Although we send our kids to catholic school (Annunciation, which by the
way my King Field and East Harriet neighbors, is in many respects a
community school -- but that's a different post), my wife and I will be
supporting the school referendum.
However, I'm having a harder time swallowing the library referendum and
basically it comes down to cost. Now the library is important to our
family as we go to Washburn all the time and I'm a frequent central
library user for nearly 20 years so we appreciate the library system and
are well aware of its needs.
The bottom line is that the library is asking for a lot of money for a
long time and all of the analysis given does not take into consideration
the increase in assessed home valuation that is expected in the future.
Case in point: In the last 6 years my home has risen in assessed value
from $86,000 to $144,000! And given what houses are selling for in this
area there is no doubt that it will rise again next year What will it
be in 5 more years when the library costs really kick in?
Now I wish the City hadn't tied in so much of its property tax value in
TIF districts to help out Target, Block E etc. But it did and the fact
is that residential development has to swallow more and more of the
burden of providing services in this City. The bottom line is that
property taxes are taking a bigger bite out of everyone's wallets and
purses. I have a feeling that the library referendum is a bellwether
for more resistance to higher property taxes in Minneapolis and that
passing of higher property taxes is going to be even tougher in the
future.
This rant coming from a Wellstone lovin', Clinton defendin' DFL votin'
liberal.
Dean E. Carlson
East Harriet
Ward 10
David Brauer wrote:
>
> Wizard & Russ - I've seen the info piece that the Minneapolis Public Library
> will soon send out. According to it, the tax bite from years 5-30 (when the
> tax is on fully) is the following:
>
> Ward 8 Median Home Value: $87,000 Tax: $49.34 per year (Wizard's ward, I
> think)
> Ward 9 Median Home Value: $89,000 Tax: $50.47 per year (Russ's ward)
> Ward 10 Median Home Value: $139,000 Tax: $78.82 per year (my ward)
>
> ..and of course, as assessments rise, you may reach the levels of these
> wards:
>
> Ward 13 Median Home Value: $171,000 Tax: $96.97 per year
> Ward 7 Median Home Value: $273,000 Tax: $154.81 per year
>
> By the way, the Rich Ward rankings:
>
> Ward 7: $273,000
> Ward 13: $171,000
> Ward 11: $143,500
> Ward 10: $139,000
> Ward 2: $118,500
> Ward 1: $104,000
> Ward 12: $103,000
> Ward 9: $89,000
> Ward 8: $87,000
> Ward 4: $75,500
> Ward 3: $67,000
> Ward 5: $66,000
> Ward 6: $56,500 (where the median home will pay $32 per year for the library
> initiative)
>
> David Brauer
> King Field - Ward 10 - We're #4!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
> Behalf Of wizardmarks
> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 8:54 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: Re: library referendum
>
> I hope someone can answer Russell Peterson's first question, I'd like to
> know the tax
> bite from building the new library.
> As to his second question, the notion of merging Hennepin County and
> Minneapolis
> Public libraries has been discussed for years. The conclusion seems to be
> that
> Minneapolis libraries would lose big in a merger and the resources would be
> concentrated out in the county. I tend to agree with that judgment.
> Wizard Marks, Central
>
> Russell Wayne Peterson wrote:
>
> > I have two questions:
> > 1 How much will the new Library cost each taxpayer in Minneapolis
> including
> > the interest on the bonds per year and for how many years?
> > 2 Has the idea of merging libraries to create a metropolitan library
> system
> > been discussed? Any pros or cons?
> >
> > Russell W. Peterson
> > Ward 9
> > Standish
> >
> > R U S S E L L P E T E R S O N D E S I G N
> > "You can only fly if you stretch your wings."
> >
> > 3857 23rd Avenue South
> > Minneapolis, MN 55407
> >
> > 612-724-2331
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > Russell W. Peterson, RA, CID
> > Founder
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Andy Driscoll
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2000 1:21 PM
> > To: Multiple recipients of list
> > Subject: Re: library referendum - Swan/Taxes/etc
> >
> > Carol Becker makes the case for the referendum solely by her first point -
> > where was my friend, Wally Swan, when his constituents were backing the
> > bonds for private corporations and millionaire business and sports owners?
> > Wally's credibility suffers severely under the strain of these comparative
> > tirades, but the library is the business and the pleasure of the people,
> and
> > one can surmise all one wishes over the role corporations play in the
> > library system. At bottom - it's a public, a people's institution, worthy
> of
> > centennial improvement and upgrading.
> >
> > The issues David raises are important they make eminent sense - follow
> the
> > money, of course - but his concerns not enough to scuttle the building of
> a
> > new library. I've used the Minneapolis Library. And you can feel the
> squeeze
> > just walking in.
> >
> > Downtown? It's central, pure and simple. I'm getting very tired of these
> > tribal arguments between advocates of a central district and outlying
> > neighborhoods as if these entities are not interdependent for the vitality
> > of an urban core. Get with it, people, this is divisive and unproductive
> and
> > just the thing king/queen-makers love to see - communities torn asunder by
> > their biases.
> >
> > Of course the main library should be built and built downtown. It is as
> > important - perhaps more so - than much of this drive toward corporate
> > welfare, proven by experience everywhere in this nation to have backfired
> > almost every time when the promises are compared with the reality of the
> > subsidy.
> >
> > On these issues alone should the referendum pass, albeit overlaid with
> more
> > wisdom, perhaps, in the site selection and ancillary (hidden?) costs
> > addressed.
> >
> > Andy Driscoll
> > --
> > "Whatever keeps you from your work is your work."
> > Albert
> Camus
> > The Driscoll Group/Communications
> > Writing/Graphics/Strategic Development
> > 1595 Selby Ave./Suite 206
> > St. Paul, MN 55104
> > 651-649-1188/Fax:651-645-3169
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > http://www.driscollgroup.com
> >
> > > From: "Carol Becker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2000 08:13:31 -0500
> > > To: "Multiple recipients of list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > Subject: Re: library referendum - Swan/Taxes/etc
> > >
> > > Let's see if I can respond to some of the issues that folks have brought
> > up
> > > regarding the library referendum.
> > >
> > > 1) Wally Swan's letter: My basic beef with Mr. Swan's letter is that he
> > > wasn't writing letters when it came to so many other projects which used
> > > money from our tax base. He didn't write a letter over the Block E TIF
> > > deal. He didn't write a letter over the Target Store and Target Tower
> > deal.
> > > He didn't write a letter over the Schubert deal. He didn't write a
> letter
> > > about the Target Center deal. All these deals and silence. The deal
> that
> > > was cut for the Parks will cost twice as much as the library referendum
> > and
> > > he didn't write a letter on that. But when it comes down to the
> > Libraries,
> > > something that is for the people directly, he writes a letter to the
> > editor.
> > > If Mr. Swan feels that this project is too much, where was he when all
> > these
> > > other deals were being
> > > done? Why hasn't he been raising a ruckus all along? If he felt so
> > > strongly about the budget, why wasn't he writing letters to the editor
> on
> > > the past several budgets? 75% of households used the libraries last
> year.
> > > Why should library users (i.e. most of us) be hurt because of all these
> > past
> > > deals?
> > >
> > > 2) Taxes shifting to residential properties: Taxes *are* shifting to
> > > residential properties. This isn't the fault of the libraries. In
> fact,
> > it
> > > isn't the fault of any local official. It is the fault of the
> > Legislature.
> > > Tricky, eh? The Legislature sets up the property tax system and the
> local
> > > governments have to play with the rules that the Legislature sets up.
> And
> > > over the last five years or so, the Legislature has dramatically shifted
> > the
> > > costs of property taxes off commercial/industrial, high-end residential,
> > and
> > > rental property in the name of property tax reform. Squarely onto you
> and
> > > I, the middle class taxpayer. Right at a time when our valuations are
> > also
> > > increasing. The people to be angry with are not the local officials.
> If
> > > the referendum would have been paid for like all other taxes, the costs
> to
> > > residents would probably been half or less (I haven't been able to get
> the
> > > City Finance folks to run the numbers). Again, because the Legislature
> has
> > > been messing with the tax system, increasing middle class taxes, why
> > should
> > > the libraries suffer? I appreciate that citizens are angry about this,
> > (as
> > > am I) but the appropriate tool is to vote out your legislator who has
> been
> > > doing this, not voting out the needed library improvements.
> > >
> > > 3) Why do we need a downtown library at all and how is it good for the
> > > neighborhoods? The downtown library is much much more than just an
> > > overgrown business library. There is a synergy between the branches and
> > the
> > > downtown library, one needing the other.
> > >
> > > The downtown library houses all the books that can't fit in the branch
> > > libraries. This includes both general books and the special collections
> > > that Ms. Marks refers to. Ms. Marks makes a strong argument for the
> need
> > > for special collections but it isn't practical to house those in
> branches.
> > > You need a central library to house those books. Unfortunately, the
> > > downtown library is full. It was designed to hold 1.6 million books
> and
> > > now holds 2.5 million. Librarians throw out books when they buy new
> ones
> > > because there is no place to store them. That weakens the branches as
> > well
> > > because the branches don't have access to those books once they are gone
> > > either.
> > >
> > > As to why it is downtown? Simple. Transit. Libraries are for the
> people
> > > and no place is more accessible to everyone than the downtown. The
> > business
> > > community that uses the central library could get to the library
> wherever
> > it
> > > is. It is other folks who need access that a downtown location
> requires.
> > > And yes, one of the critical elements of the new design is parking so
> > folks
> > > don't just have to ride the bus to get to the library.
> > >
> > > It is hard to imagine with the dump that we have today what the downtown
> > > library could be. A destination to take our kids on a Saturday. A
> place
> > to
> > > spend an evening, browsing and finding wonderful things. A place to
> help
> > > our kids learn. A place for people who cannot afford a computer to
> access
> > > the information highway. A place that doesn't exist now. But a place
> > that
> > > could exist.
> > >
> > > 4) Why do we need better branch libraries? Several people mentioned the
> > > need for computer access. Currently most libraries are not wired nor
> have
> > > the space to meet demand for computer access. I was at East Lake on
> > > Saturday and every computer was full. With a waiting list. In fact,
> one
> > > parent had fallen asleep waiting for her kid's turn on the computers.
> 75%
> > > of our kids are on free or reduced lunches. These parents are not going
> > to
> > > be able to afford computers for their kids. Where do they turn? The
> > > libraries. Everyone should have access to electronic information.
> > >
> > > Ms. Marks also talks about the need for more diversity of books in the
> > > branch libraries. Most of the branch libraries are at capacity.
> Without
> > > expansion, where do you put these books? It is a simple question of
> > space.
> > >
> > >
> > > Libraries are for the people. By supporting them, we are supporting us.
> > >
> > > Carol Becker
> > > Longfellow
> > > Treasurer, Citizens for Minneapolis Public Libraries
> > >
> > >
> > >
