This afternoon, Rep. Kent Thompson, R-LaHarpe, will consider drastic cuts to public libraries that would likely force the closings of libraries in Humboldt, Moran and Savonburg and reduce Iola’s public library to little more than a shell of its present self.
As a member of the House Taxation Committee, Thompson will review House Bill 2719, whose goal is to cut in half state funding for the state’s seven regional library districts as well as other vital services, including rural water and fire districts.
According to the bill, such a move would “empower the citizens of Kansas,” by giving them individual say-so at the ballot box whether to support these services through their local taxes.
The irony of their choice of words is enough to choke on.
The whole premise of state government is to elect representatives who will decide how best to serve our interests.
And when they don’t want to?
Well, they “empower” us to do so.
Putting such issues before voters, every blinkin’ year, only courts disaster.
It would take an incredible amount of work — and expense — to explain and successfully sell such measures to voters.
Other targets of HB 2719 are regional airports and parks and recreation commissions.
FOR IOLA Public Library, the loss of funding would be about $35,500, or about one-sixth of its budget, according to Roger Carswell, its director.
The funding cuts would eliminate the library’s ability to participate in the state’s interlibrary loan program and have access to technology support, both of which make our library function at a much higher level than it otherwise would.
For the smaller libraries in the county, the cuts would sound the death knell.
Almost one-third of the state’s 329 public libraries have budgets less than $20,000 and could not survive as stand-alones.
