Library Plan Worth Council’s Attention

Regarding “Library Plan Would Close 2 Sites, Enact Tax” (Dec. 22).

Ventura’s Library Advisory Board has made a bold and commendable show of leadership with its proposal to solve our library funding crisis. I am concerned, though, that some Ventura City Council members may have already dismissed the board’s suggestion that the council create a new assessment district.

In November, more than half the voters in Ventura supported a tax measure that would have funded the libraries. How could the message to the council be any clearer? The majority of the city’s voters are willing to pay a new tax to have quality, full-time library service.

I hope the City Council members will seriously listen to their own advisory board composed of hard-working taxpayers. Dismissing a new assessment district out of hand is not proper consideration.

BARBARA SWANSON

Ventura

Barbara Swanson is president of the Ventura Friends of the Library and co-chairwoman of the Save Our Libraries Committee.

At least once a week, The Times has an article on the budget disaster facing Ventura County libraries.

What is ignored is the underlying cause of this fiscal problem. It happens to be the same problem that is closing public health facilities in Los Angeles County. To balance the state budget, the governor has diverted local revenues from cities, counties and special districts to pay the state’s obligation for funding public schools. Both the voters and the courts determined many years ago that public education is the state’s responsibility. Even the Legislature agreed in principle (but not in practice). However, for four years now, local revenues were stolen from libraries, parks and clinics to cover this state obligation.

The reason for this theft is to avoid an increase in state taxes. Instead, local officials are now trying to increase local taxes to replace the lost funds. Gov. Pete Wilson knew that, when local services are cut and local taxes increase, voters would forget that he was the actual cause. This is wrong!

Each closed library should have a sign: “Closed as a result of the governor’s budgets.” Each ballot proposition to levy special taxes for libraries should be titled: “The Pete Wilson Library Tax.”

DAVID E. ROSS

Oak Park