Dear Mayor, About Out Library!

Dear Honorable Mayor Chris Coleman:

I was disappointed at the clear attitude by you and your administration that the closing of the Hamline Library is a foregone conclusion. Many more palatable ideas have been brought forth to not only save Hamline, but strengthen the Library program as a whole. But the lip service received last evening made it clear that this is no longer about saving the Library, but about easing the transitional plan is it closes. And once that Snowball is pushed down the hill, the Library is gone for good, with others in its wake.

Our community has already had its Middle School taken away by the District (Wilson Junior High) and soon the Griggs Rec Center (Reprogramming is no better a buzz word than No Child Left Behind. Lets not mince words, Reprogramming = closing)

So I ask a questions of you that I would like a specific answer to. Was there an awareness by the deciders at the level of pain the Hamline/Midway neighborhood has already received? Are there other communities that have had their Middle School ripped away, and a Rec Center closed and now are facing the loss of their library? Which other Community is facing the same painful expectation as ours?

I know of other communities that have taken the single hit, but none the double, and only Hamline/Midway the perfect storm trifecta.

This is NOT a NIMBY issue, it is a what's left for us issue after our schools are gone, Rec Centers gone and now our library gone. Has anyone really thought this through? I spent several hours looking at the city budget last night. There is plenty to review without gutting the essential programs!

I'd start buy gutting the Human Rights directors and supporting staff. This duplicity of services can be handled by County and City agencies. If the state is cutting funding, then we need to begin transferring services back to the state. Luxury services should be cut and eliminated, not the essentials. A 14% across the department slashing, sorry to say is lazy. Lets by the true leader you are and make the tough choices. Something tells me if you weren't running for Governor, other options would be on the table. True?

Let's put St. Paul first!

Respectfully yet frustrated.

Kurt 'Flash' Schiebel