Five years ago Plainfield could
boast of two gems; Muhlenberg Hospital and the Public Library. To this day I
remain convinced that we lost our hospital because of less than maximum effort
by our political leadership.
Over the years our Library has been
the focus of the Mayor’s efforts to reduce the city’s commitment to a sub minimal
level for service to the community. This Tuesday in a column in the Star
Ledger by Brian Regal specifically mentioning Plainfield in pointing out the danger
of such action. I have taken the liberty to excerpt some passages from his column;
starting with the first, so that my readers can appreciate what the Library
means to this city.I have bold faced some important points in this well written document.
“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 — seems 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.”
----------------“The use by citizens of public libraries marks the path to
better things. Kids who use libraries are far more likely to go to college.
Speak with a successful individual and you will find a public library in their
lives. The more knowledge one has over as wide an area as possible, the more
successful that person will be, regardless of the field they pursue. Our
prosperity as individuals, collectively as a state and a nation, is anchored in
our libraries.Libraries are not relics of the past; they are gateways to the future. Google and Wikipedia are no match for the raw power of someone sitting down with a book and having new worlds and ideas open up to them.
Support public libraries, they support you, and they just might save your life.”
Plainfield is operating as usual on
a temporary budget. However in 3 months we must have an approved budget in
place. That will be the responsibility of the Mayor to present a working budget
to the Council for its approval and adoption. The City Administrator with input
from the Department heads oversees the preparation of the document which the Council
receives. Within certain limits the Council can make some changes which usually
mean adjusting various line items.
For the past years the budget has
been a last minute production and this year without a full time CFO it is
doubtful that there will be any improvement. In the past up to six months of
the annual money available had been spent before any budget was approved by the
state. By that time their will be a shortage of funds available for the remainder of the year; and the Library funding becomes the target as a source for needed dollars
It is up to each of us to make sure
that the Mayor who now has a voting majority in the Council; does not succeed in
her attempts to destroy Plainfield’s last jewel.
It is especially up to the Council at
budget time to understand their responsibility is to the people of Plainfield.
She'll slash that budget this year...she's been foaming at the mouth to do it.
ReplyDeleteShe is short sighted.
She doesn't value any type of investment in the community.
She doesn't value the children of the community.
She now has the ability to do it with her 4 Stooges in place.
The Mayor is in place due to an archaic mind set when it comes to political parties and ideology.
There is plenty of blame to go around and it's not just on the Mayor.
Jerry Green, RDO's and New Dem's can enjoy the fruits of their archaic mindset. You people bred and created her.
This mayor's track record is dismal when it comes to the budget. Remember, last year her budget was extremely flawed and the state told her so. She waited months to let the city council know so they could help fix it. We may now have a similar situation, but we don't have a council president who would have a clue what to do if the mayor messed up like this again, except to tell us to "give the administration (Sharon) a chance". If Sharon tries to slash the library budget I hope she get hundreds or emails an letters and the are also send to Jerry Green to remind him not to back her for another term.
ReplyDeleteI will personally state how the Library helped when I lost both my job and my home. You know, to be perfectly honest, I am sick and tired and tired and sick of when it comes to tightening the belts, to balancing the budgets, all scissors are pointed to institutions that are crucial to us in less than wealthy communities. In the sweep of the recession, Plainfield residents,just like the all of the nation, lost homes, incomes and yes, Muhlenberg. The library is a crucial, let me repeat, CRUCIAL RESOURCE that we cannot afford to see cut. Some of us are using it for job seeking, for volunteer work while job seeking and it's a shame when its time to fight for things we hear the same hohum from our elected officials. I for one am for increasing the budget. Not only do we need our librarians and others to remain employed, I cannot bear the increased competition for the already hard to get work as it is.. Please Mayor, please City Council... work this out!
ReplyDeletePlainfield's public library is indeed a gem and should be fully funded. Anything less would be a terrible loss to our community!
ReplyDelete