# Library in Troy, Michigan **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 12, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/library-in-troy-michigan/634534 "2012-09-12T19:41:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/library-in-troy-michigan/634534/1 "2012-09-12T19:41:15Z")
I am not really sure where this belongs, or if it has already been posted, but I thought this video was kind of awesome. [![]() ](https://vimeo.com/47890552/faaa5b303d) Basically, a library in Troy, Michigan, was in danger of closing, and the story of the anti-campaign that saved it. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/library-in-troy-michigan/634534/2 "2012-09-12T20:02:32Z")
I’ve been to that library. It’s a very good, popular library in an affluent area (Troy is in Oakland County, which is one of the richest counties in the USA last I heard) so I figured they’d find a way to fund it somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/library-in-troy-michigan/634534/3 "2012-09-12T20:11:19Z")
I love it! ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/library-in-troy-michigan/634534/4 "2012-09-12T20:55:07Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > I’ve been to that library. It’s a very good, popular library in an affluent area (Troy is in Oakland County, which is one of the richest counties in the USA last I heard) so I figured they’d find a way to fund it somehow. According to the video, the “way” they found was a voter-approved tax increase, which is a pretty major accomplishment these days, no matter how affluent the area is. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/library-in-troy-michigan/634534/5 "2012-09-13T09:03:05Z")
Used to live just down the road from there. Been there many times. So refreshing to see a campaign not designed around showing people what they have to gain in dollars and cents in slightly raised taxes, but what they’d lose in the community by reminding those who forgot these public treasures and services are important, and to actually bother to take time to fill out a ballot and make a critically informed vote. Injects a little bit of faith back into this whole democracy idea again. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/library-in-troy-michigan/634534/6 "2012-09-13T11:54:57Z")
“So, my fellow commissioners. How do we raise taxes without getting lynched?” “I know! Let’s close down the beloved library in the wealthy part of town for ‘lack of funds.’ That’ll have 'em lining up to throw money at us. The best part is that they’ll think it was their idea.” ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/library-in-troy-michigan/634534/7 "2012-09-14T19:39:49Z")
I used to live in the area & used the library often - glad to hear they kept it open! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/library-in-troy-michigan/634534/8 "2012-09-14T19:53:53Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > “So, my fellow commissioners. How do we raise taxes without getting lynched?” > > “I know! Let’s close down the beloved library in the wealthy part of town for ‘lack of funds.’ That’ll have 'em lining up to throw money at us. The best part is that they’ll think it was their idea.” Honestly, many people who oppose a general increase in taxes would vote for specific allocations, such as for a new school, road improvements, or library funding. It’s a matter of perception; if they can see where their money is going, they’ll be in favor of it. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/library-in-troy-michigan/634534/9 "2012-09-15T03:44:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Honestly, many people who oppose a general increase in taxes would vote for specific allocations, such as for a new school, road improvements, or library funding. It’s a matter of perception; if they can see where their money is going, they’ll be in favor of it. I wish people would look at our Capital Improvement Plan from time to time. They’d get a much better understanding of where (much of) the money is spent. Sometimes, it’s even interesting. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/library-in-troy-michigan/634534/10 "2012-09-15T05:22:38Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > “So, my fellow commissioners. How do we raise taxes without getting lynched?” > > “I know! Let’s close down the beloved library in the wealthy part of town for ‘lack of funds.’ That’ll have 'em lining up to throw money at us. The best part is that they’ll think it was their idea.” Being cynical about politics is totally legitamate. But sometimes, the agendas on both sides aren’t so hard to figure out. On this one, I see it as an experiment in the critical interest for democracy. And it totally worked. Whether or not you believe it was all political smoke and mirrors; it shows there’s a very, very large percentage of Americans who don’t vote because the issues are opaque, misleading, or invisible. In a few words: The majority doesn’t vote.