Greetings,
I'm posting this on here so that I reach everyone I have connections with. It's a post I put on the Bay View Matters site. You might not use Tippecanoe, but you might be near to one of the other four it mentions. I didn't bother to try and figure out which ones they were according to use. I didn't care. I don't think any Library should be closed to balance the budget. It costs to much in quality of life and the well being of the Neighborhoods that surround them to let any of them close. I hope you will discuss this issue in your meetings. You saw what happened to the parks, our boulevards, streets, etc because of budget cuts. We can't pave over the holes that these empty buildings will leave.
Due to budget constraints, one of the possible options on the table
is the closing of four of the city's libraries. Tippecanoe Library is
one of the ones on that short list. I realize Bay View has a nice
library in it's downtown already. You might use that one, but a lot
of the people on your southern end use Tippecanoe. Our libraries are
part of the glue that holds our neighborhoods together. The young use
them as a safe place and to work on projects. The older folks get
some of there peace in this place of learning. With the economy the
way it is a lot more people rely on the libraries for Internet as
well as getting videos and such. I live near Tippecanoe. If this
Library goes we are left with a bunch of bars and a few small
businesses. The Library represents all that is good about a
neighborhood. After thinking about it I realize that none of the four
libraries should close. Other areas that have a higher crime rate
probably need them more than us. Their Library might be the only safe
place in the neighborhood that a child can have peace. In the middle
of October there will be a joint Public & Common Council Hearing on
the Budget. If we are not organized by then, I fear we will have four
more vacant buildings in he city. Our parks have already been trashed
over the years. We save money with these decisions, but at what cost?
Our representatives don't have a problem with the expansion of the
casino, cash flow? There again at what cost? We can't let this option
be used? Come up with something else. Government works like water. It
flows along the path of least resistance. I propose we build a dam
around our Libraries, all of them. We in the Tippecanoe Area have
started building that dam. A new Association is being formed. We had
almost 100 people at the meeting the other night with more that
couldn't make it. Next week we will expand into other areas around
the Library to get more support. If you use this library please tell
your Neighbors and friends of what could easily happen to it. Your
neighbors are drawing a line in the sand on this one. Thanks for
reading this far.
Steve
