When times are hard for everyone, institutions need to be creative and survive on their own merits and not just due to mandated public funding which becomes scarce. Several years ago I asked the Muskego public library if I could use their facility(large rooms) to hold educational classes for my business. They said "no, that is not our policy". Perhaps now that they need the money, they could change their policy.

enicar333 - Why is it always considered whining when anyone other than the military or CEOs ask for money? And what is with the comment about "learn to share"? Is there an institution in the world that is a better example of sharing than our free public libraries and their Public Library Systems?

It's not CONSIDERED whining - Tony Evers IS whining.

What does Corporate CEO's in private industry have to do with public libraries - which are funded with LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES - which add directly to the burden of the working poor and create homelesness when taxes can't be paid - and homes taken?

What is more important to a working family - a home - or a library? Which comes first - the cart, or the horse?

COMMUNITY FIRST - builds the Library. IF you can't afford the Library - you can't have a PUBLICLY FUNDED LIBRARY.

WHY DOES IT ALWAYS HAVE TO BE PUBLICLY FUNDED? Taken from property taxes?

TAXES aren't "shared money" - it's COMPELLED MONEY TO BE PRODUCED ON DEMAND.

Your definition of "shared" is warped beyond comprehension. Done at the threat of property confiscation and backed by a Sheriff's SWAT Team.

MDS - If property and income taxes are "sharing" why are they compelled with force under the threat of property confiscation and prison time? Backed by a Sheriff with a SWAT team and M-16's?

@enicar333-- I will explain to you what CEOs and private industry have to do with property taxes. CEO salaries and corporate profits are often achieved by eliminating jobs and paying workers less. And then those with high salaries complain about their outrageous tax burden and the high rate of corporate taxation (which happens to be the lowest it's been in a long time). Cuts in federal revenue mean either higher deficits or reduced federal spending in the form of revenues sent back to states. The causes budget crises at the state level, which in turn gets shoved on down to the local level, whose main source of revenue is property tax.

Have you been asleep for the past thirty years that you haven't noticed the trend?

Then government will need to do the same. We can begin by getting rid of Tony Evers and the Department of Public Instruction. Then we can dump organizations like RUSD, and turn schools over to local control.

No more publicly funded libraries. They can become a part of the local school - in the same building - just as when i was a child. Stand alone libraries will need to be privately funded/staffed.

Local problems = Local solutions.

Jeez, why not do away with street-lighting while we're at it? Imagine the employment opportunities for link-boys!

I don't have street lighting where I live, and it's in Mt. Pleasant - ON a VILLAGE DRIVE. It's not a problem. AND YES - there are many residences on it - AND there are also private drives here - with many residences on them - and NO publicly funded street lights AND the Condo Association pays a private contractor to clean the private streets!!

THAT'S A GOOD IDEA!

@enicar33 -- Condo association? My heart bleeds for you. Do you have your own private police force too?

WHY the hate Randy?

Have you ever checked out the LUXURY RENT-CONTROLLED APARTMENTS at REGENCY WEST?

LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF!! FREE INTERNET AND COMPUTERS AMONGST SO MUCH OTHER STUFF!

WHY WORK?

http://www.regencywest-racine.com/RegencyWestflyer.pdf

@Linda Pieschalla... Mr. Evers notes, in his blog post, that the State funding has decreased by 10%. What percentage of your funding comes from the WFB property tax and what percentage comes from the state and other sources?

$52.26 for every man, woman & child, so people do not have to go to the video store?

I don't care how rich you are, no one can afford to own every book they may need to consult in their lifetime. I can't believe that public libraries are being treated like wasteful luxuries now.

And, Greg, is borrowing a movie all you've ever done from the library? Try reading a book, for once. It'll do you good. I promise.

Randy:

Isn't it at least as good to 'consult' the internet instead of heading to the library in hopes of finding the right book? Besides, the reference sections of the libraries tend to not be kept up to date.

In a lot of ways, libraries are wasteful luxuries. It seems that more of them are acting like free bookstores with multiple copies of the latest novels rather than true dispensers of knowledge and reference materials...

Randy,
Since you still live in 1949, books are your thing. I do much of my research on the internet. I also talk to a lot of people that love the library, many have told me that they only use the library for free movies.
I actually do read books and I like the ones with pictures the most, but I think the library system can be streamlined to fit the needs, while having a realistic budget.

@Linda Is that the total of the operating costs, the book purchase costs and the capital costs per year ... or just some of the above?

And in addition to the cost per capita from WFB direct taxes to the residents, does the library have other income sources, Federal, State, Federated System, donations ???

@CowDung and Greg -- Of course the internet is a much better place to do initial research. But of course, to access the internet, you need a computer and an ISP, which, it may surprise you to learn, some people don't have. So they do it at the public library. You don't think poor people deserve the same ability to access the internet as the rest of us?

Furthermore, Greg, for an in-depth examination of an issue nothing beats a book. I don't care if you read the book on the net, in epub, or in hard copy.

Randy:

Don't give me that 'You don't think poor people deserve the same ability to access the internet as the rest of us?' crap. I've stated above that I favor shifting library funds to better serve the poor instead of providing free books and internet to those that have the means to pay for their own.

CowDung - Wow, public libraries are now wasteful luxuries? I would imagine then public schools, museums, and parks are too. Despite our current economic problems I don't think America should emulate the worst of third world countries.

MDS:

What logic are you trying to use to make that jump from libraries to museums, public schools and parks? Can people buy their own artifacts like they can books?

I would argue that parks can be wasteful luxuries as well, depending on their location and amenities.

The idea is that libraries are a social service, and they should be targeted to serve the people that are most in need of free books and internet. They shouldn't be wasting public money trying to compete with Barnes and Noble for 'customers'.

CowDung - The logic is that there are private parks (waterparks, theme parks) and there are private museums (House on the Rock) but that doesn't mean there shouldn't be public museums and parks. And most booksellers are big supporters of public libraries and don't see them as competition, but as places that foster curiosity and a love of books and other media.

Booksellers don't consider the libraries to be competition, but libraries seem to view booksellers as competition...

I'm not claiming that having private entities means that we do not need public entities. Not sure why that anyone would think that House on the Rock would be at all interchangeable with the Milwaukee Public Museum.

What I am saying is that just because something is seen as a need in one area, it isn't necessarily a need in a different area. I see libraries as having a much more important role serving impoverished inner city residents than in serving those that live in a wealthy suburb. In one area, it is a necessity. In another area, it is a luxury. Placing a library in a wealthy suburb at the expense of a library in the poor inner city is wasteful use of our tax dollars.

@enicar333 -- No, and I don't belong to a union either. I just think everyone should have access to information through books, periodical, the internet, you name it. You seriously think the public library is taxing you out of your house?

A private subscription library where you can make money and keep the hoi-polloi out? What a uniquely Ferengi, er, GOP idea. Privatise, privatise, privatise! It's all about the profit!

How does the public library get it's funds?

PRIVATE PROPERTY - enforced taxation - at the point of a gun. Pay it, or lose your property.

Why don't you have a problem with that?

@enicar333 -- No one likes paying taxes, but they are a necessity. You really want to have to pay out of your own pocket for a standing army to protect you from foreign invaders? Don't think so.

So do you favor a society where only those who can pay the private fees get to use the road, get an education, have the fire-fighters come when their houses are burning?

A public library is a place where the least fortunate have the access to the information to better themselves in whatever way.

Yep, behold.

...perhaps they just haven't weeded out the dead people that still have library cards.