Thin Ice

In my last blog I said I'd start making daily entries.  I'm writing this on Thursday night, and we can see how that's workin' out.  I did start something Sunday night but I was rambling.  What I wanted to say was that while I was posting last Friday's blog I realized that my comment on going back to WalMart didn't say it had been that day.

Speaking of, I was in WalMart earlier tonight.  Buying beer.  After spending that much time in WalMart (any time in WalMart) I need to be buying beer.  Another thing I said last week was that I like to skate on thin ice.  That's figurative of course, since I can't skate at all.  (I guess that makes me a figurative skater.)

As I may have mentioned (maybe not) I'm a Classified Civil Servant in Louisiana.  At least for another 835 days.  Before I blog again there will have been an election.  And of course, the Little Hatch Act prevents me from discussing politics.  Every year, at least every election year (and in Louisiana every year is an election year) Civil Service issues a General Circular reminding us what we can and can't do.   Here's the one from last year:

Now here's the one from this year:

The first difference you'll notice is that this year's is half as long.  It seems to me that most of the length was cut by not bothering to list (in any detail) the things a civil servant CAN do.  (It does say we can vote, but I'm sure they're not real happy about that, either.)  What struck me though, was that this year they felt the need to specify that we cannot LIKE a Candidate or party, of follow them on Twitter. 

It was a couple of weeks after this came out that I remembered I had LIKEd a radio program on Facebook which might be considered political.  So I checked my LIKEs and discovered I had also LIKEd a conservative group of some kind.  But neither one is a party or candidate so I haven't (and do not plan to) unLIKE either.

I do understand that LIKEing a candidate would be construed as a violation of policy, but the other concerns me.

I don't tweet, and I don't follow Twitter.  But the impression I have is that following someone does not constitute an endorsement.  I thought I could, just as an example, follow both candidates in the Presidential election to keep myself informed.  But I guess civil service says no.

Let me know what you think.  I'd also be interested in whether you think these restrictions encroach on our First Amendment rights?  I hear the courts have said they don't.

Anyway, I think that's enough for this week.  If the ice doesn't crack I can retire in 835 days, so you kids get off my lawn.