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Old 04-09-2011, 08:29 PM
 
Location: Geneva, IL
12,979 posts, read 14,612,327 times
Reputation: 14863

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13 of Cobb County's 17 library branches will close indefinitely beginning May 1, 2011. Only the Central, Mountain View, South Cobb, and West Cobb Libraries will remain open.

The Marietta Daily Journal - Library patrons throw the book at Lee s plan

Is anyone angered by this? I am.
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Old 04-09-2011, 09:05 PM
 
876 posts, read 2,286,244 times
Reputation: 266
Wow, that is a drastic cut. Yes, I find that very disappointing as I think libraries are very useful for some citizens.
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Old 04-09-2011, 09:53 PM
 
4,040 posts, read 7,469,144 times
Reputation: 3900
What???????????

No way!!
East Cobb too??? They just opened that one, no?
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Old 04-09-2011, 11:49 PM
 
Location: Geneva, IL
12,979 posts, read 14,612,327 times
Reputation: 14863
Quote:
Originally Posted by syracusa View Post
What???????????

No way!!
East Cobb too??? They just opened that one, no?
Yes, the new one. The irony is that they will have to continue paying the lease on that building, actually on all the closed libraries. Doesn't make a lick of sense.
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Old 04-10-2011, 05:53 AM
 
Location: Atlanta
3,573 posts, read 5,327,250 times
Reputation: 2396
Wow.

So even the supposedly well-managed conservative bastion known as Cobb County is having problems with maintaining its currently level of government services, eh?

My question is: Is this Commissioner Chairman Lee using some sort of guideline that considers the distance between each library and/or the amount of attendence these libraries receive yearly when considering which libraries to be closed? OR is he just doing it willy-nilly because he feels that there is no value in the libraries?

That's pretty disappointing that our state & so many of the people in it seems to show such a general lack of respect for education that many of the institutions responsible for giving it would be the first on the budget-chopping block in hard times.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zimbochick View Post
13 of Cobb County's 17 library branches will close indefinitely beginning May 1, 2011. Only the Central, Mountain View, South Cobb, and West Cobb Libraries will remain open.

The Marietta Daily Journal - Library patrons throw the book at Lee s plan

Is anyone angered by this? I am.
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Old 04-10-2011, 06:12 AM
 
9,124 posts, read 36,476,893 times
Reputation: 3632
No matter what they do, no one is happy. Let's face it- tax revenues are down, so they have two choices- reduce services or raise tax rates. If they raises taxes, everyone screams, and if they reduce services everyone screams.

If you've got to reduce services, I'd rather see libraries closed than see a reduction in police or fire services.
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Old 04-10-2011, 06:14 AM
 
Location: East Cobb
2,206 posts, read 6,909,246 times
Reputation: 924
I'd rather see taxes raised.
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Old 04-10-2011, 06:20 AM
 
9,124 posts, read 36,476,893 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RainyRainyDay View Post
I'd rather see taxes raised.
So would I, but we're in the minority here in the south.
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Old 04-10-2011, 06:37 AM
 
Location: Marietta, GA
7,887 posts, read 17,245,635 times
Reputation: 3706
You guys may have a coronary, but I would actually prefer to see taxes raised, but in a specific way.

The way it was done in Massachusetts is actually a decent model. Prop 2 1/2 was passed in the 80s, and it basically said that no town or city could raise the property tax levy more than 2.5% in any single year, without voter approval. That meant that if property values decreased, they could raise rates to offset, but the overall tax levy couldn't go up more than 2.5%.

I would actually not see a huge problem with rates going up somewhat to offset the massive decline in property values. It isn't realistic to expect that the county can just suddenly take in 25% less overnight, especially an already lean and efficient county like Cobb. The change to taxpayers would be neutral if you use the same method as MA. Raise rates, but so that no homeowner pays more than they did...say on 1/1/2009. Most people would still pay less overall.

Then when values go back up, the rates would come back down, in order to maintain the level overall tax digest for the county. Works well in MA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposition_2%C2%BD

When the bone starts getting cut, I have no problem looking at offsetting what has been an unnatural decline. The worry for me is whether or not the honest thing is done and taxes are reduced when the crisis is over. That never seems to happen. The mistake that many liberals make is the assumption that anyone who wants a responsible gov't or a fair tax system is "against taxes" ....period. Not true, at least in my case. I don't mind paying "my fair share" provided it is my fair share, and not mine plus the share of ten other people.

With property tax, everyone pays, not just people with homes that are worth a certain value or above. We don't have 50% of homeowners paying no taxes. The more your home is worth, the more you pay. Fairness is a key test to me. Do we all share the burden and pain of an increase?

Last edited by neil0311; 04-10-2011 at 06:55 AM..
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Old 04-10-2011, 09:02 AM
 
Location: Geneva, IL
12,979 posts, read 14,612,327 times
Reputation: 14863
[quote=AcidSnake;18662951] My question is: Is this Commissioner Chairman Lee using some sort of guideline that considers the distance between each library and/or the amount of attendence these libraries receive yearly when considering which libraries to be closed? OR is he just doing it willy-nilly because he feels that there is no value in the libraries?

According to the article those are classified as "regional libraries" as opposed to branches I suppose.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AcidSnake View Post
That's pretty disappointing that our state & so many of the people in it seems to show such a general lack of respect for education that many of the institutions responsible for giving it would be the first on the budget-chopping block in hard times.
Agreed. People fail to see the long-term implications of reducing spending in education.
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