This had to be a tough weekend for a lot of people. Today and through the remainder of the week many library part time staffers are getting the sack as the library unwinding continues. Information can be found here on the library's Facebook page. As of today, no one in authority has communicated who these people are. All we know is the day they are told will be their last day.
So next time someone tells you about the "highly paid city workers", ask them if they know any of the $8-$13 per hour part timers who had no benefits and now have no jobs after years of service. And the next time someone tells you they aren't going to close the library, just take a look at how fast this is all coming apart.
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7 comments:
This week is going to be horrible. That's all there is to it.
Is all of this their way of trying to force through another millage in November? I asked a long time Troy resident that and he said that would not work based on past issues (Troy High comes to mind). What do you think?
As another old time resident I've learned that each issue has its own merits and problems. THS was a fiasco. People were recalled and, then, re-elected the next election.
Due to the economic issues, an independent auditor should be brought in to really scour over the books for inconsistencies and accuracy. The residents then would be clear on how "bad" or "good" things truly are. Once the books are transparent and the residents see there was nothing hidden, city administration will once more be trusted by the people.
The library is another issue. It is for everyone - young, old, business, homeowner, researcher, general reader, students, and adults, etc. You can call,email, or talk "live" to a librarian from online from home, or go to the library. It's sad to see the programming gone including storytimes for the little ones. For some it was there only contact with English until school.
Perhaps a millage just for the library would be the answer. Also it would be advantageous to start with new and fresh administration with excellent people skills and welcoming attitude. Along with the very well-spoken Rhonda, Friends president, and an open-minded administrator, the residents would realize what a gem of a library we have. Troy residents should be proud of their excellent library once more!
Currently it appears that the public isn't happy with the way things are being handled. The staff that went out of their way to help now seem afraid to think for themselves and are unhappy due to the threat of being written up hanging above their heads (per employees who will remain unnamed).
Communication is at an all time low - staff is given "the party line" to tell the public without knowing if it is true or not. There is a core group (the director's cabinet) who are given information but are told not to release or talk about the information under threat of being disciplined. The secrecy is a joke since the coveted material is not Earth shattering. How sad that in 3 years the library's reputation has suffered so.
Please bring back our friendly and caring library, it lacks the once warm and caring feeling - the one that made one want to return. It took a long time to build the reputation of a great library and only a few short years to ruin it.
However, it still has a wonderful collection, many databases, help for the unemployed, and reference librarians that know where to find things for you. Only the public can save their award-winning library for themselves!
THe library was one of the foundations in early America,,it was said that FREEDom demand came from the taverns,but the TRUE brain work has to done with Educated people from SChools and Libaraies,,now is the TIMe,,the Academia turn their attention,to help TROY,,become a Mayor Government system, which response to people much faster.
Maybe Troy HAS TO change,but some changes directly effect/ affect every home value in TROY negitive so this move,will make more cuts needed faster,and so called private companies are front concerns of old retired old TROY mayors or department heads.
WED 23,2010,Cains Michigam Business,,the goals of the Michigan Municipal Leaque's Foundation,
I think they should keep the library open without a millage.
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/10/10/opinion/doc4cb25148c0c73216010440.txt
So, the big question is why do the Friends want so much money? It’s about half of what the city wanted to resolve its ENTIRE budget. It’s four times what the library is costing this year. It’s for 10 years.
Thanks for your comments, Mark. I don't have time to respond to this fully right now, but let's get a few facts correct. The funding request is NOT four times what the library is costing this year. It's the difference between approx. $2.7 million (operations and capital) and $4.2 million, although that latter amount is going to fall each year over the next 4-5 years by an estimated 10% each year. This is a large reason why the $4.2 million (not the $4.8 million claimed in the referenced column) is requested since it be dropping annually. Also, if you read the report that Mr. Meyer and I put together and understand the actual size of the city's budget issue, you'll see that the five-year deficit is $83 million not $22 million. So an apples-to-apples comparison would be the five-year library funding level, not the ten-year level, which would make it approx. one-quarter of the city's deficit, not one-half. We have a legitimate fiscal crisis and relying on poor data and misinformation or an absurd analyis such as the column you reference will not allow us come together and figure this out. That has been my hope since I started this blog. I will put together more comprehensive response to this and post it on Monday or Tuesday so you can have a better idea on what the real data and real information is.
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