Let the kids have their tutors... I'll hold it 'til I get home. I wouldn't want my relief to get in the way of evolution.
Regards, Jason Stone | Hale --- Terrell Brown <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Someone forwarded a message from Friends of the Library to another list > that I'm on. > > Are the library cuts really "devastating"? We haven't closed a single > library, the libraries will still perform their core misson of > providing reading and research materials. Sure, it might not be as > convienient as it was before. > > If the Strib report that libraries are under utilized in the mornings, > it makes sense to eliminate those hours. Either that or elect someone > who will provide the money, however, we don't seem to be moving in that > direction. > > They say they need 12 bucks. 12 bucks from all of us. Problem is > where are a whole lot of people asking for 12 bucks and after awhile it > gets to be real money. > > They're looking for donations. I won't list here everyone who is > looking for donations, but I find it curious that they'll use the first > $60,000 for after school homework helpers or tutors. Isn't education > what we have a school system for? > > How do we know what we spend for education when it starts showing up in > the library budget? Anyone wonder why it's hard to understand > government budgeting? > > Coincidently, $60,000 seems to be the same amount that the Park Board > was going to save by taking toilets out of one of the most overused > park systems in the country. > > If the choice is toilets or extra help doing homework, I'm voting for > the toilets. > > > > Terrell Brown > Loring Park > terrell at terrellbrown dot org > > -----Original Message----- > > > The Minneapolis Public Libraries need your help now! > > > > As a direct consequence of the State's decision to slash Local > > Government Aid (LGA), our Libraries need to cut their 2004 operating > > budget by $4.4 million - or about 20%. Last night, the Library > > Trustees adopted a draft budget that will: > > > > Keep all libraries open, but at extremely reduced hours. Seven > > libraries will be open just 3 days a week. System wide, operating > > hours are reduced nearly 35%. > > Eliminate 77 - 80 staff positions. This will mean laying off 1 of > > every 4 employees. > > Significantly reducing budgets for new book purchases, educational > > programs, computer upgrades and building maintenance. > > > > What would it take to save our libraries from these devastating state > > cuts? About $12 - the cost of an average book. That's how much each > > resident would need to contribute to keep our libraries open and > > strong. You can make a gift through The Friends of the Minneapolis > > Public Library online at > > > > www.friendsofmpl.org/friends_Help.html <http://www.friendsofmpl.org> > > > > > > You can also contribute by mail to The Friends of MPL, 250 Marquette > > Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55401. > > > > People are stepping forward to help. On Tuesday, we received a call > > from a 10 year-old girl who wants to contribute $180 (mostly in > > pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters) that she has raised to help our > > libraries. Why? Because she is an avid reader who depends on her > > libraries for books and caring librarians. Other gifts - ranging > > from $12 to $1,000 - are coming in. > > > > The first $60,000 raised will be used to restore Homework Helper, an > > after school program that provides trained tutors for K - 12 > > students. Through Homework Helper, the Library provides more than > > 10,000 tutoring sessions every year. > > > > One student who has depended on Homework Helper is Kejf Jama. With > > limited English or formal education, Kejf struggled at Edison High > > School after emigrating from Somalia. On the verge of giving up, she > > went to the library. "Will you help me?" she asked a librarian. The > > librarian did, introducing her to a Homework Helper tutor. "I would > > not be in school if it wasn't for the library," Kejf says. Today, > > Kejf is working on an accounting degree at the Minneapolis Community > > and Technical College. > > > > Without additional funds, the Homework Helper program will be > > eliminated in January. > > > > The next $25,000 raised will be used to save the Summer Reading > > Program, a library tradition that keeps more than 11,000 children > > ages 10 and under reading all summer long. This program is a > > critical partner for families in preparing young children for > > academic success, while setting children on the path of becoming > > lifelong readers. > > > > Without additional funds, the Summer Reading Program will be just a > > skeleton of its former self. > > > > If we reach these goals, additional funds will be used to support > > other critical services, such as the Franklin Learning Center, the > > Hosmer Technology Center, and the Phillips Computer Center. These > > services help adults develop basic skills they need to succeed in > > school, work and civic life. > > > > Please help us save these programs by making a gift through The > > Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library at > > > > www.friendsofmpl.org/friends_Help.html > > <http://www.friendsofmpl.org>. > > > > With your support we can continue to make reading a part of every > > life - despite these devastating cuts from the State. > > > > One final word: Although we are asking private citizens to step > > forward to help our libraries in this crisis, we believe that this > > public institution should be primarily funded by public sources. To > > restore public funding to our libraries, we encourage you to become a > > library advocate. Please contact your elected officials and tell > > them they need to do more to provide for our libraries. To learn > > more, visit the advocacy page at our website: > > > > www.friendsofmpl.org/friends_LGA.html > > <http://www.friendsofmpl.org/friends_LGA.html>. > > > > PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES WHO CARE > > ABOUT LITERACY, FREE SPEECH, AND EQUAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION. > > > > Colin Hamilton > > Executive Director > > The Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library > > (612) 630-6172 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > www.friendsofmpl.org <http://www.friendsofmpl.org> > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Do you Yahoo!? > > SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! > http://sbc.yahoo.com > TEMPORARY REMINDER: > 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject > (Mpls-specific, of course.) > > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
