No debate

There is no debate. If you have followed both sides of this argument you are almost certainly caught in an uncertain middle where you are left to wonder: Who am I to believe?

I warned about this last October, what we could expect if we failed to free the library from the (toxic) political machinations of Troy. And so it is, ten months now of ugly accusations, confusing "facts" thrown about, further divisions in a city already divided, and both sides utterly convinced of each one's righteousness. And I'm left to wonder: When did talking to each other become blood sport?

But it really all comes down to one simple and irrefutable fact: the library will close if the No vote wins. There is no other "truth" out there that means anything. All other facts are useless flotsam in the ongoing argument between political extremes.

Even if you believe the City Council is wrong, then you must at least understand that they have no choice now - financially and politically. They simply must close the library if this fails. And they will. They have said so and there is no reason to believe otherwise. Anyone who says otherwise has their own political agenda that has nothing whatsoever to do with saving the library.

I have argued passionately on this blog in the past about another way, a fair and equitable way, backed up by a financially specific plan to balance the budget. But that path was not chosen. That's how politics works. I will always believe it was a missed opportunity, particularly by those who couldn't be bothered to read the plan, but it no longer matters. This is what we are left with. This is where we are.

The library lives or the library dies. That's the question. Nothing less, nothing more. The responsibility is ultimately yours and it's time to choose. And so I ask that you ignore the arguments from both sides now. Yes, I am serious. Ignore both sides and simply weigh your aspirations for our community; think about what a closed library means in both a practical daily sense (story time for children, studying high school, college and graduate students, seniors meeting/reading/connecting, unemployed access to computers for job searching) and a larger community reputation sense (unrecoverable damage to our image and, hence, our property values). It really is clarifying, yes? We have to stop this now. There is no tomorrow.

Vote for optimism. Vote for hope for a better community. Vote to stop they cynical and bitter arguing. Vote to save the library. Vote Yes on August 2.

Is it really a choice?