Ohio Libraries to lose 50% of funding.

[tumbleddown]

@Elendil_s_Heir

Gov. Strickland has no good options; only a very unappealing array of lesser evils.

Here’s an option for good Governor Strickland: for every percentage point he cuts funding to vital human and community services, he also cuts his paycheck. If he wants people to believe that he really gives a damn about libraries and senior services and services for the disabled being devastated and unable to fulfill their missions, then he needs to put his money where his mouth is. 50% budget slash to all human services? 50% salary cut for Mr. Governor. He’s living on the taxpayer tab anyway (free housing in the governor’s mansion, and free transportation anywhere he wants to go, right?) so his need for a 6 figure paycheck is considerably lower than someone who has to pay to have a roof over his head and put gas in his car (and wasn’t making 6 figures to begin with) – like the local librarian.

Somehow I don’t see that likely to happen.

[mswas]

@tumbleddown

Here’s an option for good Governor Strickland: for every percentage point he cuts funding to vital human and community services, he also cuts his paycheck. If he wants people to believe that he really gives a damn about libraries and senior services and services for the disabled being devastated and unable to fulfill their missions, then he needs to put his money where his mouth is. 50% budget slash to all human services? 50% salary cut for Mr. Governor. He’s living on the taxpayer tab anyway (free housing in the governor’s mansion, and free transportation anywhere he wants to go, right?) so his need for a 6 figure paycheck is considerably lower than someone who has to pay to have a roof over his head and put gas in his car (and wasn’t making 6 figures to begin with) – like the local librarian.

Somehow I don’t see that likely to happen.

:rolleyes:

[dalej42]

@Cisco

We have an awesome public library system here in the city of Phoenix. Sixteen branches and the smallest one is bigger than the one library that the city I grew up in had. The largest one is 5 storeys tall and 280,000 square feet. Unfortunately, they’ve recently gutted the whole system. Tons of seminars, programs, and classes have been cut. Hours have been slashed back to less than banking hours on some days, some branches are closed on some days, employees have been laid off or had their hours decimated. They justified laying a lot of people off by getting more automated checkout machines, but since they keep breaking, and usership has skyrocketed, be prepared to stand in line forever now-- where there used to never be a line at all. Ten days ago I placed a transfer on a book that is checked in at a branch across town and it still isn’t here yet. Six months ago it’d’ve been here the next day. If I’d know I would’ve just drove over to get it.

Check out channel 12 news tonight. I was interviewed, along with my hiking friend, about our opinions about the Arizona state budget. I mentioned the Ohio library cuts as an example.

[Labrador_Deceiver]

@mswas

Heh in New York they paid like 12 million to move a fountain two feet so it would line up with 5th avenue. Pisses me off. Also several million to rename the Triboro Bridge to the RFK Memorial bridge. Fucking stupid shit.

Are you talking about the Washington Square Park Fountain? That didn’t cost millions of dollars. It simply was one of the many improvements made to the park during a much larger renovation project. Also, NY hasn’t paid a dime for the name change on the bridge, and doesn’t expect to for at least another couple of years. Though, I admit it’s a stupid waste of money to change the name of established landmarks. Atlanta changed the name of its airport a few years back which pissed off a lot of people.

[Sunspace]

Library usage here in T.O. is way up, but I haven’t heard anything about budget cuts. I may have missed it though.

[suranyi]

@tumbleddown

Here’s an option for good Governor Strickland: for every percentage point he cuts funding to vital human and community services, he also cuts his paycheck. If he wants people to believe that he really gives a damn about libraries and senior services and services for the disabled being devastated and unable to fulfill their missions, then he needs to put his money where his mouth is. 50% budget slash to all human services? 50% salary cut for Mr. Governor. He’s living on the taxpayer tab anyway (free housing in the governor’s mansion, and free transportation anywhere he wants to go, right?) so his need for a 6 figure paycheck is considerably lower than someone who has to pay to have a roof over his head and put gas in his car (and wasn’t making 6 figures to begin with) – like the local librarian.

Somehow I don’t see that likely to happen.

This might be a nice symbolic gesture, but it wouldn’t actually address the problem.

In other words, it’s not an option.

[Carol_Stream]

@Justin_Bailey

So forgive me if I’m a little pissed that libraries don’t even merit year-to-year stability while other departments get increases and then whine that it wasn’t as big of an increase as they were expecting.

You haven’t answered the question. Why do you think that library employees are entitled to a raise, when many other people are facing either pay cuts, or outright job losses?

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@Carol_Stream

You haven’t answered the question. Why do you think that library employees are entitled to a raise, when many other people are facing either pay cuts, or outright job losses?

He did answer the question - state employees outside the library system are getting cost of living increases while library funding is being cut.

[Crafter_Man]

Do libraries serve a purpose anymore?

[Cisco]

@dalej42

Check out channel 12 news tonight. I was interviewed, along with my hiking friend, about our opinions about the Arizona state budget. I mentioned the Ohio library cuts as an example.

What time? I just got home from soccer practice.

[Carol_Stream]

@Really_Not_All_That_Bright

He did answer the question - state employees outside the library system are getting cost of living increases while library funding is being cut.

The solution to that “problem” is to cut the other state employees’ salaries, too, not to give the librarians a raise. Isn’t that obvious?

[tumbleddown]

@suranyi

This might be a nice symbolic gesture, but it wouldn’t actually address the problem.

In other words, it’s not an option.

It wouldn’t solve the problem, no. But if elected officials are going to subject the most vulnerable in our society to the harm that comes when, for instance, the blind cannot be educated, or homebound seniors can’t get their meals on wheels, then they should have to give something up as well. Not just the governor, either, but all the legislators. The rank and file government employees are facing salary cuts, but the elected ones aren’t. That’s ridiculous.

[suranyi]

@tumbleddown

It wouldn’t solve the problem, no. But if elected officials are going to subject the most vulnerable in our society to the harm that comes when, for instance, the blind cannot be educated, or homebound seniors can’t get their meals on wheels, then they should have to give something up as well. Not just the governor, either, but all the legislators. The rank and file government employees are facing salary cuts, but the elected ones aren’t. That’s ridiculous.

Yes, it’s ridculous. But my current position is this: My state (California) is in dire straits. We need to solve the problem. I don’t want to hear about anything from our legislators except actual solutions to the real fiscal problems of our state.

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@suranyi

Yes, it’s ridculous. But my current position is this: My state (California) is in dire straits. We need to solve the problem. I don’t want to hear about anything from our legislators except actual solutions to the real fiscal problems of our state.

The solution is “stop letting residents vote on budget propositions”.

[Cisco]

@Really_Not_All_That_Bright

The solution is “stop letting residents vote on budget propositions”.

Yeah, no shit. The voter propositions have gotten absolutely out of control here and I hear they’re worse in California. There’s a hundred of them on the ballot every time around and three quarters of them are fairy tales. Most of the rest are various ways to screw over and/or express our collective hate for Mexicans.

[suranyi]

@Really_Not_All_That_Bright

The solution is “stop letting residents vote on budget propositions”.

I have no problem with that. But I don’t think it’s going to happen fast enough. I want to hear something that’s going to forestall insolvency within the next two weeks.

[mswas]

@Labrador_Deceiver

Are you talking about the Washington Square Park Fountain? That didn’t cost millions of dollars. It simply was one of the many improvements made to the park during a much larger renovation project. Also, NY hasn’t paid a dime for the name change on the bridge, and doesn’t expect to for at least another couple of years. Though, I admit it’s a stupid waste of money to change the name of established landmarks. Atlanta changed the name of its airport a few years back which pissed off a lot of people.

Moving the fountain made the renovation more expensive. It’s pretty simple. They had to pay people to move it, and I am sure it was expensive. How about this, I think it’s ok for the city to spend $ 10,000 on the project of moving the fountain, if it cost more than that then it was a bunch of waste spent to make NYU and the rich people that live around there feel better about a park that didn’t need renovation in the first place.

So we paid for the RFK Bridge renaming on credit, even better. :rolleyes: