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The Irony Of It All
Brad Hollerbach

What did Morley Swingle's Web Page
"Advertising" Really Cost the County?

Posted Thursday, February 5, 2009, at 11:17 AM

Comments

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  • Brad - did you write this or did you have Morley ghost write it for you? You seem to miss the point on several issues.

    First of all, you're comparing apples and bowling balls. You're looking at Swingle's page and the county

    s page as it exists today. Not as it existed when the controversy began a year ago, nor are you looking at it how it existed about 3 hours before Swingle gave his "presentation" to the county. Swingle must have had some small amount of shame that led him to make significant changes to the site and you don't even mention that. Why not?

    Secondly, have you heard of the google? Check it out. It's a search engine a lot of people use to find stuff on the internet. Go there and type "swingle publications" into the little box. Tell me what comes up first. Is it a link to Swingle's private, for-profit web site hawking his books? No, its the web page sponsored by the taxpayers of Cape County. I got there in one click from google. Seriously, check out the google. You'll be amazed!

    While you're checking out the new "google," go ahead and type in "Morley Swingle." What comes up first? That's right, his county web site. I got there in one click. Space technology! This is what's in it for me!

    Thirdly, you work for the Southeast Missourian. Why don't you send someone in the ad department there (or better yet, pick up the phone or walk down the hall) and ask them how much it costs for an ad at the Missourian? That would be some interesting information for your post. Or better yet, call Element 74 and ask them how much they charge to create and maintain a web site.

    Finally, you seem to miss the entire point which is that public officials should not use public resources for private gain.

    If nothing else, check out that google. It'll change your life.

    -- Posted by Karen Shikani on Fri, Feb 6, 2009, at 8:35 AM
  • I agree with Karen on this one. He has

    changed the page entirely since the

    controversy began. Nice touch moving

    all the "Missouri Bar" stuff up to the

    top as well & mixing that in. Everything

    now sounds like it's from a historical

    or legal perspective. It did not before -

    it was highlighting his fictional works.

    If he's receiving personal profit for any

    of these books - I still think those particular

    books should be removed and would prefer a link

    added for his own personal website with a

    disclaimer popping up that the user is leaving

    the county website and does not necessarily

    endorse the personal site the user is moving to.

    If he's giving the money from the book sales

    to charity - then that might be a different story.

    -- Posted by ShowMeGuy on Fri, Feb 6, 2009, at 9:37 AM
  • Karen,

    Sorry for the delay to your comment, but I was away from my computer this morning.

    No, Morley did not write this nor have I ever even met the man. You are correct. The page I evaluated is as it was last week. I think I said that in the blog. The blessing and curse of the web is that web page changes can be made at a moments notice.

    Since, I can’t travel back in time, I can’t pass judgment on something I haven’t seen. Based on your comments, I guess you either looked at his site as it was originally set-up or you can travel back in time.

    The one issue that I would have with him listing his publications – and he reputedly took care of it last March – were links from the County website to Amazon.com. They weren’t there when I looked at the site so I can’t judge.

    When searching Google for “morley swingle” or morley swingle, the first entry is the OLD Cape County website hosted by Showme.net.

    The CURRENT county website – capecounty.us -- doesn’t even make the first FIVE pages of Google when I do that search. Look at the actual URLs that are listed under the page descriptions and you might see what I mean. When I clicked on Swingle Publications link on this OLD webpage – the one that is first in Google -- it goes to a Showme.net error page.

    I suggest you try it for yourself.

    Personally, if am interested in buying book online I never search Google. Why bother? I go to either Amazon or the Barnes & Noble websites.

    And I would never search for “morley swingle publications” or “swingle publications.” The word “Publications” is often used by academics in regard to the scholarly works in their particular field. Of the 50 publications that Morley has listed – which I printed out and have actually looked at – 3 were his fiction novels. The other 47 dealt with the law or were opinion pieces / book reviews.

    While you are upset about my take on Swingle and his “advertising” what do you think about the fact that the county is allowing a contractor run their advertisement on every page of the website that the county is paying for?

    Thanks for reading.

    -- Posted by Brad_Hollerbach on Fri, Feb 6, 2009, at 3:51 PM
  • Brad - thanks for responding to my comments. When I look for books, I go to Amazon or Barnes & Noble too. My point was that one could find the Swingle page without too much effort using Google.

    I don't care if he calls it "Publications" or Morley's Wonderful World of Books, I just think that his behavior is unseemly and we should expect more from our public officials.

    As far as the Element 74 angle, that doesn't bother me as long as the county receives something in return for that. If 74 cut the price to the county in exchange for having their logo at the bottom, that seems fine with me. It also demonstrates that we agree that having your name on a web site (whether it be Swingle's books or Element 74's logo) is valuable. That seems to support my contention that Swingle is profiting from the county's web site. We're paying him over $110,000 a year. That salary combined with his book income you would think would be enough for him to go get his own web site.

    Thanks for writing and responding.

    -- Posted by Karen Shikani on Fri, Feb 6, 2009, at 5:12 PM
  • While Brad is checking out the google, I'll throw in my two cents. Swingle getting free advertising in the county website seems a little unethical but that could be remedied if he donated anything he makes to the Marine Corp-Law Enforcement Foundation or some other worthy cause. That way he can still have his shameless self-promotion and assuage his guilt by donating profits from the seven books he sells a year to a good cause.

    -- Posted by stevmo on Fri, Feb 6, 2009, at 10:10 PM
  • I know Morley. As a former prosecutor myself, I sometimes disagree with some of his charging decisions, but its within his discretion to make such decisions.

    However, I don't agree with the use of a government web site to link or post personal services or items which directly provide a profit to the elected official. There has been a precedent created which allows public websites in Cape to advertise personal endeavors. If the County Clerk decides to sell candles online, the present policy in effect would allow a link on the official's web page. If the sheriff wants to run a private security service, arguably, his web site could link to his service.

    I can't believe that folks don't see a potential problem with this policy exemption afforded Morley. It's not the level or amount of benefit gained, its the fact that no benefit (or even the appearance of one) should be viewed on a government supported and authorized web page.

    -- Posted by Green_Lantern on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 10:45 AM
  • I forgot to answer Brad's question about the contractor advertising. As someone involved in the IT area, surely you understand that the County is received a discount of some sort by allowing the contractor to post the banner. Therefore, the County is receiving a tangible benefit.

    Is Morley providing a portion of his books sales to compensate the County for allowing his links? Or is he agreeing to work as the Prosecutor for a reduced rate? I think you know the answers to those questions.

    You are also missing the point by equating this argument to what it costs the county as opposed to what benefit Morley receives. It's an ethical and fairness issue more than a dollar and cents issue.

    -- Posted by Green_Lantern on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 10:54 AM
  • The question is where to draw the line? While Morley’s personal and professional identity are obviously strongly associated with his writing, what should be viewed as allowable content on a taxpayer funded website?

    Do any of the other officials have a bio page on the county website and to what detail do they go?

    I looked and couldn’t find any. Many county departments don’t even have a presents on the website.

    Should ANY elected official have their Bio posted?

    A reader did point out that if you click on ANY of the other links that show up on the OLD county website hosted by Showme.net, that ONLY the Swingle Publications link does not work. I thought that was interesting.

    The same reader suggested I look for the originally website at the Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org/index.php). Unfortunately, I could not find anything deeper than old index pages for the Pas office.

    Thanks for reading and the spirited debate everyone.

    -- Posted by Brad_Hollerbach on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 11:09 AM
  • I would argue one difference is that Swingle has writen a novel that's endorsed (with a forward) by Elmore Leonard. He's apparently an accomplished writer in other areas too. When another county official achieves something like that, then I say let that person also promote their achievements through the county webpage. The county should trumpet achievements like that.

    -- Posted by EJ Rotert on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 12:27 PM
  • Me'Lange... Have you ever met Morley Swingle? He is one of the most ethical men I've ever met.

    -- Posted by EJ Rotert on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 2:02 PM
  • Green Lantern and all,

    I have come to see the error of some of my original thinking regarding Morley and his advertising. While I was simplistically looking at it from a pure dollar amount, the problem really has more to do with ethics and egos.

    I would, however, not assume that the County is receiving a discount of any kind from the website vendor.

    This is comparable in many ways to when you have a contractor work on your house and they slap a sign in your yard saying the work is being done by “Joe’s Schmoes Roofing.”

    I’ve dealt with enough technology-based contracts over the years, that you can’t assume anything and they have to be studied very closely. When you start getting lawyers involved – no offense, by the way – you really have to make sure there are no hidden clauses that can come back and bite you in the butt.

    This is of course all conjecture without being able to see the actual contract. I doubt that will happen.

    Thanks for reading and your perspective.

    -- Posted by Brad_Hollerbach on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 3:44 PM
  • Brad... You've seen “Joe’s Schmoes Roofing” around? I've been trying to track that guy down for over a year. When you see him, tell him I want his sign out of my yard!

    -- Posted by EJ Rotert on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 6:57 PM
  • Me'Lange... Believe it or not, but politicians do endorse other politicians. Now, collecting signatures for a ballot is another matter. It's a good question. Does someone give up the right to do that just because they've been elected to public office? I don't think so. If the time is on the county's dime, that's another matter. That definitely would be unethical.

    -- Posted by EJ Rotert on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 7:02 PM
  • I agree with your point on the county web site vendor, but this type of arrangement should be public knowledge and not a secret. Isn't there some way for you guys to call the County and ask them? Any contract would have to be public, wouldn't it? It's spending our tax dollars.

    As far as campaigning by a public official against another, I'm not sure if its ethical in this situation or not. Obviously if Swingle uses county resources, he's not just being unethical, he's violating the law. School teachers are prohibited by law from participating in campaigns for school board members. Why not a similar law for county officials and other county offices? Plus, given that Swingle is supposedly a law enforcement official and he was going around collecting signatures, there seems to be at least a little element of coercion. (Sign it or be prosecuted). I guess we usually solve this problem via the political arena, not the legal or legislative one. Swingle obviously didn't have enough respect or juice in the county to get his boy Finch elected. Not only did Finch lose, he had his hat handed to him. Swingle has lost a lot of credibility and continues to flail about. I say more power to him if he wants to write his stories. But shouldn't he be most focused on his day job? And if he doesn't want to focus on his day job, let's get someone in there who actually wants to prosecute criminals instead of writing about it and using tax dollars to tell us how much he's writing about it.

    As an aside, is anyone else curious as to when Swingle writes these stories? Surely he doesn't do it at work. Surely he is not using a county computer (or typewriter?). What am I saying, of course he wouldn't use taxpayer resources for his own use.

    -- Posted by Karen Shikani on Sat, Feb 7, 2009, at 8:16 PM