Democratic Ally Subpoenas Blog Commenters

Flying Debris has twice written about the recent attempts by the Democrats of Chicago's Uptown community to silence opposition to their disgraceful policies, here and here. The major policy in question gives $60 million to a developer to build even more low income housing on former Chicago Transit Authority land a half mile from Lake Shore Drive at a cost of over $400,000 per unit.

Today the Chicago Journal has reported that the developer, a Mr. Holsten has subpoenaed Google for information on commenters on two Uptown blogs, Uptown Update, the fantastically named and now defunct What the Helen and two community group message boards. Chicago Alderman have a long held and well deserved reputation for withholding city services to those they don't like making this a real threat to many commenters.

This blog has been linked to by at least three of the four subpoenaed blogs and I have left comments on three of the four blogs, they are attempting to stifle my First Amendment right to free political speech through intimidation. Why participate if your garbage doesn't get picked up or your block starts to lack public services?

I do not live in Uptown, I get along well with my Alderman (I was an early supporter) so I am not affected by the threats however they are attempting to subpoena records on me, EL Rider. So on a day we get news that the Secret Service searched the home of a man with an anti-OBama, anti-abortion sign on his car we get news of Chicago Democrats attempting to intimidate Chicagoans exercising their First Amendment rights by leaving blog comments.

Hat Tip: Uptown Update