News Report #5

Michigan Librarians Stunned as State Ends Reimbursments By Michael Kelley http://www.libraryjournal.com/

The article is about the Michigan Library Association battling with the Michigan State Legislature on its decision to keep funds that belong to the libraries. The state legislature set up tax free zones for businesses years ago to help stimulate the state’s economy. In doing so the state was required by law to compensate the loss of money to tax funded programs such as libraries. Apparently now without changing the laws the legislature has decided to keep that money rather than give it to the libraries. The amount of money being illegally kept by the state is around three million dollars. For some libraries the loss in money is painful but only about five to six percent where for smaller libraries the loss in funding is estimated to be around thirty percent. Some of the library representatives have stated that this could cause branch closings and that there is no evidence the state is actually creating jobs with the money.

This is very similar to the last article I chose. The big difference is that the state legislature is blatantly breaking the law. They are openly stealing from a state funded business. It is amazing at how corrupt and greedy our government is becoming. Not only are they breaking the law, and stripping money from a vital community service, but one of the state representatives openly admitted it when confronted. How far are they willing to go to get money? First it was cutting money now it’s openly stealing it. I would also like to point out that the area of money that is being taken by the state is also supposed to go to schools. I guess literacy and education take the back burner when the state representatives need a raise.

News Report 4

Illinois’s Regional Library Systems Gasping for Air

By Michael Kelley

http://www.libraryjournal.com/

The article discusses a different side to the growing problem libraries are facing right now, funding. In the case of the article it is not necessarily the lack of funding that is the issue right now, but rather getting the money already promised. The state of Illinois has yet to give the library system the majority of its funding for this fiscal year. The article stated that the fiscal year ended in July and yet the state hasn’t paid up. This is due to a clause that permits late payments until December. The libraries say the problem with this is that without the money they cannot continue programs dependent on the state funding. Some of the programs mentioned were delivery of interlibrary loans and audible reading programs for people who can’t read themselves for whatever reason.

I think things like this are ridiculous. You never see any politician suffer because of lack of funds. The state wouldn’t feel too happy if a citizen decided to wait until December to pay taxes instead of April, they would be punished. Yet businesses and common people suffer because we can’t cut a governor or senators budget so they cut ours. The article spoke of lay-offs in one library that went from 48 employees to 8. That is ridiculous. Not only did 40 people become unemployed but imagine how overworked the remaining 8 are. Maybe if funding was paid on time those 40 people could have kept their jobs, paid taxes, and then there would be more money to dish out. The workforce brings the state money. Without them the state loses money causing others loss of funding. More workers equal more money which brings more funding. Anyone see a circular pattern?