Group Plans Protest Of Library Budget Cuts

An Asylum Hill neighborhood group demonstrated Monday outside Mark Twain branch of the Hartford Public Library and plans a 'read-in' today to protest a budget-cutting proposal to shut it down.

The closure of the Farmington Avenue branch and a second library branch in the Blue Hills neighborhood has been recommended by the library board to save a good chunk of the $870,000 gap looming in the library's $8.2 million budget for 2008-09.

Some critics, including the library's union representative, say the threat of branch closures is a ploy by library officials to extract more money from city hall. Board President Geraldine Sullivan, in a letter to Mayor Eddie A. Perez and the members of the city council last week, argued that without additional support, the Hartford Public Library system can't operate at current levels.

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Posted by: Hartford Courant

Full Story: Hartford Courant

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Places - Blue Hills, CT, Hartford, CT
News - Libraries

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Showing posts 1 - 5 of 5

Ken Krayeske Hartford, CT	Reply » \| Report Abuse \| Judge it! \| #1 Jul 1, 2008 That's solid financial leadership from Eddie Perez. What kind of a poor manager tells an organization to dip into its endowment for operating funds? That is not a sign of fiscal health (obviously, cutting library branches isn't either). But dipping into a $14 million endowment to pay for electricity sends the wrong signal, and it will deplete the endowment rapidly. What a bad decision from Perez. I can't say that I don't think Gerry Sullivan isn't playing a game of brinkmanship either, and using the protests to extract more money from the city. A mess on all sides. Meanwhile, Bush signed a $162 billion - that's right - billion - war funding package yesterday, and we fight over crumbs.
Lonny Virginia Beach, VA	Reply » \| Report Abuse \| Judge it! \| #2 Jul 1, 2008 There are a lot of ways that the Hartford Public Library system could cut costs. For example if you limit the number of PCs that play DVD movies you could save on electricity and it wouldn't be necessary to buy so many computers. It seems pretty wasteful to have that many computers, which only get used when people are looking for a place to go for heat or air conditioning. Or find ways to create new revenue streams. Perhaps charge money for some of the classes that they run or create new, higher level training classes and charge money for them. Or just reduce the hours that the library is open. But I agree with Ken; there should be no need to dip into the endowment to pay operating expenses.
Gaming Machines NOT Burbank, CA	Reply » \| Report Abuse \| Judge it! \| #3 Jul 1, 2008 In towns surrounding Hartford computers are quite frequently used by teens as gaming machines. Haven't seen a library yet that stops them.
About time-	Reply » \| Report Abuse \| Judge it! \| #4 Jul 8, 2008 I see that Tina Brown has again consulted her favorite person at HPL, Leo Laffitte - maintenance man and shop steward and that once again, Leo has been proven wrong! I'm sure that the people laid off will be happy to know that it isn't real Leo - just 'scare tactics'!
Sam Zell Eats Children Hartford, CT	Reply » \| Report Abuse \| Judge it! \| #5 Jul 15, 2008 Ah, Leo, Leo, Leo, a former convict who couldn't read a spread sheet to save his life, much less the contract of that Union which inteded to f*ck the employees out of their benefits........how do you and Dave feel now, Leo.......I bet Sonia's glad she gave up that position, Leo. They should let you AND DAVE IONNO go

Showing posts 1 - 5 of 5

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