support the policies of the Trump administration. There is nothing unusual about this.

The individual people working for the government can have their opinions on issues but they will have to support the administration policies while at work.

That's a valid question Common. I think it is fair for the Administration to expect the various departments to carry out the strategy and direction of that administration.

But here's the problem. NOT EVERYTHING IN GOVERNMENT IS POLITICAL!!! There is political government and functional government.

Go to the Department of Education website: It's 100% functional government programs and data. Student Loans, Grants, Laws, and Data are the four main sections of the site. In other words, the site is providing information to the taxpayers of the country.

Information is good.

Now I don't know what information Donald Trump is preventing the EPA from sending out via press releases, its website, and social media, but I'd be willing to bet you that it's 99.99999% functional and perhaps, maybe, .00001% political.

So the Trump administration is being a bottleneck to providing information to the taxpayers of this nation.

That's both outrageous and moreso, completely unnecessary!!

NOT EVERYTHING IN GOVERNMENT IS POLITICAL!!

Talk to the Obama administration about that. They turned every agency into a place where their agenda could be pushed every single day. The Obama administration were master of the message they were pushing! Now the crying about the Trump administration who is taking charge of their message is very telling.

It seems if you agree with the message is a great thing but disagree and oh my it's so outrageous!

Rongone · 1/25/2017 12:24 pm

Common Sense wrote:
Rongone wrote:
"So are you saying that a Federal Government Agency should be able to post what ever they feel like?
Never mind the polices of the current administration?"

Well there is this niggling little thing called freedom of speech that is guaranteed by this funny little document called the constitution of the United States. From what I recall, there is nothing in that document concerning that right that differentiates between your right to express your views being dependent upon who your employer may be.

Besides, how confusing to employees would it be that if every four years, what they could say and what they were prohibited from saying was redefined. Sounds like total chaos . . . Hey, maybe that's the direction this administration favors.
You are very confused! A administration controlling the message from the executive branch agency has nothing to do with your 1st amendment rights. You can't go to work and start send out material on company blogs, twitter accounts or letterhead that you want but the company does not authorize. Like Obama said: Elections have consequences.

I am not confused. The government, including the current administration, cannot restrict the rights of individuals, even those employed by the government from expressing their opinions. Sending a "Beach Team" into your workplace to censor/restrict information that does not conform to the official party line is something that should not happen in a representative republic with a democratic government. These are the actions of a fascist government headed by a tyrant like Kim Jong Un.

"Employees in the public sector – who work for governmental entities – have First Amendment rights in the workplace. The case law that has developed over time regarding First Amendment rights in the workplace has come from the public sector, as the government is directly affecting employees in public sector cases. There are no Washington cases that this author is aware of where freedom of speech has been protected under the First Amendment in private sector workplaces."

Even the Supreme Court protects the right of employees to speak out as they have found in favor of "whistle blowers" in the government.

You're right in quoting Obama saying elections have consequences, and hopefully people will see through this kind of strong arm tactics because of the administration's paranoia.

It's going to be an interesting 4 years.

Last edited by Rongone (1/25/2017 12:36 pm)

Goose · 1/25/2017 12:28 pm

Common Sense wrote:
TheLagerLad wrote:
Common Sense wrote:

So are you saying that a Federal Government Agency should be able to post what ever they feel like?
Never mind the polices of the current administration? Would the Obama administration have allowed a government agency to post items or tweet information that went against their official policies. Of course it would not be allowed.
The new administration is changing many policies that the Obama administration supported and all the Federal Government will now have to support the policies of the Trump administration. There is nothing unusual about this.

The individual people working for the government can have their opinions on issues but they will have to support the administration policies while at work.

That's a valid question Common. I think it is fair for the Administration to expect the various departments to carry out the strategy and direction of that administration.

But here's the problem. NOT EVERYTHING IN GOVERNMENT IS POLITICAL!!! There is political government and functional government.

Go to the Department of Education website: It's 100% functional government programs and data. Student Loans, Grants, Laws, and Data are the four main sections of the site. In other words, the site is providing information to the taxpayers of the country.

Information is good.

Now I don't know what information Donald Trump is preventing the EPA from sending out via press releases, its website, and social media, but I'd be willing to bet you that it's 99.99999% functional and perhaps, maybe, .00001% political.

So the Trump administration is being a bottleneck to providing information to the taxpayers of this nation.

That's both outrageous and moreso, completely unnecessary!!
NOT EVERYTHING IN GOVERNMENT IS POLITICAL!!

Talk to the Obama administration about that. They turned every agency into a place where their agenda could be pushed every single day. The Obama administration were master of the message they were pushing! Now the crying about the Trump administration who is taking charge of their message is very telling.

It seems if you agree with the message is a great thing but disagree and oh my it's so outrageous!

Common, your inability to understand that point of Lager's is you biggest problem.
Sad

tennyson · 1/25/2017 12:36 pm

Common Sense wrote:
TheLagerLad wrote:
Common Sense wrote:

So are you saying that a Federal Government Agency should be able to post what ever they feel like?
Never mind the polices of the current administration? Would the Obama administration have allowed a government agency to post items or tweet information that went against their official policies. Of course it would not be allowed.
The new administration is changing many policies that the Obama administration supported and all the Federal Government will now have to support the policies of the Trump administration. There is nothing unusual about this.

The individual people working for the government can have their opinions on issues but they will have to support the administration policies while at work.

That's a valid question Common. I think it is fair for the Administration to expect the various departments to carry out the strategy and direction of that administration.

But here's the problem. NOT EVERYTHING IN GOVERNMENT IS POLITICAL!!! There is political government and functional government.

Go to the Department of Education website: It's 100% functional government programs and data. Student Loans, Grants, Laws, and Data are the four main sections of the site. In other words, the site is providing information to the taxpayers of the country.

Information is good.

Now I don't know what information Donald Trump is preventing the EPA from sending out via press releases, its website, and social media, but I'd be willing to bet you that it's 99.99999% functional and perhaps, maybe, .00001% political.

So the Trump administration is being a bottleneck to providing information to the taxpayers of this nation.

That's both outrageous and moreso, completely unnecessary!!
NOT EVERYTHING IN GOVERNMENT IS POLITICAL!!

Talk to the Obama administration about that. They turned every agency into a place where their agenda could be pushed every single day. The Obama administration were master of the message they were pushing! Now the crying about the Trump administration who is taking charge of their message is very telling.

It seems if you agree with the message is a great thing but disagree and oh my it's so outrageous!

Here I thought you were talking about Trump, My bad !