| Pictors Studio | 12 Sep 2009 1:16 p.m. PST |
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| kyoteblue | 12 Sep 2009 1:38 p.m. PST |
Wow !!! Sounds like it's time to move!!! |
| Waco Joe | 12 Sep 2009 1:39 p.m. PST |
I haven't seen the "Hold the Library Hostage" gambit used in quite a while. Good to know that Philly still honors the old ways. |
| Cold Steel | 12 Sep 2009 4:53 p.m. PST |
PA politics at their finest. Why aren't they asking the city for the money. After all, it is the PHILADELPHIA library. |
| goragrad | 12 Sep 2009 5:03 p.m. PST |
When looking to justify increased taxes or deficits, always pick the high visibility 'targets.' Classic. |
| Waco Joe | 12 Sep 2009 5:07 p.m. PST |
Just a guess, but I imagine the city wants some money from the state that the state is somewhat hesitant to give. So as a result the city will "have" to take the money from other sources, aka the library. The library and more importantly the library director, knows who does their performance review therefore the web page that claims the problem is at the statehouse. Go to about 2:30 of this Blazing Saddles clip and I think you will find a parallel. YouTube link Do I have to say that Blazing Saddles is NSFW? |
Oppiedog  | 12 Sep 2009 5:17 p.m. PST |
Philly's broke – They haven't passed a budget yet and the State House is tired of giving them money. Besides the Library, they using the tried and true threat of laying off Police, Firemen and EMS. Don't hear too much about laying off alot of laying off any of the strap hangers in city hall though. Nothing about cutting back on any other services either – would be too Blue Fez to list them. Philly at their finest! P.S. – They want to raise more taxes again … |
 Editor in Chief Bill   | 12 Sep 2009 5:24 p.m. PST |
Hate to be a contrarian, but libraries are rapidly becoming obsolete. |
| Ed Mohrmann | 12 Sep 2009 5:24 p.m. PST |
I keep askin' Mom if she wants to move down here with us
(she's a farmgirl, after all) but she says 'Philly, bad
as it is, is my home…' |
| Regrebnelle | 12 Sep 2009 5:55 p.m. PST |
We did this same dance during Governor Rendell's first year in office with around a 40% cut for libraries if i recall correctly. Made my term as president of our local board a real treat trying to keep the doors open. PA libraries finally got back to 2002 funding levels in the 2007 budget, looks like the cycle begins again. Mark |
| Regrebnelle | 12 Sep 2009 5:58 p.m. PST |
More problematic are the potential cuts to the state database support systems, these could hurt worse than the subsidy funding in the long term. The last section of this article covers the computer support cuts.
link Mark |
| nycjadie | 13 Sep 2009 4:13 a.m. PST |
"Hate to be a contrarian, but libraries are rapidly becoming obsolete." I must disagree. Libraries are still depositories of information and offer access to books. They offer free computers and internet access, children's books, magazines and newspapers, etc. Lots of people can't afford these things. I've spent much of my life in libraries and free access to them made me much of what I am today. I recall seeing the old timers in the library reading newspapers thinking why do they go to the library to read newspapers when they can buy them for a quarter? I guess they just wanted to hang out at the library. |
| CLDISME | 13 Sep 2009 7:33 a.m. PST |
I agree with nycjadie. You would be surprised how popular libraries are with all the services they provide. My local library needed to negotiate over-flow parking with its neighbors. Fortunately, the neighbors were other governmental entities and everything went smoothly. |
 McKinstry | 13 Sep 2009 8:28 a.m. PST |
Classic Philly politics. I wonder how many state senators have relatives on staff that will be unaffected by any budget constraints. |
