Johnson wants to save Inghram library
I was able to speak with 6th Ward Councilman Rikke Van Johnson after I had to turn in my contribution to the library story that will run in Thursday's edition.
Here's what Johnson had to say about the proposed budget cuts:
"There's a little bit of wiggle room right now, but very little," Johnson said. "I'll be talking to the City Manager about making sure I can do what I can to make sure Inghram doesn't close."
Inghram is one of three branch libraries that are slated for temporary closure under interim City Manager Mark Weinberg's proposal to solve a projected $9 million budget gap. Libraries that have closed previously in San Bernardino have not reopened.
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Andrew Edwards. E-mail Andrew here.
It's a shame to close such a VITAL asset in the one community that so desperately needs it. Having grown up in Delman Heights I saw almost none of my friends graduate from college. Academic success was hard to find. I recall not having tutors, some indifferent and discouraging teachers rampant ignorance, old coursebooks and out of date materials in the school library were a perfect recipe for what you have now. Is is simply criminal to close any library branch. Especially in these times. That library is where you can get the information you need.
Do not close any libraries.
For the young ones, the schools have libraries ( if the kids are going to go to school to learn).
For the adults, we have a bus system to aid in the transportation to the downtown library.
For the majority of families, internet and home computers are a great source of information along with Clinton/Gore Connectivity fee on your phone bills , to get computers into every school everywhere!
Then there is the parent who could, if not too busy, help their child with any of the above resources, and / or arrange for time to go downtown or to a freinds home where a learning (not game playing ) computer is available.
This is not permanent, but we are in an economic mode that requires all of us to share the burden and not be selfish!
Can you share yourself to help another, rather than trying to bleed the city coffers dry.
Let the Politicos do that.
Police are more important than libraries people! Get your bus pass and take your butt down to the main library. Geez!
I hope that Mr. Johnson will do everything that is in his power to save at least the Inghram Library. Yes the schools do have libraries but most of them do not allow students to go in and enjoy them (such as my school San Bernardino High). If libraries are going to close temporary at least promise the public a fix date upon its reopening. Perhaps instead of closing down these libraries the city should consider only operating for 4 days a week and see how that works!
Everyone needs to remember that the Ingram Library is a rented facility. Yes, the City has to pay rent to have the library in that location. The Villasenor Library is a mere 2 miles away and highly under-utilized. The Feldheym Library is less 3-1/2 miles away. But because it is across the freeway, it is considered by many to be inaccessible. Why have I never heard the people on the east side of the city complain about the loss of the library in Perris Hill park. Voters twice rejected a very small property tax increase to support the library.
Nonetheless we are losing our libraries because of the wasted funds spent in the Police and Fire departments. Why does it take 4 firefighters and a large pumper truck to respond to every medical emergency? Whatever happened to the 2-man paramedic squad in a small truck? Why does it take 3 cops in 3 squad cars to stop and interrogate a suspicious person riding a bicycle? Where are the cops on motorcycles when we have motorists running red lights and speeding down our streets? Yes, we absolutely need the police and fire to protect and serve us. I totally appreciate the police officers and fire fighters that serve our community. But why is so much waste? Why are these departments so poorly managed? Why do the Mayor and City Council continue to support these department heads?
Furthermore, the San Bernardino City Unified School District has done an extremely poor work on sharing resources with the library system. In Rialto, they share library facilities with 2 high schools that are available to both the students and the public. Yet, our school district has no effort to even initiate any such action. They can build new facilities but they cannot share those facilities with anyone else. And they send their students to the libraries to do their homework.
And we wonder why we have to close our libraries. We have no one to thank but our city officials and school administration. If you want to see the libraries stay open, we have to institute a special property tax to support it.