search-engines-web.com sent along some Good News From Salinas California. Although she’s skimpy on the details, Salinas Mayor Anna Caballero on Thursday will set the stage for saving the city’s libraries from closure.
Caballero said she will announce her plans for what she’s calling “Rally Salinas,” which will create momentum for a tax initiative and collection of charitable donations for city services.
Sorry but…
If I have to give donations to keep city services active I’m going to make sure my money goes to the fire department and police department. Libraries are nice, but no one ever died because they couldn’t get a book.
If I had to give of my time I’d have to pick something else besides libraries as well. Medical services, policing those things I can volunteer for as well. Now if it were not my hometown I’d probably just head for the hills, but I am certain many people like Salinas enough to stay.
Perhaps going without libraries is what really is needed to show those who voted against taxes for the library. Then again perhaps a little budgetary prioritization would help as well.
I don’t have any solutions, but it seems neither Salinas except the mayor’s plan which she is keeping a secret. It seems though it too will be too little too late to keep library services as they were. I hope it works, but it seems some people are going to get screwed and it seems like it will be librarians and support staff. 1.5MM in donations doesn’t make 8MM in taxes no matter how its dished up.
Cubans can’t read anything they want and their librarians are imprisioned for their work. Nepal just closed its libraries by order of the king in a ‘regal coup’ -he also turned off the phones and internet connections and censored the newspapers. North Koreans can be executed for their opinions.
So, I really can’t have too much sympathy for Salinas. The library staff-yes sure they are getting screwed, but the citizens screwed themselves. They made their bed, they should lie in it- at least until they realize they are depriving themselves of something for which others would risk their lives.