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Who's Next?
This is absolutely horrifying.
It's not just the library, either. Effects of the Plan C Budget, which I've also seen called the "Doomsday Budget", include shutting down the parks and recreation department, gutting fire and police, and reducing garbage pick-up to twice a month.
If it were any other city, I'd still be horrified, but this is Philly. I never lived in the city proper, but I called its suburbs home for four years and still feel quite an attachment to the place. I went there on a regular basis. I still have many friends and acquaintances there. So it's more of a kick in the gut than it might be otherwise.
And then there's the fear that San Francisco might be next. If Philadelphia can fall, if the city of Seattle can be forced to close its libraries for a week, is anyone safe?
Is this really what we want the future of our country to be?
All Free Library of Philadelphia Branch, Regional and Central Libraries Closed Effective Close of Business October 2, 2009
All Free Library of Philadelphia Customers,
We deeply regret to inform you that without the necessary budgetary legislation by the State Legislature in Harrisburg, the City of Philadelphia will not have the funds to operate our neighborhood branch libraries, regional libraries, or the Parkway Central Library after October 2, 2009.
It's not just the library, either. Effects of the Plan C Budget, which I've also seen called the "Doomsday Budget", include shutting down the parks and recreation department, gutting fire and police, and reducing garbage pick-up to twice a month.
If it were any other city, I'd still be horrified, but this is Philly. I never lived in the city proper, but I called its suburbs home for four years and still feel quite an attachment to the place. I went there on a regular basis. I still have many friends and acquaintances there. So it's more of a kick in the gut than it might be otherwise.
And then there's the fear that San Francisco might be next. If Philadelphia can fall, if the city of Seattle can be forced to close its libraries for a week, is anyone safe?
Is this really what we want the future of our country to be?
no subject
One tiny ray of hope:
However, change must begin at the top. At least we now have a president who is surely disturbed by this, and who may lean on people to counteract it.
Unfortunately, change begins more at the bottom, and Obama can't just sprinkle pixie dust in D.C. and have it promptly help Philly and all the other places in jeopardy.
I'm just trying to take comfort in the fact that we now have a president who knows this is a problem, as opposed to one who wouldn't get it.
no subject
Currently so, so grateful that I live in a city with one of the best-managed budgets in the country, and a library that is incredibly well-funded. (No, I'm not talking about Chicago, I'm talking about the actual suburb I live in.)