[WEB4LIB] RE: More Library News From the State of Washington

[Kevil, L H.]

Hey, do you think we could keep the political potshots out of this discussion list? So far the participants have taken only one side of a fundamental issue, on both sides of which there are good people and good arguments. Do we want to see a technical forum degenerate into a flame war?

Hunter

L. Hunter Kevil, Ph.D.
Collection Development Librarian
176 Elmer Ellis Library
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO 65201

KevilL at missouri.edu
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573-882-6034 facsimile
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-----Original Message-----
From: Sue Kamm [mailto:suekamm at mindspring.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 12:40 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: More Library News From the State of Washington




On Tue, 20 Aug 2002 18:52:15 -0700 (PDT) Shirl Kennedy <sdk at cesmail.net>
wrote:

The quote I liked best in this whole story:

"Mr. Sitler, a member of the American Heritage Party, which calls for an
end to all property taxes and for a government based on biblical tenets,
also complains that the head librarian's annual salary of $51,000 is too
high.
"The salaries they pay those librarians, with health benefits and all that,
it adds up," he said."

Never mind the libraries....  If these people want to do away with all
property taxes, what the heck do they expect to happen when they need to
call 911?

Am I overly naive, or what?

**No, Shirl, you're not naive.  Unfortunately, this country is filled with
people who Just Don't Get It.  

Richard Riordan, the former mayor of Los Angeles, was elected in part because
he promised to add something like 9,000 police officers to the LAPD.  He had
absolutely NO concept of how civil service works -- that to get the 9,000
officers he would probably need at least 40,000 applicants.  I don't think
anyone sat down and did the math on how many applicants actually make it to
their rookie year on the force, let alone pass probation.  

When people such as the American Heritage Party stick their heads in the sand,
they forget that they leave an awfully big target behind them.  

I always thought that a fitting end to the so-called tax revolt here in
California would have been for Howard Jarvis and Paul Gann to be mugged, have
their houses catch fire, and suffer heart attacks -- and have no one to
respond to their call for help bedcause the police and fire departments (the
latter provide paramedic service) had been decimated by budget cuts.  Pfui.

Your friendly CyberGoddess and ALA Councilor-at-large,
Sue Kamm
Truest of the Blue, Los Angeles Dodgers Think Blue Week 2000
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