Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Phony Queens library backdoor cuts


Although when Bloomberg admitted last year when he had to reveal the budget that he was slashing Queens library budget, they are doing so in a sneaky and underhanded way.

Aside from the parks (and how much does it cost to keep open a park?), the libraries are one of the few things the city does which actually benefits me.

Let's look at his nonsense on the Queens Library web page

"Closed for renovation" - Arverne, Auburndale, McGoldrick, Ridgewood, Seaside, Windsor Park

Queensbridge, Ravenswood are closed and now "Family Literary Centers" whatever that means.

Six libraries closed for renovation at once? Also, someone living next to the Auburndale library who figures they'll go to McGoldrick or Windsor Park will find that they are also "temporarily closed for renovation".

After announcing big budget cuts, they're suddenly closing all these libraries for renovations? Where is the money for these massive renovation projects coming if the budgets were all cut? And if they're being closed for budget reasons rather than renovations, why lie and say it is about renovations?

-- Concerned in Queens

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Makes sense that this tactic is being used. I complain about the tanks park not being completed because some designers and landcaper are getting rich. Well I don't see anyone there, so I guess that the completion phase is stopped. "Closed for renovations"?

Anonymous said...

...and Sunday open hours are gone? I had to circle all the way back to Central on Sunday afternoon because I found Kew Gardens/Vleigh closed.

Anonymous said...

I was shocked to stop at Windsor Park the other day & find it all boarded up & "closed for renovations" w/o seeing any previous warnings. Was thinking the same thing - they slashed hours & weekends, so where is this sudden influx of capital improvement $$ coming from?

Anonymous said...

Who do you think the guys with the hard hats are inside the libraries? Props? C'mon. That's ridiculous, even by QC standards.

Someone who would know said...

It is for renovations. They've been doing these renovations for years, even when the budgets were not threatened. The renovations are always advertised for a few weeks.

They need to spend these capital funds before June and the money cannot be used for operating costs. The budget situation for operating costs, however, is very dire. Please support the libraries at this time.

Thanks.

Queens Crapper said...

Congratulations. You're reading a "Queens blog with an unprintable name" according to the NY Times!

Auntie Invasion said...

hows about their crappy New Americans program? hows about the library not hiring native Queens workers? is there still money for the New American (illegal immigrant claptrap) program?

Anonymous said...

Why Crappy, how double-plus ungood. That reminds me of how I could not access fuckedcompany.com years ago on library computers. I guess dirty words are taboo, but raping employees and taxpayers isn't.

Anonymous said...

The Queens Library (a private not-for-profit corporation, not a City agency) has been wasting money for years. They'd buy 500+ copies of the hot new best seller, and then a month later they'd either be in the book sale bins for a quarter, or in the trash bin. And that Children's Discovery Center they're building adjacent to the Central Library is replacing a smaller structure that they had just renovated -- how much was wasted on that? They're turning Central into just a branch, discarding thousands of books. Every librarian has been given a quota as to how much percentage they need to reduce the size of the subject collection that he/she takes care of. I pity the graduate students of today, because all of those wonderful research and reference materials that used to be at Central have been sold off through ebay (via a third-party contractor). I wish the Comptroller would subpoena their "books."

Anonymous said...

The real problem is that these contractor's where hired to do these renovations and took their sweet ass time doing it. That's the reason why a lot of these renovations were being done but didn't get done. Ridgewood Library was one as well as Glendale. Ridgewood with the holes in the ceiling with asbestos. The moron contractors never finished their work as they claimed as they did. Same thing in Glendale they are still waiting for completion.

Anonymous said...

they are beginning to lay off staff-if you want to keep the queens libraries open, please write to the city council NOW

Anonymous said...

This is so off when I ask to request the son of neptune they say that u can't it's it's closing so you can't get it.