Phew! That explains everything! I feel so much better knowing that the Chair of the IDC is going to be accurate with information disseminated by the IDC website.
I must be so caught up in the whole exciting news about the taxpayers funding a political consultant to invest and focus on the one library consolidation concept that I forgot all about the elections in 2008 for Supervisor.....
Wait....what? You mean there were NO elections in Irondequoit in 2008? Mark Scuderi never ran for Supervisor?
Oh, you are just spreading misinformation, aren't you?
IDC website says that Mark ran for Supervisor in 2008, so, it must be true.
Everything they say on there is true! Like when they told me that there was 45 townhomes and 27 condominiums being built at Newport. See, *I* was spreading misinformation by telling everyone that there were 9 townhomes and 45 condos. Silly me.
IDC asked Irena how much this will cost the taxpayers (for the consultant and the one library campaign) and she responds that the "Library Foundation" is providing funding. She never says how much though.
The TB/LB joint workshop meeting minutes states that: "Supervisor DAurizio said they will analyze the budget to see if they can hire the consultant and look into some other issues"
Irena also says that all residents are welcome to be a part of focus groups, but her fellow board member Miriam Ganze states: "Library Board Member MiriamGanze suggested taking one step at a time—make this Town see the value of a library and community center together.She said we will not convince the no people but work with the yes and undecided. We should not waste our time talking to brick wall—the are many others to share our message with. The No people will not go away-- they will force a referendum vote."
I thought this was a campaign for one library? Community center too? Miriam doesn't want to talk to the "no people" and doesn't want to waste time talking to them?
How will they be able to participate in any focus groups if MG is trying to control the conversations and keep the "no" people out of the process?
She cares!
17 comments:
Can you say Irondequoit Seniors First?
lol
Can you say Hey! Kool-Aid!
Ohhhhh Yeahhhhhh!
The scripted answers are reminscent of Ray McDonald's bloviating.
Now, now....I bloviate too.
Aw, that was nice of you to say that.
I don't think everyone thinks that though.
I misinform. Terrorize the residents of Irondequoit and hold the whole town hostage. I'm negative. I'm "anti-senior".
C'mon...I thought you knew that about me.
Anonymous said - "The scripted answers are reminscent of Ray McDonald's bloviating."
Totally! He probably wrote it up for her. Love when she just won't answer the question regarding cost. She dances around the whole question. Just answer the question please!
Hey, maybe they can use Irena's mailing address for the literature again. ;)
Why don't we forget about the consultant, change the library hours back and see if attendance picks up again.
No, no we can't do that. We can only find money for consultants, not additional hours. What was I thinking?
Miriam's comments in the minutes are disgusting really. When we walked to get signatures for the King's Park referendum many people signed that wanted to vote yes.
They signed because they believed the decision was up to the people.
Why not let the people decide what they want? Not the politician's or consultants, the people who live here, use the services and pay taxes.
It's not "negative" to VOTE on large decisions. It's DEMOCRACY! :)
"Why don't we forget about the consultant, change the library hours back and see if attendance picks up again."
"They" are saying that the loss in usage didn't go to other libraries - so it has to be something else besides reduction of hours at the library, and that is what the consultant is being hired for - PR to get the usage back up. Supposedly.
MG's comments are disgusting. So are some comments from others in that group.
I would love to see anyone try to tell MEJ, IS, and MG that their opinions don't matter, and we will control the conversation, they are terrorists who are trying to hold the town hostage with their ideas to tax us into oblivion.
No wonder there was opposition to their ideas - when you have people being just plain nasty.....it can really hamper your attempt at building momentum.
My Mother always said "you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar."
So true!
The noted decline is most likely due to physical conditions of the facilities. Not dissimilar to retail operations/buildings that are upgraded, not for the purpose of wasting surplus funds, but to keep patrons coming thru the door. Homes for sale that have original paint from the '60's and soot covered ceilings do not perform well in the marketplace. If the Board is serious about increasing patronage then it will find ways to perform necessary upgrades on the facilities. The private sector knows full well the value and lure of attractive, updated, and welcoming buildings.
The Board must understand the difference between determining what the "Community wants FROM the System" and the "Needs of the Community".
They are distinctly different.
We have seen the results of years of condoning closed processes, misdirected energies, hidden agendas and biased committees producing incomplete information. It is not the "no" people who distorted the process, the blame falls entirely on the other side.
The process has high potential for good. Claiming they must "control the conversation" is not a responsible comment and has little chance of generating confidence in those who witnessed the past 4 years of decay.
Anonymous @10:29 am -
Here, here! Great comment!
"The process has high potential for good. Claiming they must "control the conversation" is not a responsible comment and has little chance of generating confidence in those who witnessed the past 4 years of decay."
I agree completely.
There was a great moment in TV history when a woman who spoke at a Town Board Meeting ended with, "Whose town is this, anyway?"
I was part of the Titus branch's heyday twenty years ago. Then I got my first computer. Two things happened next: no time to read because of the time it took to crash and reinstall systems and my eyes got used to the subliminal activity on the screen. I can't read for entertainment anymore. The last books that kept me awake were Harry Potter series (from which I learned a lot, like "poo" is a swear word.)
Anonymous @ 11:21 pm -
lol Those darned computers.
Poo is a swear word? I did not know that. I should have just said "shit" then.
Much of what I read here, although entertaining, makes no sense to me whatsoever. The decline in library use is recent and the facilities and have been poorly maintained and unattractive for many, many years. During those many years those same grubby libraries were the busiest in the county. No way are deteriorating buildings the cause of the decline. It seems pretty obvious to me. The library use went down when the staff and hours were cut by MEH. You can't just put the hours back. You need to replace the missing staff to operate them, which is a commitment to spend more money every year not a one-off cost like the consultant. As for seniors, I'm guessing the two libraries serve more seniors than the "Senior Center". Ever visit the library during the day? I do. It is packed with seniors. So maybe "seniors first" idea might be well served with a new library. I've looked and looked but, hired consultant or not, I'm not seeing where the library board said they wee trying to avoid having the people decide any new building issue, so I don't get that line of attack. It is also seems to be a contradiction to attack them because they hired an expert in referendum campaigns and then attack them because you claim they want don't want to let the people decide. Seems to me that if they hired a person with referendum campaign expertise it means they know and accept that there would be a vote on it some day. Just like you, they want to win. Although I'm a library fan I'm certainly not in favor of a big tax increase so I'm worried about additional spending as many of you are, but your cause might be better served by complaints that make sense.
Anonymous @ 12:02 pm -
"No way are deteriorating buildings the cause of the decline."
I agree with you, and said the same thing. The LB is saying that the decline in usage did not go to other libraries, so it can't be the reduction in hours. I don't agree. I think the reduction in hours, plus the yuckiness of the libraries is part of the reason.
A lot of us, on here anyways, would like to see the money for the consultant go to updating, more materials, open on Saturdays......things like that.
"Just like you, they want to win."
'Scuse me? Win what? I WANT a consolidated library. Whether it's now or not is up to the people who vote on it in a year or so.
Originally, in April, the LB and TB decided to hire a consultant with taxpayer money to push for consolidation - which I don't agree with because the people who don't want consolidation shouldn't have to have their taxes go to pay for a consultant who was hired with their money to push one side's agenda.
Fast forward to June 12th, and Irena is saying the consultant was hired with "Foundation" money, and not taxpayer money.
Maybe you didn't see the other blog where we hashed this all out?
It's here if you would like to read through it.
Most on the library board, and especially the Director Terry Buford, have done an exceptional job of researching and advocating for a new library. They are professionals. They treat the residents with respect.
A few, however, don't take that route and instead call people names, accuse them of being terrorists who take the town hostage, and tell them that their opinions don't matter and that the Town should control the conversations about consolidation of the libraries and building a new community center.
I don't like that at all, and will speak up and "entertain you" probably forever if that keeps going on.
Oh...and by the way....thank you very much for patronizing one of our wonderful libraries in Monroe County by posting your comment from a branch.
Isn't it wonderful that people without internet service at home can utilize our top notch MCLS services at any library in Monroe County?
My Great Aunt doesn't drive. She likes her branch library because she can walk to it. It wouldn't be a problem for me or anyone who knows her personally to offer her a ride to a library that might be consolidated at a central location.
She won't go for that though. She is fiercely protective of her independence and would not feel comfortable relying on others to take her to the library. She might, but I doubt it. If I know her like I think I do.....she'll just stop going if it's too far away for her to walk to. She enjoys walking there, as it gives her the exercise she says "keeps her young at heart."
When I remind her that....you know....in a few years she might not be able to walk a few steps, let alone a few blocks-and she might have to get a ride to the library a few blocks away....because...you know...she is getting "up there" in age.....
she just shoots daggers with her eyes and tells me to "bite your tongue" and threatens to smack me with her wooden spoon.
I don't argue with that!
Did you guys know that the Library Board and the supporters have been meeting with Supervisors in other towns, and having "non public" meetings about how to get the community behind the consolidated library (and community center) idea?
No?
I did. But, I graciously did not say anything on here because I didn't think they were doing anything wrong by advocating for their cause.
They involve the community only when they HAVE to.
The joint TB and LB workshop meeting was not advertised anywhere significant. It wasn't even on the Town's calendar of events, or in their list of workshop meetings as being a "joint" TB, LB workshop.
Again, I have no problem with them wanting consolidation, or advocating for that. Since they are paid with tax dollars, I would like them to be a little more open and honest and nice to the people who disagree with consolidation.
Only because the "no people's" tax dollars pay them too.
Maybe taxpayers would be willing to have higher taxes to renovate the existing libraries and keep the branches? Maybe they want consolidation? Maybe they don't?
A vote would settle it once and for all, but we can't do that until their campaign is finished.
I just looked through March and April for an announcement of the joint TB/LB workshop on April 15th in MPN archives and didn't see one announcement about the workshop.
So, SS at public input last night said the meeting was advertised.
Where?
It wasn't on town website, library website, or in D&C or MPN or on town events calendar or on the list of the workshop meetings (it just said town board workshop meeting).
Was it in the want ads or something? Stuck in between the ads for Fords and Kias and I missed it?
Why didn't she say where it was advertised if it was advertised somewhere significant?
I thought these workshops were going to be recorded at some point in time?
Guess not.
Anonymous @ 12:02 pm said-
"It is also seems to be a contradiction to attack them because they hired an expert in referendum campaigns and then Anonymous @ 12:02 pm attack them because you claim they want don't want to let the people decide."
Libby Post is a political consultant her bio says - "She now uses her political communication skills to help libraries throughout New York State wage successful building referendum, charter change and budget votes."
Libby isn't an expert in referendum she is a political consultant that gets library boards what they want. I disagree that taxpayer's should have to pay for her services.
Anonymous @ 12:02 pm said-
"Seems to me that if they hired a person with referendum campaign expertise it means they know and accept that there would be a vote on it some day. Just like you, they want to win."
They know and accept that there will be a vote because they know there is NO way around a vote. MEH and company tried that by even passing the King's Park resolution in the dead of winter between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The library board and town board are fully aware that the residents in town will FORCE a vote.
They want to win? Man does that line sound bad. I want them to want what is best for the town.
They can't get around a vote, so they hired a political consultant at taxpayer's expense to push their "one" library campaign.
I'm disgusted by some of the library board comments in the minutes. Some of these board member's don't sound like people that give a flying fig what anyone in the community says.
Jax said;
"The joint TB and LB workshop meeting was not advertised anywhere significant. It wasn't even on the Town's calendar of events, or in their list of workshop meetings as being a "joint" TB, LB workshop."
I looked all over for the "advertisement" of this joint meeting. I can't find it anywhere.
A board member speaks about having to "control the conversation!?!
How's that for open and transparent government?
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