Mailbag: Whose ‘agenda’ is at work at the library?

About the parent/guardian book review committee, which will have the ultimate last word on what books can and cannot be added to the library book collection, Community and Library Services Commissioner Ceason Baker said, “Why are we not doing everything in power to protect and nurture our children, rather than allowing them to be exposed to harmful content because they are mere pawns in an agenda?” What harmful content? Content in books that do not meet her or the far-right council majority’s community standards? What are these community standards and why do only the ultra conservative council majority, city attorney and 21-member committee chosen by council, get to decide? Vetted library review sources, established book publishers, the librarians themselves and parents who aren’t on the committee will have no voice. Because the conservative council has more seats, they will also get to choose more committee members. So will the committee vote on what books can be ordered? It will be how it is now when our council votes, 4 against 3. The majority wants to privatize our library, but how will this work with this parent/guardian committee? The private company takes over all ordering. This entire debacle sets our city up for even more lawsuits. So whose “agenda” are we really talking about?

The Huntington Beach Library is over 100 years old. The Central Library is about to turn 50. The book collection and loyal library staff have never been considered a problem until the MAGA council majority took their council seats. So once again, whose “agenda” is this, really?

Barbara Richardson
Huntington Beach

The H.B. City Council majority four continue to exact a toll in their war on our beloved, award-winning library. At the most recent council meeting, one of our longtime senior librarians publicly resigned, tired of being called a pedophile, pervert and groomer by those on the religious right. Sadly, several in the audience cheered loudly at her announcement. Shades of the Salem witch trials. This woman, with 25 years experience, is taking her expertise to another city where her skills will be appreciated.

The drain in our city government continues as skilled employees move to less chaotic pastures. First the majority four censor books, then they vote to issue a request for proposals to outsource/privatize our public library. They’re assembling a 21-person committee to review books that can be bought for the library, and now skilled, experienced, longtime librarians are leaving. Friends of the Library volunteers who donate thousands of hours say they will not contribute those hours to a for-profit company, and the library will lose the hundreds of thousands of dollars contributed by FOTHBL each year. This will not end well. The City Council needs to quit with the MAGA performance art and change course — fast.

Michele Burgess
Huntington Beach

The state’s lawsuit against Huntington Beach over its proposed voter ID requirement was another kick in the teeth to Surf City’s reputation delivered by the City Council majority and our rogue City Atty. Michael Gates. While those who elected them may consider it a badge of honor to stand up to the state and county with their grievance performance art, it is nothing but grief to the rest of the community and will doubtless negatively impact our taxpayers financially. The authoritarian amateurs running our city are ignoring all other issues to focus on their culture-war agenda. Our local government has become a joke, a sick joke. Just ask the top city management officials who have fled to neighboring cities where their talents and professionalism are appreciated. Our city is likely to suffer further losses in lawsuits and penalties before this reign of terror is over. In my 40 years of residence here, this is the worst I can recall.

Tim Geddes
Huntington Beach