I got a copy of a letter last week from the Fraser Valley Regional Library board that expressed an anxiety felt by many out there. It began:
Over the past few weeks the Board of Fraser Valley Regional Library, along with other libraries across the province were concerned to hear rumors over possible significant reductions in the provincial funding for public libraries.
And then the letter, signed by Langley City Mayor Peter Fassbender, went out to argue about the importance of libraries and how they’re needed more than ever in the downturn, etc.
Libraries aren’t the old bodies feeling this way. Everyone is wondering what the real budget will be once the voting is over and whoever is elected gets in there to start chopping. I’ve heard — though have no idea if it’s true — that there’s already an internal provincial committee working on the drastically revised budget.
Cities have to be worried for sure. Many of them have been waiting for the province to come through on money for promised housing — not just here in Vancouver, as you might imagine, but in places like Kelowna and Nanaimo and everyone else where the homeless are now present. TransLink mayors were already in a quandary about how the Lower Mainland is going to pay for $450 million of unfunded new spending needed to keep the system up to speed (pun intended).
And, as the library letter tells us, there could be all kinds of cuts in little areas that we don’t even think about, until the money’s gone.
Frances Bula reports for Vancouver magazine and The Globe and Mail.
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southdeltawalker
3 years ago
psst-wanna buy a library card?
Interesting that the Fraser Valley Library is worried.
This library, my library, has had the lowest rate of funding in the Province-$17 per person as opposed to Vancouver's $55.
I don't the funding has been raised.
Library funding has not been made an issue in the Municipal elections here in Delta, don't know about the other communities in the Fraser Valley Library system though.
Now for some popular/new items, there has been over 300 holds for approx. 10 copies.
Makes one wonder if your place "in line" should be left in your will? :)
I shutter to think what kind of "solutions" or cuts might happen:
A fee for library cards?
Yearly limit on materials borrowed?
Increased rental fees for library community rooms?
Hours reduced?
Hopefully libraries will come up with some creative solutions instead of knee jerk cutting.
Oh-next time you have a library fine-consider it your favourite form of taxation.
seth
3 years ago
last chance
Past elections are no guide, the horrors Gordo and his gang of neocon thugs are planning on visiting on us, are unimaginable. You have only to listen to the Russ Limbaugh's rantings repeated by Campbell's chief economic adviser Michael Campbell to understand what is coming.
Neocon politicians are getting the toss all around the world. Close to home OBama booting the odious Bush crime family, Christine Gregoire reelected.
Lets not reelect one of the continents last Neocon relics, Gordo and his gang who somehow were able to defile the great name Liberal by stealing it out from under Gordon Wilson.
And don't make the same mistake green Americans did in 2000, sending 10% of the progressive vote to Green candidate Ralph Nader, thereby losing the election for the century's greatest Green leader, Nobel prize winner Al Gore. The world will be suffering for years to come from the horrors, Neocon leader George Bush brought us with the help of the Green party.
Here at home Campbell is ready to do it to us again, proposing to implement the worst economic and environmental disaster the province has ever seen. Only an NDP government can save us at this point - a government that welcomes greens to participate in rebuilding BC from the Campbell disaster.
This time at least vote progressive, vote for BC, vote NDP
Ed Seedhouse
3 years ago
If Cambel and gang get
If Cambel and gang get re-elected I fear that the results will make the 1983 "restraing program" look like the good old days. I certainly hope I am wrong.
Rod Smelser
3 years ago
Why no NDP ad on this???
" ... I fear that the results will make the 1983 "restraing program" look like the good old days. I certainly hope I am wrong."
I hope you're wrong, too, Ed. The sick part is that we both know you're bang on.
The question is, why didn't the NDP have a TV ad on this, one where Campbell's face morphs into Bennett's, his mentor and idol? Could it be dysfunction at NDP provincial office? Again?
Dan the socialist
3 years ago
The NDP did a poor job
The NDP did a poor job getting the important issues out in this election.
Hopefully 2013 the NDP can do better.