As an anonymous commenter so eloquently stated on the previous post; "This should be read by every member of Middletown's Library Board of Trustees and especially by the Middletown Township Committee members..., Library service in Middletown is one of the most important functions of public service to this community. Education is a primary concern for a progressive society. An excellent library system is a primary ingredient to meet the public's need. We had that requirement until politics as usual is endeavoring to destroy our library. The politicians appear as a self serving bunch of incompetent individuals who put political priorities above the educational needs of the community the Middletown Public Library System serves." .
I happen to agree.
If you also agree, read the editorial written by Mr. Regal below, then sign the petition to save the Navesink branch of Middletown's public library:
"The mayor of Plainfield wants to cut the city’s public library funding by half, and that city is not alone. Never mind the lost jobs. There is a larger issue here. There is a growing perception in some quarters that, in the internet age, libraries and books are useless dinosaurs from the dusty past. This is a terrible attitude and a lie.
A community that gives up on its libraries has given up on its prosperity. It has written off all but its wealthiest citizens and made knowledge acquisition — one of the bedrocks of a free society — seem a pointless exercise.
Rather than fiscal prudence, cutting or eliminating libraries shows economic and cultural shortsightedness along with an abandonment of values and the concept of the public good: something for which elected officials are supposed to fight. Public libraries are one of the most cost-effective means of producing intelligent, literate and successful citizens. They also help reduce crime, gang activity and drug use by the young. I know this from personal experience...."
....Continue reading
17 comments:
So Mike,
Are you endorsing higher property taxes? Will you try to whip up support to go to a referendum to go beyond the 2% cap?
Because that's the only answer here: to give the Library more tax dollars.
Yes, the old LB has hired poorly and spent way too much on things, but the bill has now come due.
If higher taxes are the only way, is Middletown Mike on board with that?
Yes, I am.
But don't fool yourself into thinking that this years property tax rate will be capped at 2%.
I fully expect Middletown and other municipalities that have been effected by Hurricane Sandy will be raising their tax rates to make up for the lost revenue caused by the damage from the storm, even with whatever amount of federal aid will be coming their way.
When does this character or characters that writes as "Legion" finally acknowledge that the Library's problems stem from the vicious raids by the inept TC on the funds of the Library .
THIS TC is totaling lacking in the ability to manage township funds and politics always precludes any other priority.
The thugs are destroying any quality of life in this town !
legion purports to know so much about the inner workings of the library. let's open the books: clean audits and full disclosure vs a takedown planned and executed to perfection by the ethically challenged Settembrino, who voted FOR the payment of bills that included Gabrielan's history books, his VERY close friend Stephanie Murray, and Fiore whose insulting comments to anyone who disagrees with him is an embarrassment to the good people of Middletown. Shame on them, and shame on us for letting this happen. The current library board has been set up to take the fall on the library cuts in services. We should be lining up at town hall instead of the library meeting. Anyone up to take a bet on how many Of the TC will be at the library meeting tomorrow night?
In response to Legion. You need to read the facts. Public library budgets that are set by vote of the public historically pass , and are generally at higher mileage rates than those that are set by officials or by a state formula, like in NJ. Yes, the public has said at the polls that they will pay more in taxes for a better public library. The Township library budget is a minimum. There are a good number of NJ towns that provide additional support for their library because they believe in lifelong learning and that the engagement of the public in their education is an American value. Funny, isn't it? Giving REAL support to the local library instead of stripping it to the bone. Also, guess what - library users vote so maybe the next election will see a change in faces on the dias.
How is it that the Library has a $450K surplus this year and yet is still choosing to close the branches?
How is it that people forget that the town is going to bond for the Library parking lot expansion, spending MORE than the amount transferred in 2011 from Library surplus?
What about the Library NOT paying for pension and insurance for their employees?
The Library's problems stem from having a former Board that thought that money grew on trees and always would.
If you have a savings account, you don't draw down on that to cover your living expenses if you can help it. You certainly don't increase expenses by hiring more staff at exorbitant rates, and buy more furniture than you need -- THAT is what the former Board did, and now the bill has come due.
How can you guys defend that?
Legion,
For all your ranting about what people do and don't remember, it seems to me that you forgot that the TC promised to expand and repave the library parking lot as a condition for its extortion of library surplus funds.
The library had already spent money engineering the project and was about to proceed, using surplus funds, for the expansion.
Omg legion r u 4 Real? That library lot was estimated by Maser engineers at under $100,000. The library gave $499000 to the township and by LAW, it was to go to reduce taxes, not for any capital project. !!!!!!!! If it has been mis-appropriated the State Attorney General should be notified ASAP. Furthermore, ethically challenged Settembrino's position was that the library would have to pay for the project. The official agreement between the library and the Township (a public document) only indicates that the township would put the project in its capital improvement plan. There was no agreement that the Twonship would pay for it jwhenthis all went down in2011. If you are an employee of the Township, Legion, as I expect u r then you have some inside information that the public hasn't been told. The library has not been informed of this use of their $$$$-- so how do you know.??????
And by the way, on those salaries at the library? you are so off base there, but if you are a low level Township employee, as I expect you are, you are jealous that A part time library assistant makes under $13,000 per YEAR. (last time I saw a job posting for the library. I 'm so sure you'll find a LEGION of followers who are flocking to take that job! You make me LOL!
The Township' s financial records should Undergo a forensic audit. As a taxpayer, l was alarmed to hear Mayor Fiore make a comment at the meeting latest month about the bond repayment for the library being about $550,000. This sounds like a crazy number to me. The library gave about $2 million of the cost maybe more, because I was once told they gave cash up front to the town for the bonding, like over $300000. My point is that loans from 2003 and 2004 had very low interest, and I wonder if the town delays repayment or commingled money for the Arts Center, which was being built at the same time......... If the town borrowed $6M for the library in 2004, does anybody else wonder why the bond repay amt is so high now?
So much BS - this place is back to normal.
Fortunately facts - especially public facts - are eay to verify, so I feel confident in mine, while y'all don't offer anything but made up stuff.
A call for a "forensic audit..." How original! Do you have a MS Word macro set up to type that phrase? LOL
If you guys ever want to have a serious debate about why the Library Director decided to close the branches, and you want to use actual facts instead of tired old rhetoric, please let me know...
The excuses that attempt to pass for government in this town today would hold up their own mothers for political gain ....and lie about it.
These hypocrites certainly do not represent or serve the people of this community. They serve only themselves.
legion,
Facts are funny things and your facts are often times are hilarious.
The bottomline as to why the Library Director has "Chosen" to close libray branches is simple; she was told to.
And when someone is fearful of losing their job, as I am fairly sure that Ms. O'Neal is, you will do whatever you are told to do, by the people that have the authority fire you.
Mike,
It's a matter of fact that the President of the Library Board has said that they wish to keep enough reserves for future years and be able to maintain the Main Library location on New Monmouth Road.
I am happy to hear you finally admitted that you are in FAVOR of higher taxes! This has been the invisible line in the sand that you never said before. Maybe this is why the democrats in Middletown have not been elected in the last few years. People don't want higher taxes and they want fiscally responsible people who will make reasonable decisions with the interest of the whole, not the interests of select groups.
I stand behind whatever decisions the Library Board decides, they seem like a logical group. I heard that the president is an accountant by trade, what better person to work out the dollars and SENSE!
Anon 10:17
It has been said that "taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilized society". If I think it is a good idea to investment an extra $30 per household, to ensure that a library stays open, that is my prerogative to believe and fight for if I so chose.
I would also gladly pay extra to ensure that our streets are safe for our children to play in and our schools to have the resources that they need to provide, maintain and or exceed the levels of education that we all expect.
I would also pay more taxes to have clean air to breath and water to drink. There are a great many things that I wouldn't mind spending my money on if it were for the betterment of the society that I live in. It has nothing to do with being a democrat or a republican, it has everything to do with being unselfish and a good citizen of the world in which I live in.
Anon 10:17,
It is this Middletown TC that cannot live within it's budget and it is this TC that has raped our library of the money it needs to operate. Plain and simple and anything else said is lies and fabrications.
So can we blame the TC on the decrease in valuation from 2009 until today?
It has been a $700k loss in the statutory appropriation. Where should that get cut out of the budgets through the years? Living within a budget in 2009 is night and day from the budget today. Saying that even having the $499K that was given to the TC would not fill the gap for just THIS year.
And Anon 12:41 p.m.,
On what authorization to you speak with such conviction anyway ?
Rhetoric,distortion of fact and down right lies is what comes out of the mouths of this honesty challenged TC. A perfect demonstration of what government should not be! You,anon 12:41 seem one of them or do you also reap your info by "osmosis" and are really one of them ?
There is statute that governs funding for libraries so stop the BS already !!
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