[Winona Online Democracy] Thanks for the discussion on funding of libraries...I'm finding it enlightening but also somewhat scary! I appreciate Tom and Paul's willingness to put their ideas out there and question the conventional way of running a public library, but I think clearly they are also expressing a willingness to have the public library devolve into a much more limited role than what we are used to.
As I understand it, this particular application of the "No New Taxes" philosophy starts with the now-familiar assumption that taxes are bad and need to be reduced dramatically. This leads to the need for major changes that will somehow reduce someone's taxes. It's ok if that means other individuals assume higher costs in the form of user fees, penalities, or the need to privately purchase goods or services formerly provided. It's even ok to shift the costs to a different type of public funding (ie, Paul's idea of shifting library funding to Community Education) as long as somewhere, somehow there are taxes to be cut. It's as if Taxes are the new acceptable scapegoat for all our problems, and any opportunity to be seen cutting them is the equivalent of a great photo op if you're a conservative politician. Gee, it seems like this is a microcosm of the larger picture of government funding for schools, human services, and public infrastructure in general. So here's my question for everyone on this New Year's Day: are we as a culture/society (1) willingly and consciously going down the path of reducing public services (as well as scaling back our collective sense of responsibility for meeting human needs), or are we (2) being led down that path by disingenuous public leadership and by our collective unwillingness to look beyond the immediate gratification of reduced taxes? Scott Lowery _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
