You can criticize the Austin police and fire departments and their chiefs and personnel at Twitter or Facebook or elsewhere online, but only until you say something they don’t like. When they decide that your criticism is untrue, well, citizen, then you better watch out.
Because then, Police Chief Art Acevedo and Austin Fire Chief Mae Kerr tell the daily, they could launch formal investigations against you, seek search warrants or subpoenas, or even sue you for libel, defamation, etc. It seems that our alleged defenders of the public weal can’t read, much less comprehend, the American and Texas constitutions. They’ve become prickly potentates behind their shiny badges and the little stars on their shirt collars who would make Hugo Chavez puff with pride.
As one commenter at the daily put it: "I like Acevedo too, but guess what chief, this is not California and you are not in charge of everything." Heh.
Via Slashdot. Where many of the comments are smart and funny and worth reading.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 
Funny, how in uberlib Austin, the governmental authorities are worried about a little criticism.
As Roddy Stinson of the SA Express News used to put it…Austin is Babylon on the Colorado.
The San Francisco of Texas, I call it, and not just because of the large gay population. Aren’t the libs always trying to suppress dissent when they’re in power? Witness SF’s rep Pelosi & friends.
http://tinyurl.com/mdpkmp
Prickly potentates? Sounds more like morons who don’t even understand the value of any publicity for a public figure.
Prickly, anyhow. It’s a Lefty tradition, however, this trying to suppress dissent. When you see yourself as part of the righteous party, your critics must be up to no good.