{Jscribd document_id:=49253356 access_key:=key-u34byyscws0vjhvv5yh viewmode:=List h:=500 w:=458}

Welcome to 21st Century municipal government. Jim Parsons at WTAE-TV has the story on mayoral spokeswoman Joanna Doven seeming to campaign via Facebook on behalf of District 1 council candidate Vince Pallus (read about Pallus here) from the city's Facebook page (which she maintains for the city).

The city's solicitor just recently warned city employees against this kind of thing, Parsons notes, though Doven issued a timesheet saying she clocked into work after the Facebook item was posted, and sent him a handwritten note (above) saying she had a First Amendment right to post the item.

From Parsons:

Doven posted the following on her personal Facebook account: "Are you a City resident that is disgusted with the actions of some Council Members? Make sure you fan Vince Pallus for Pittsburgh City Council, running against Darlene Harris...he's a good guy and will work hard for the people of Pittsburgh, not to just to get his own road paved!"

In response, City Council President Darlene Harris told Parsons on Friday, "I just think it's very sad, particularly when the mayor's office knew that, that day, I was burying my father."

Doven told Team 4 that she did not know Harris' father had died when she posted her personal message.

Doven also clicked the "Like" button for the Pallus campaign's Facebook page, but she did it from the city's official Facebook page, not her personal Facebook account.

Just three weeks ago, city Solicitor Dan Regan issued a memo that warned about "posting comments or links to social media sites that endorse or oppose political candidates... during working hours and at all times in city offices."

Doven said she was at home on her personal computer at 8:26 a.m. Tuesday when she posted on Facebook.

She gave Team 4 a time sheet which says that she started work at 9:15 a.m.

Don't expect these kind of issues to go away -- Facebook and other social media are now at the heart of everything, including campaigning and government, especially if the city is going to continue its struggling outreach to young people.