RALEIGH—Today Franklin Freeman, Gov. Easley’s senior assistant for government affairs and his pick to chair a committee to examine the Governor’s email policy, revealed that he does “not communicate by email” and does not “even know how to cut a computer on.”

"My children are besides themselves with laughter because I don't even know how to cut a computer on," Freeman said of the reaction at his home after Easley picked him to chair the committee, reports Michael Biesecker.  "I do not communicate by e-mail. I receive it. I have an e-mail address to receive it, but I'm still one of the old-fashioned folks that communicates by telephone or face to face."  (“Don’t bother sending an email”  Under the Dome blog, March 27, 2008 http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/dont_bother_sending_an_e_mail)

Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:

“The voters of North Carolina do not consider government secrecy a laughing matter.  I was disturbed to first learn that Governor Easley chose not to involve voices of diverse political backgrounds on this email panel.  With this latest revelation, I now urge Governor Easley to take this inquiry seriously and appoint a chairman with familiarity with the technology and issues involved in this important matter.”

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