I would make the following comments regarding Mr. Rybak's post. First I have to say that Mr. Rybak has worked very hard to raise money for the downtown library. For folks who have not heard, we are expecting to have about $8 M of the $15 M of the fundraising done by the end of the year. This is an amazing amount of fundraising given that this process is starting from a standstill and its success is definitely in part to Mr. Rybak's work.
As I noted in a previous post, however, Mr. Rybak has recommended terminating neighborhood library capital funding starting in 2006. And there is no other public source of funds to maintain the library buildings other than bonds. There are really only three options: provide bond money, not maintain the libraries, or attempt to secure private funds. It was my assumption that, as Mr. Rybak was advocating closing neighborhood libraries, because he didn't win on the operating budget, he was trying to force closings through cutting capital funding. But I would infer from Mr. Rybak's most recent post that instead he feels that the capital needs of libraries should be funded with donations. Now I would quote a very wise woman, Arvonne Fraser: "You can't run government on donations." Libraries are a government function not a private one. We left the private library model behind us a 100 years ago and we should not be working to turn the clock back. Also Mr. Rybak's proposed budget does not expect other governmental services to be funded in this manner. We don't expect some business to donate a new fire station. We don't go passing a hat around for a new police precinct. Why do we expect that libraries to? Now the downtown library campaign is a good model. It was planned to have a private component but this private component was only $15 M of a $125 M total pricetag, less than 10% of the total budget. This allows for private donation for special items like art and the performance hall but does not make the basic project hinge on whether or not private funding is provided. Mr. Rybak talks about different thinking. We should maintain our libraries. We should not send them out to beg for their survival. I would hope that the City Council would restore funding for our libraries. Carol Becker Longfellow REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
