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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"Why should I pay for the library?" and other Election Day derpitude
My old buddy Ray, the poll worker. Still has that "D" next to his name, although heaven knows why. Never met a Republican he didn't like, or a tax he could live with. He's been working the polls probably since before I was born, and I ain't young.
There's a number of local and state ballot initiatives this year that I spent time getting up to speed on (unlike 99.7% of the voting public). One was a bond issue for our local library. Like, who wouldn't support the library? My dumb.
So I go to vote on my way to work, and there's good ole Ray, with his coffee and his union cap. God love him.
Me: "Hey, Ray, good to see you. Looks like a halfway decent turnout for first thing in the morning."
Ray: "Yeah, lotta stuff going on."
Me: "Think the propositions are helping turnout?"
Ray: "I hope so. We can't let that library thing go through."
Me: "Huh?" (Who votes against the library?)
Ray: "Why should I pay for the library? I don't use it."
(The inside of my head): "Because it's part of your fucking community, you selfish old dirtbag. I don't have a kid in public school, so why should I pay school taxes? I don't use the town park, so why should I pay for it? I don't go to the dump, so why should I pay for it? Does your interest end at your front door? Is your attitude 'fuck you, I've got mine?'"
Me: "Well, history is made by those who show up. We'll see what happens."
Sigh. Shaking my head. There are people like this IN OUR OWN PARTY. People like this with big mouths and a voice in local government. This is where it starts, and this is where it's at. Start talking to your neighbors. They will surprise you. Oh, yeah, and show up.
Peace.
hatrack
(59,592 posts)The goddamned stuff is EVERYWHERE.
seveneyes
(4,631 posts)If we are talking Earthly derpitude.
dlwickham
(3,316 posts)that's probably a good reason to have him removed from the position
KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)lapislzi
(5,762 posts)I find something to call them about every year. Last year it was signs in your face in the parking lot. Yeesh! If you think national politics is bad, try local politics for getting your blood up.
Aside: he probably thinks I'm "safe" because we've worked together so many times on party issues and causes.
dlwickham
(3,316 posts)and poll workers have the right to take down any signs that fall within that limit
lapislzi
(5,762 posts)And that is regularly flouted and the envelope pushed. Doesn't help that the whole county is owned body and soul by GOP business interests and the Democratic elections commissioner is an old guy hanging on by the skin of his teeth. When I call or visit they blow me off like a mosquito.
dlwickham
(3,316 posts)and if that doesn't work, your US attorney's office
MADem
(135,425 posts)I would have stayed good-natured, but I would have called him a god-damned moron.
After all, he should want that the kid giving him his medications when he's dribbling and blind in the nursing home be able to fucking READ!!!!!
LiberalEsto
(22,845 posts)Why should they pay for the library?
Because it helps educate kids to become productive citizens.
Because it offers story times for young children to introduce them to reading and books.
Because it's a repository for local history.
Because it serves as a community center.
Because it's a place to rent films and music.
Because it's a place for jobless people to use computers to search for work.
Because it offers quiet rooms to study.
I could go on and on, but my point is that libraries help build better citizens.
Some day some of those better citizens could be caring for him in a hospital or a nursing home, driving him to medical appointments, or living in his neighborhood. Would he rather live among uneducated semi-barbarians? I think not.
This is the same reason we need to support good schools and good education. If for no other reason, even if we don't have children, we ultimately are doing ourselves a huge favor by helping future generations become good citizens, good parents, good caregivers, good people.
lapislzi
(5,762 posts)He clearly fails to see the value in...well, community values.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)mnhtnbb
(31,405 posts)She WAS the Friends of the Library.
What is the matter with people?
Atman
(31,464 posts)Now, wait! Hear me out!
First of all, I am very pro-library. I actually use our local library. My grandfather gave much of my would-be inheritance to build a big expansion/upgrade to the library in our old home town many years ago. I like libraries. But this was different...
Our town is based around a tiny, Norman-Rockwellesque town green. Every building, from the town hall to the "meeting center" to the library, are all housed in beautiful old white colonial era buildings. There is even a "community church" right in the center of it all. Anyway, the town received noticed from the federal government that if it wanted to continue to receive subsidies for the library (or whatever the monetary equation was), they'd have to upgrade the facility and bring it up to standards, whatever the hell that means. This is a town of only 6,000 people, and our library is EXCELLENT. And it is open every day of the week, and is well staffed, etc, etc, etc...nothing at all needs to be brought up to standards. In fact, most towns would be lucky to have such a nice facility.
Anyway, going along with the demand, the town sent out bids. People started "Pro Library!" and "Anti-Library" campaigns. The architects drawings came in and the design selected totally bastardized the quaint town green. Our little white schoolhouse-style building would have a big modern glass-and-steel atrium wing added to it. Right in the middle of this Norman Rockwell painting. At a cost to taxpayers of $6,000,000. What made this easy is that in a town of 6,000, it was easy to do the math. Everyone knew how much they'd be asked to pony up per-person to pay for this.
Personally, I think the addition was beautiful, and I give credit to the architect...but he designed for the wrong town. If he had made it look like it had been there since 1800, it would have fit in, and maybe people would have voted for it. But why would you want to destroy a beautiful, picture-postcard historic New England town green with a mini Kennedy Center? It made no sense. But that's not to say libraries make no sense.
I'm all for libraries. The OP's friend is a douche bag...I don't go to elementary school anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't want to fund education. Sounds like the dude needs some schooling!
FSogol
(45,528 posts)Our school one did.