Friday, July 9, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
A call to arms
Waiving arms, that is. Waiving toward reach other, not at each other, across this ideological divide within our community. It threatens to permanently damage us so now is the time to move beyond it, to embrace the common wishes which bind us a community.
The whole point of this blog was to bring people from differing points of view together for a community solution to our fiscal problems. To a certain extent we've failed - so far. Too many people in positions of authority are more concerned about their positions than they are about the truth. I wish it wasn't so, but since no one in authority has ever attempted to prove us wrong, for obvious reasons, we consider our case proven. And since none of them have stepped forward to say, "Okay, I'll cut my salary to $80,00 or $90,000 per year during this crisis" then it's clear these are not people with the community's best interests in mind.
But as the old saying goes, "You're right - so what's your point?"
Well, at the moment the point is this: One institution in this community, one keystone of civilization - our library - stands athwart the madness of political maneuvering and agendas from all manner of sources (politicians, administration personnel, unions), and yet is threatened with its very existence. But it is also the single source of convergence, the one thing we can all agree is valued, valuable, and worth coming together to fight for. So let's put aside our differences, even the large ones, and get behind this effort.
I know the people behind this effort and they are not doing the bidding of the City Manager or City Council. They are, as we all are, genuinely concerned about the kind of community we'll end up with if we let the 40 years and millions of dollars invested into building one of the finest community libraries in the country go to waste. And that would be wasted money.
Saturday morning, at the library, come and lend your voice to the process. Stand up and say you resent the city manipulating of the process if you must, but remember, this is our library and this effort is all about taking it back. Let's put the public back in the Troy Public Library.
The whole point of this blog was to bring people from differing points of view together for a community solution to our fiscal problems. To a certain extent we've failed - so far. Too many people in positions of authority are more concerned about their positions than they are about the truth. I wish it wasn't so, but since no one in authority has ever attempted to prove us wrong, for obvious reasons, we consider our case proven. And since none of them have stepped forward to say, "Okay, I'll cut my salary to $80,00 or $90,000 per year during this crisis" then it's clear these are not people with the community's best interests in mind.
But as the old saying goes, "You're right - so what's your point?"
Well, at the moment the point is this: One institution in this community, one keystone of civilization - our library - stands athwart the madness of political maneuvering and agendas from all manner of sources (politicians, administration personnel, unions), and yet is threatened with its very existence. But it is also the single source of convergence, the one thing we can all agree is valued, valuable, and worth coming together to fight for. So let's put aside our differences, even the large ones, and get behind this effort.
I know the people behind this effort and they are not doing the bidding of the City Manager or City Council. They are, as we all are, genuinely concerned about the kind of community we'll end up with if we let the 40 years and millions of dollars invested into building one of the finest community libraries in the country go to waste. And that would be wasted money.
Saturday morning, at the library, come and lend your voice to the process. Stand up and say you resent the city manipulating of the process if you must, but remember, this is our library and this effort is all about taking it back. Let's put the public back in the Troy Public Library.
Friday, July 2, 2010
To be or not to be
[I wish to apologize for this blog's problems over the weekend and this past week. I thought I had them resolved earlier, but it appears that if you didn't use a web browser that isn't from Microsoft you had problems accessing previous posts. It now looks resolved. My apologies.]
No matter how much data is unearthed that refutes the city administration's "need" to close the Troy Public library on the pretext of balancing the general fund, and no matter how much more money the city administration continues to funnel into the police department, it is becomingly increasingly clear that our city leaders damn well intend to close the library on June 30, 2011. Believe it.
Others do.
I note the Troy Citizens United folks are complaining a bit (not all of them) on their Facebook page about the attempts by the residents (spearheaded by the Friends of the Troy Public Library), to put a dedicated millage proposal on the November ballot. I understand those concerns. But TCU supporters, with all due respect, now is the time to set aside rigid political philosophies for practical considerations. This is a call for a rare opportunity to combine community honor with personal interest. It is an incontrovertible fact that our very high quality library delivers huge value to our community's intellectual, economic, and social life -- not to mention our property values! Surely it is evident that the passage of this millage would free the library from the chains of political agendas (now and in the future) that can threaten to deliver irrevocable damage to our community.
Yes, it's true that if all the other rumored millage proposals (police, nature center, etc.) come forward at the same time (they won't), it would be a worse and more expensive combination than the original proposition put before the voters this past February. But what did everyone expect? Does anyone really think that allowing the library to be shut down without a fight is a solution to the city's fiscal crisis? Reality check time: We need to get behind this effort to fund the Troy Public Library, no matter how manipulated we feel by the city. Remember, there are other actions that can be taken to assuage that anger.
For more information on how you can help and follow this process, please go here. Information about how to join the process or attend the rally on July 10 (wouldn't it be awesome to get 1,000 or more people out there for that), can be found there. Tell your friends and your neighbors. We may argue about its services, costs, organizational structure and funding requirements, but if we don't support a new, dedicated and modest millage proposal, there will be no further point to such arguments. It will be too late, and quite possibly forever.
Please, everyone . . . let's save the library now and argue the other points later. See you July 10!
No matter how much data is unearthed that refutes the city administration's "need" to close the Troy Public library on the pretext of balancing the general fund, and no matter how much more money the city administration continues to funnel into the police department, it is becomingly increasingly clear that our city leaders damn well intend to close the library on June 30, 2011. Believe it.
Others do.
I note the Troy Citizens United folks are complaining a bit (not all of them) on their Facebook page about the attempts by the residents (spearheaded by the Friends of the Troy Public Library), to put a dedicated millage proposal on the November ballot. I understand those concerns. But TCU supporters, with all due respect, now is the time to set aside rigid political philosophies for practical considerations. This is a call for a rare opportunity to combine community honor with personal interest. It is an incontrovertible fact that our very high quality library delivers huge value to our community's intellectual, economic, and social life -- not to mention our property values! Surely it is evident that the passage of this millage would free the library from the chains of political agendas (now and in the future) that can threaten to deliver irrevocable damage to our community.
Yes, it's true that if all the other rumored millage proposals (police, nature center, etc.) come forward at the same time (they won't), it would be a worse and more expensive combination than the original proposition put before the voters this past February. But what did everyone expect? Does anyone really think that allowing the library to be shut down without a fight is a solution to the city's fiscal crisis? Reality check time: We need to get behind this effort to fund the Troy Public Library, no matter how manipulated we feel by the city. Remember, there are other actions that can be taken to assuage that anger.
For more information on how you can help and follow this process, please go here. Information about how to join the process or attend the rally on July 10 (wouldn't it be awesome to get 1,000 or more people out there for that), can be found there. Tell your friends and your neighbors. We may argue about its services, costs, organizational structure and funding requirements, but if we don't support a new, dedicated and modest millage proposal, there will be no further point to such arguments. It will be too late, and quite possibly forever.
Please, everyone . . . let's save the library now and argue the other points later. See you July 10!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Next!
The carnage continues at the library. So many good people, caring people who have given the high level of service the community has come to expect at the Troy Public Library, are being let go today. Several were told yesterday, but most are hearing today.
One by one they are being called into the Director's office and getting the bad news. And while waiting to find out...Who's going to be called? My shift is over, is it safe to go home? Should I report tomorrow? What is happening? Am I safe or am I gone? Did you hear about...?
This is the real face of Option 1.
I despair for our community. I despair for the truth. But today I despair for my co-workers, many of whom are going to sit at their dinner tables tonight with not much of an appetite, trying to convince themselves it will be all right, a gnawing pain in the pit of their stomachs, some wondering why, some wondering how they're going to be able to pay bills, afford medicines, etc.
Real lives, real people. Please remember them when you think about this situation. It's not an intellectual exercise, a financial game, or a political opportunity. It's either a bad situation forced by circumstances, or it's a moral and political scandal. What do you think?
One by one they are being called into the Director's office and getting the bad news. And while waiting to find out...Who's going to be called? My shift is over, is it safe to go home? Should I report tomorrow? What is happening? Am I safe or am I gone? Did you hear about...?
This is the real face of Option 1.
I despair for our community. I despair for the truth. But today I despair for my co-workers, many of whom are going to sit at their dinner tables tonight with not much of an appetite, trying to convince themselves it will be all right, a gnawing pain in the pit of their stomachs, some wondering why, some wondering how they're going to be able to pay bills, afford medicines, etc.
Real lives, real people. Please remember them when you think about this situation. It's not an intellectual exercise, a financial game, or a political opportunity. It's either a bad situation forced by circumstances, or it's a moral and political scandal. What do you think?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monday, bloody Monday
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Look for the union label...
...but look soon because unless the unions get real about the what is happening and how they are in fact becoming the enemy of the middle class, then they will cease to exist and having a union card will be something you'll hide instead of proudly display.
What is happening here? How is it public sector unions all over the country are bankrupting communities and states with no apparent push back? Certainly none in Troy. But do I detect a coming backlash ?
Michael Barone explains the phenomenon we're seeing, or maybe more accurately, the siege we're under. This is why, perhaps the only reason why, Troy is closing its library and ultimately laying off 100 library employees. Remember, the $3.8 million in fund transfers ostensibly meant to delay police layoffs is the entire annual budget (fully funded budget) for the library. Think about that. A person close to the process called that money, "Nothing." Nothing? It could have funded the library for an additional year. Of course that evidently does not serve Option 1 goals so it's moot to the majority of this Council. Incredible.
And if you really want to be depressed, the Cato Institute presents damning reality check statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis on how public sector unions and public sector employees are far outpacing private sector salaries and benefits in this economy. It's stunning. Makes Barone's "parasitic" observation ring more true.
Can we survive as a city with a police department growing from 41% of general fund expenditures to over 57%? Granted much of this growth is by elimination of other services and departments, but even the police department understands that is untenable. If the City Council can't face it, and the city administration won't act on it, then the police department at least seems to be quite aware of what this means. More on that in a later post. (Editor's note: And as always, I hope it goes without saying that the Troy Police Department is not the enemy. They have important jobs and they deserve better pay than the rest of us. But budget growth at the cost of shutting down the rest of the city?)
What is happening here? How is it public sector unions all over the country are bankrupting communities and states with no apparent push back? Certainly none in Troy. But do I detect a coming backlash ?
Michael Barone explains the phenomenon we're seeing, or maybe more accurately, the siege we're under. This is why, perhaps the only reason why, Troy is closing its library and ultimately laying off 100 library employees. Remember, the $3.8 million in fund transfers ostensibly meant to delay police layoffs is the entire annual budget (fully funded budget) for the library. Think about that. A person close to the process called that money, "Nothing." Nothing? It could have funded the library for an additional year. Of course that evidently does not serve Option 1 goals so it's moot to the majority of this Council. Incredible.
And if you really want to be depressed, the Cato Institute presents damning reality check statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis on how public sector unions and public sector employees are far outpacing private sector salaries and benefits in this economy. It's stunning. Makes Barone's "parasitic" observation ring more true.
Can we survive as a city with a police department growing from 41% of general fund expenditures to over 57%? Granted much of this growth is by elimination of other services and departments, but even the police department understands that is untenable. If the City Council can't face it, and the city administration won't act on it, then the police department at least seems to be quite aware of what this means. More on that in a later post. (Editor's note: And as always, I hope it goes without saying that the Troy Police Department is not the enemy. They have important jobs and they deserve better pay than the rest of us. But budget growth at the cost of shutting down the rest of the city?)
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