Friday, May 20, 2011

Libraries may close

From the Daily News:

The citywide budget battle to restore library funding across the five boroughs has a special urgency in Queens, where more than 200 employees could lose their jobs.

Queens Library is the only one of the city's three public library systems that has sent pink slips to its employees.

Library CEO Thomas Galante said this year is the "most difficult budget challenge in its history."

"The city's executive budget calls for a cut of $25.3 million on July 1," he said in a statement. "Given the severity of the proposed reductions, I had no choice but to issue 90-day layoff notices, which would become effective if funding is not fully restored when the city adopts its budget for [fiscal year 2012]."

The notices were issued to 234 librarians, clerks, custodians and other unionized workers earlier this month.

The Bloomberg administration and the City Council are currently hashing out a budget plan. Library officials and employees from all three systems, which include the New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library, have mounted an aggressive lobbying effort to get funds restored.

Along with layoffs, the library would be forced to slash hours of service and shutter some branches if funding is not restored.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe if Mayor Bloomshit stopped giving money away to projects that benefit his "friends"...

Anonymous said...

Where will all the kids go after school is out? The library is the babysitter for kids who are not in afterschool homework help.

Anonymous said...

test 1111

Jaded Eye said...

Why is this attack on literacy happening when there is a BUDGET SURPLUS???

Anonymous said...

You mean loading up on illiterates from "vibrant and diverse" locations means the libraries get used less often???

Shocking.

Mayor Mike said...

Closing libraries...check
Closing firehouses...check
Unneccessary development...check
friend benefits...check

Life is GOOD!

Auntie Invasion said...

what will all the Russian, Chinese & Caribbean immigrants do if the libraries close? You mean they may have to get jobs where they are expected to work and not be coddled by the QBPL New Americans program?

who's going to purchase the novels written by immigrants who have such terrible terrible, awful, dreadful times in America? what other entity besides the QBPL would buy surplus of this crap?

Anonymous said...

You mean they're the only people who use the libraries? Really?

Fadlo said...

Auntie Invasion said...

what will all the Russian, Chinese & Caribbean immigrants do if the libraries close? You mean they may have to get jobs where they are expected to work and not be coddled by the QBPL New Americans program?
-----------------------------------------
Sure, cut off your own nose to spite your face just because you don't like immigrants.

Anonymous said...

Hey, close them down. As long as they keep installing bike lanes, life is good! You don't need to be literate to pedal a bike.

Mayor Mike said...

If people start to read they might wise up...

and then I'm screwed!

Shut 'em all down NOW!!!

Anonymous said...

Dumb and tweeded -- and illiterate too. Just the way queens politicians like it.

Auntie Invasion said...

the immigrants are the only ones who have been employed at the QBPL since 1999.

check out the New American program at QBPL.

what happened to us OLD Americans? why no program at QBPL or jobs there for us?

Anonymous said...

When was the last time that you were in a QBPL branch, Auntie? Do you know what you are talking about?

Joe said...

Yet Bloomberg finds $$ to buy high end Computers, LCD projectors, hire IT techs so immigrants and offspring can watch porn and cartoons in Ridgewood ?

Why is this attack on literacy ?
Because the mayor wants all these new people disorganized, in the dark, stupid and dumb a rocks.
---easier to control.
Did the plantation owners of the 1800's want the slaves educated ?

Same shit from different Assh*les and you know what ?
These dumb-ass sheeple populate will elect or sit home watching TV as these ZOG & Democrats get elected AGAIN !! !

Anonymous said...

Laying off employees, meanwhile they've spent how much money to build the Children's Discovery Center next to the Central Library in Jamaica? And how much money did they waste renovating that space before they then decided to tear it down and start over?

Anonymous said...

Look at those millstones.

One should be labeled "Donald" and the other "Claire".

For it was the Manes and Shulman team that bears the main blame for grinding many deserving Queens historic sites into dust!

And what a bitter loaf of bread they've left us.

Anonymous said...

And what a bitter loaf of bread they've left us.

Loaf-yes
Bread-no

Anonymous said...

Yea, the millstones. The papers are know it, that the library has spite money to keep and display them while scores of librarians are let go, and a year goes by without purchasing a book.

But, the media says writing a story about this travesty would be 'a low blow.'

Anonymous said...

Our founding fathers knew
that in order to keep democracy viable....an "enlightened citizenry" is absolutely crucial!

Well,
Emperor Bloomberg has just turned out the lights on enlightenment!

Close some schools, then some libraries, here and there....substituting mayoral propaganda for education.

Then you can have your subjects ignorant, powerless and groveling at your feet for the human rights that are normally due to them in a republic.

Sieg heil...sieg heil...sieg heil...Reich's Chancellor
Bloom-Hitler!

Anonymous said...

At least at the Munich beer putsch...Der Fuhrer offered some brewskies.

Mayor Mike only offers us his used beer!

And we're supposed to believe this is the gold of the Rhine!