On Monday, September 5, 2005, at 05:23 PM, Anderson & Turpin wrote:
Pitting interests against each other is exactly what the Board is
supposed
to do. I went to the candidate forum to discover what
the priorities were for each candidate, but you didn't answer that.
You can search for new funding sources, but that function is secondary
to
your responsibility to spend the money responsibly.
Each year the library board approves its operating budget. That
includes decisions on how much is allocated for personnel, the
collection, and keeping the libraries running. In that way priorities
are set are annually. When revenue fell, the library board voted to
keep all libraries open. There was a cost for that. Over 70 jobs were
lost.
Some library programs are funded by outside sources and some are funded
by the operating budget. Even cutting 100% of those programs will not
result in Saturday hours to all libraries. Restoring a few libraries to
40 or 50 hours a week will involve closing many others. Addressing the
$3 million gap in this way is a decision the library board has thus far
rejected.
Private sources are not likely or reliable substitutes for tax revenue.
Most funders are reluctant to replace lost government dollars or refuse
to replace them. Others will give one time grants but not ongoing
operating revenue. Still others will give for special programs that
serve the poor, disadvantaged, or that have some other special
population distinction. Those special program dollars cannot be used to
restore library hours per se. Growing the tax revenue pie is the most
feasible way to restore stability to the system.
Sheldon and I have the priority of growing the pie. The library board
is elected city wide and represents the voters city wide. Every library
is included. Not paying attention to revenues will have dire
consequences in 2008 when the library budget is expected to be out of
balance and unable to meet current expenses. More severe cuts will come
unless we act now. The way to do that is to make the case, effectively
and convincingly that the entire library system must have revenue
sufficient to operate as the great public knowledge and education
enterprise it is.
Best wishes,
Laura
Laura Waterman Wittstock
Candidate for Minneapolis Library Board of Trustees
DFL and Labor endorsed
AFSCME Mn Council 5
AFL-CIO COPE
Minneapolis Building and Trades
Stonewall DFL
Minnesota Women's Political Caucus
www.laurawatermanwittstock.com
http://laurawatermanwittstock.blogspot.com/
Wittstock for Library Committee
913 19th Avenue SE, Mpls, 55414
Minneapolis, MN
612-387-4915
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