In a recent op-ed in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, local Irondequoit politico Richard Barone–known for his dislike of any kind of tax for any kind of service–called library supporters “cry babies” because of our desire to stop the continual cuts to state library aid.
He lead his missive with
The 10 percent cut in state aid to the New York libraries is not as drastic as it seems or as unfair as some library spokespersons claim.
If Richard only paid attention to the facts instead of relying on typical anti-tax, Tea Party rhetoric. The reality of state library funding is this.
- Library aid has already been reduced five times since 2008 from $102 million to $84 million in 2010.
- The proposed 10% cut would reduce Library Aid to $76 million–below 1994 levels.
- The combined multiyear cuts would total $26 million or 26% of Library Aid.
- During the same time, library use has increased by 11% and 98% of libraries report helping someone look for a job.
The majority of state library aid goes to library systems. For the Irondequoit Public Library, that’s the Monroe County Library System. The system provides inter-library loan, online databases and resources for research, cataloguing and circulation services as well as professional development programming.
When state library aid is cut, the systems are forced to pass increased costs along to their member libraries. The libraries then have to turn to their funders. Since Irondequoit Public Library is a municipal library–an actual department of the Town–the Library board will have to go to the Town board to ask for an increase in funding to cover the extra $16,199 it will need to pay the system–a 27% increase.
Since the Library has already received cuts from the Town because of its financial situation, it is questionable whether the Town will be able to make up the $16,199 in library funding.
Richard Barone is the cry baby here. Lashing out at any tax regardless of the impact on his community. It’s a shame. It’s rhetoric like Barone’s that has forced Irondequoit and other libraries across the state to cut programming and hours and other services despite increasing use and demand from their communities.
2 comments
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Beverly Choltco-Devlin says:
March 22, 2011 at 1:03 pm (UTC -4)
This is unbelievable. I’ll bet he wouldn’t call opponents to funding cuts for an agency that is largely represented by men “crybabies.” Perhaps I am overstating the case, but I firmly believe that these attacks on libraries (and other agencies that employ and more importantly are run by women) are being targeted by those in power (preponderantly white males) because they simply don’t believe that women and the issues that are important to them (and not for nothing but that actually HELP PEOPLE BECOME MORE PRODUCTIVE)are worth ANY tax dollars. Their perspectives are an effort to minimize the gains that women have made and the help that they give. Oh, I forgot, agencies traditionally run by males haven’t been cut to the degree that libraries, social services, teachers and pre-school have.
anna says:
March 22, 2011 at 8:29 pm (UTC -4)
“Politico” is too nice a word for this guy.
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