Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
They want to cut the Library Funding by 75% and I'm exreatmly worried by this. No more inter library system, no more loans from library to library, no more internet at the library, no more free library. This is what we're looking at. This is a cut that NEEDS to be addressed because it is too much. This is an area that has been relatively efficient when compared to other areas of the budget.
The cuts are tough but I think he should cut even more. Lets do away with a bunch of firehouses,senior citizen centers and libraries as well.
Cut cut cut!! You want something? Buy it!
I bet the people who scream the loudest that libraries are obsolete and are too cheap to pay 60 bucks a year in local taxes to support a decent one spend upwards of more than that every month for crappy reality tv cable channels.
But I would be willing to pay a small fee to borrow materials.
FWIW, my mother works part-time for one of the state's largest library systems (the largest, probably) and her branch is packed on a daily basis. Book circulation is still going very strong, and the library offers a ton of classes that are well-attended, as well as children's programs.
As I said, libraries really aren't any kind of money pit. It's a minute portion of your taxes and it is an integral part of the community whether you use it personally or not.
The goal in cost-cutting should be taking a look at the expensive parts of government and restructuring state funding formulas, union contracts and other regulations to save the taxpayers money. It doesn't mean trying to fix that aren't broke and already run efficiently just for the hell of it.
Every one is for cutting expenses. Just cut things that do not matter to them and everything will be ok. Personally I do not think the state should be funding libraries or schools. They are local. If you want to live in a town with a good school system and good libraries, then raise property taxes to cover it. Makes no sense to have the state collect taxes to give to the local governments when the local governments can collect taxes themselves.
Every one is for cutting expenses. Just cut things that do not matter to them and everything will be ok. Personally I do not think the state should be funding libraries or schools. They are local. If you want to live in a town with a good school system and good libraries, then raise property taxes to cover it. Makes no sense to have the state collect taxes to give to the local governments when the local governments can collect taxes themselves.
The state actually provides very little aid to libraries. In my county, it's on a full-county system anyway. There are no municipal libraries except for one tiny little borough that has to be different.
As far as eliminating school funding, the state already has essentially cut all its funding from the suburban districts under Christie's latest budget. So you got your wish on that one. State school funding comes from the sales tax and the income tax - as well as corporate taxes. Unfortunately almost all of that funding goes to the 31 Abbotts.
The way NJ (at least in Bergen County) towns are set up are quite archaic (though good in the charm department because of it) in that things need to be consolidated for better efficiency.
You have geographically small municipalities that serve overlapping communities.
I use the library system FREQUENTLY, and I'm glad he's making these cuts. When using Bergen County Library Search, I find the same books in multiple libraries and they are pretty much all stocked - whether the library be Tenafly, Teaneck, Paramus, Bergenfield, etc, etc (all within a 7 mile radius).
Whenever I go to pick up the books I notice that it's usually empty, save for people who use the WiFi to get away from roommates, etc which you can use a Starbucks for.
Some quotes from:Reading Rockets: 12 Ways Libraries Are Good for the Country ·Libraries inform citizens.
“Libraries make democracy work by providing access to information so that citizens can make the decisions necessary to govern themselves. … [A library’s] existence indicates the extent to which a democratic society values knowledge, truth, justice, books, and culture.” ·Libraries level the playing field.
“By making all its resources equally available to all members of its community, regardless of income, class, or other factors, the library levels the playing field. Once users have access to the library's materials, they have the opportunity to level the playing field outside the library by learning to read, gaining employment, or starting a business.” . Libraries build communities.
“Each community has its libraries and its special collections. Libraries validate and unify; they save lives, literally and by preserving the record of those lives. Community-building means libraries link people with information.”
·Libraries preserve the past.
“Libraries preserve the record; a nation, a culture.”
Do you not see this trend of cutting. It is only going to lead to your job being cut as well. Do you really think it will stop at the public sector. Adding to unemployment isn't going to help our state. What do all these people librarians etc etc do .... they are going to be looking at your jobs. The more people willing to do your jobs down goes your salary, or there goes your job or why should your boss keep you if he can hire someone new without benefits.
The middle class is getting pushed downward. Christie should be looking for ways to create jobs and businesses. Have you ever seen your taxes go down. NO
Christie has been in office for 5 months and you are expecting to see a tax cut? We are $11 billion in the hole you should be happy your taxes haven't gone up.
I agree we have to make NJ more business friendly, we now rank dead last due to our tax structure.
"New Jersey often plays second fiddle to neighboring New York, but a new survey of the 50 U.S. states shows the Garden State bested New York in having the least favorable tax climate for business."[LEFT]
[/LEFT]
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Libraries
