The Eagle-Tribune - Latest Comments in City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

skepsis 22 — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:41:54 -0000

Jim is in good company with the late Betsy Conte. His other seven colleagues (excluding Mr. Quimby) could learn a valuable lesson from him. Do what your heart tells you is right and your head will follow. He and Quimby are the only ones who stand steadfast and true. The other councilors operate under the philosophy of doing as I say not as I do.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

thaneb — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:47:29 -0000

I disagree: Not sure what you mean by "exploiting the 1st Amendment". Fraud clearly falls outside the Bill of Rights. You are asking the politicians to "bear the brunt" of Yogi the Bear and 37 others (Donahue's own statement) who are likely one and the same person, not 38 different constituents. Thus, the only "brunt" follows from Donohue's fraud. In my opinion Donahue's own actions demonstrate he knows he was wrong to do this. As to the Trib's action, not sure of the Terms-Of-Use but for many, if not most other blogs posting under multiple names is a violation. As to the aptness of the USC cite [a criminal statute] I clearly drew the state/federal distinction, and as I was specifically responding to a prior post questioning the "borderline criminal[ity]" statement of Kacek I stand by the aptness of that cite.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Buford Pusser — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:56:11 -0000

Censured for conduct unbecoming.

This isn't the Haverhill High School newspaper.

He acted like a 15 yr old girl, and now he reaps the consequences.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Buford Pusser — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:54:29 -0000

Or the "Fairness Doctrine" liberals.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Buford Pusser — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:52:42 -0000

Conduct unbecoming. He's a public servant, not self-employed.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

lol@haverhill — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:34:04 -0000

Federal cite on something that really doesn't have anything to do with the guy exploiting the 1st Amendment? The guy can call himself Yogi the Bear and it doesn't matter. This is a political arena, politicians, from case law, are "expected" to bear the brunt of criticism. Here, a politician criticized other politicians, a liberal newspaper didn't like like what the guy said, and released who the guy was. There were no criminal acts committed, and the integrity of The Eagle Tribune, whatever it had, is completely gone. People may disagree with the Councilman, but the Tribune has put into jeopardy any journalistic integrity into question it may have had.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Boo Radley — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:19:23 -0000

good post!

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Boo Radley — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:42:16 -0000

I would agree with you if it was only one alias.....he chose to be deceptive and post as 38 different private citizens

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

thaneb — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:05:21 -0000

ko: I think your deriding Kacek is off-base. USC 18 pt I Ch 63 S1343, Wire fraud, seems apt. Given this is a state matter, that would make Donahue's actions "borderline" illegal. The councilor used multiple screen names to influence, by weight of opinion, public policy. He need not have materially benefited. IMHO this was the fraud. Moreover, Donahue's initial story of "activists", now family members shows a guilty conscience.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Elliscee — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:05:02 -0000

Sorry about my spelling errors this morning. I just hope that "English Grammer" isn't eading these posts! ha!

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

elliscee — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:01:38 -0000

Oh, it turns out that he was only engaging in "political satire", with himself. Got that? Lol!

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Boo Radley — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:55:38 -0000

Let's see how we all feel after the Trib's next "outing"

Should we start a pool to bet on who will be outed next by the Trib ?

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

elliscee — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:54:03 -0000

I agree w/Carrot and Oh. Yes, of course elected officials are free to "speak" their truth, but do it in public, and w/ a measure of reponsibilty. Caveat: When you make neg comments, or bring other people's names into your comments, you involved them. 'Mr. Sunday School Teacher' needs to "Treat others as he would like to be treated."
What if the shoe was on the other foot? Suppose some other elected official posted anonymously about HIM?
Would he feel that his rights were violated?
Mr. Donahue stated at the meeting that he was merely engaging in "political satire." He needs to leave this genre to professional journalists, as he is not too skilled at this.
Hmmm... seems to me that he admitted that he in fact, wrote all of those pseudo-anonymous posts. He outted himself by caling his one-man smear campaign: "Policial satire."
Many of you who are commenting here, appear to be angry that the ET 'outed' him. At least we have more info on Mr. Donahue's 'character' than we had before. I think the public needed to know.
Also, alot of our comments from yesterday were removed when the ET rewrote the orig draft of this story. Did others notice that? Again, what if the shoe was on the other foot? "Treat others as you would want them to treat you!"

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Boo Radley — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:52:18 -0000

Ahhhh a new nickname for Donahue.....

Jimmy Sybil

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Boo Radley — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:50:55 -0000

There wouldn't be a problem if he was "stating his own opinion" using his own name....or one anonymous alias even

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

amazed — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:36:26 -0000

"Your council members did a great job to censure you. Now I hope your students create some grief calling you names behind your back."
I can't believe how immature some people are.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

ohoh — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:05:35 -0000

That is not being a racist, that is a fact. English is the language of 98% of us understand. To try to tell someone you want a double cheeseburger and they look at you like you have 2 heads, shouldn't be working with the public or the front counter. I don't stop at the convenience store in Bradford cuz they don't understand English there also !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's my money and I can spend it where I want to. If the person behind the counter doesn't understand ENGLISH, what good is it to the employer they are working for ???
IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE!!! IT'S ABOUT GOOD BUSINESS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would someone who only knew Greek go to a store that only spoke ENGLISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

keen observer — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:56:31 -0000

IF anyone should be censured it is Macek.

He has accused a fellow councilor of 'borderline criminal" activity without specifying the specific criminal lawl that Donahue broke.

Censuring members of a legislative body for criticizing other members is unconscionable, but that's what the haverhill council did. It is worse because indoing it, macek engaged in behavior which is worthy of censure, accusing a colleague of criminal activity when he can't back it up. THAT is the type of conduct that should be censured, not calling for someone's defeat

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Copa — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:58:02 -0000

Left? are you some kind of nut?

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Copa — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:56:14 -0000

Here you are again. Sgt.
Who are you? And why do you try to post as someone else?
Register yourself, and take the chance everyone else takes as a registered user SGT.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Pat D — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:54:00 -0000

I think Councilor Donahue needs to learn about anonymous web browsing using services like idzap.com Anonymous web browsing masks your ip address so you won’t get caught in a STUPID situation you got yourself into.

Your council members did a great job to censure you. Now I hope your students create some grief calling you names behind your back.

You are no Councilor, no teacher to mentor students. Instead I think the citizens of Haverhill consider you spineless creep.

Grow some balls and become a man and apologize to everyone for being STUPID.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Loser — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:41:42 -0000

Another sheep running with the herd.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Johnlovesbushmccain — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:39:06 -0000

"I TELL YOU THE 3 MCDONALDS IN HAVERHILL ARE THE SLOWEST AND WORST RUN AROUND. I CAN'T GO TO THE ONE BY WESTGATE CUZ I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH! THAT'S ALL YOU HEAR TALKED THERE." -ohoh

Arrogant? At least he isn't a racist! Who are you ? Why hasn't the trib let everyone know who are? Or will they?
Its all about the political agenda of the trib.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

Johnlovesbushmccain — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:33:54 -0000

How about you reveal who you are?
Don't want to?
Then do not try to justify the E-T revealing someone's id.
Free speech unless you don't agree with my political opinion, sounds a lot like the Nazi's and Busshies.

Re: City Council censures defiant Donahue for Web postings

bertcj1002 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:14:32 -0000

Wow,I posted in the other donahue article that the Trib could be in for a lawsuit and they were hypocritical printing his name ,as it goes against freedom of speech and freedom of press and protecting sources,and I can't get in that blog now