Put Down That Book And No One Gets Hurt
Killeen, Texas, is in central Texas and, according to the last census, is home to about 126,000 souls and some terribly confused city council folks.
It’s city budget time in Killeen, a time of rejoicing and the cutting of the taxes. Trump supporter and loud Republican councilman Dick Young, is claiming that cutting one third of the city library’s budget ain’t no big thing.
“I don’t think the level of service is going to dramatically change,” Young said, if funding cuts are made.
He also contends that there’s no plans to close down the town’s only branch library. See, that would give me comfort except for the fact that here it is right here on the city council memorandum.
I know I’m taking a big leap of faith here to suspect that city council members in Killeen can read, but maybe they could get somebody at the library to read the memorandum to them before they start holding press conferences.
Honey, it ain’t like Killeen has several branch libraries. They do not. They have one. They’re gonna try to close it.
Now I am not saying that Republicans are a bunch of book burners, but they are a bunch of library closers.
Look, I don’t want to be mean, but Killeen needs all the damn libraries it can get.
A group of citizens have started to raise a stink. Good on ‘um. There are some fabulous folks in Killeen. Some of them are willing to pay a users fee to keep the library. Those folks deserve a city council that reads more, not less.
Thanks to Joe for the heads up.
Donald’s Deplorables strike again. Back to the Dark Ages they go!
1This is just another Rethug gambit to stick it to the poors. If the library in Killeen operates like most, they not only loan out books, but also have computers available for those who don’t have one of their own. Yeah, I have a problem with the tax payers providing an outlet for porn; but, an awful lot of people use those things to look for work. And, students without a computer at home can use them for their school work.
I’m really with JJ: I hate the snacilbupeR and always will.
2Money for nothing…
Idiocracy for free
3People like Young Dick should consider moving to Oklahoma. I understand that the entire state government of Ok. is a whole lot like the Killeen City Government. Bunch a low life jerks who just hate it that some people are smarter than they are.
4Just tried to share this on facebook and they blocked it!
5I expect the tax cuts that closing the library will pay for will not be spent on books.
6I volunteer at a library in a very wealthy suburb in Ohio. I can personally attest to the use that is made of this library. Computers, meeting rooms, DVDs, audio books, and an incredible children’s section represent some of the services it provides patrons.
7Public libraries and schools are the best way to preserve our democracy; watch out for the R’s trying to dumb-down the populace by eliminating these resources.
HRC 2016
8I guess the anti-government types want to turn libraries into for profit bookstores. I don’t get it I love the libraries in my county.
9Young’s Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/votedickyoung/
10Look for the misdirection. While the liberals are fighting for their library, what other surprises are the Republicanites obscuring by the smoke?
11Rethuglicans and their corporate owners rely on an undereducated workforce to keep wages down and to keep filling the ranks of the military with cannon fodder for the unending wars they have gotten us.into.
12Trump’s not the only one of them who “loves the poorly educated,” and it’s easy to guess why.
13So someone should ask this guy if cutting HIS income by a third would be “no big deal.” I think I’ll do that. I live down the road from Killeen.
14When I was a wee chile I read a piece of fiction about planet earth in which the head of the government in the former USofA was selected from amongst those who showed the depth of their intelligence on a national stage. Sorta like the POTUS race is going in 2016 except that after every testing, the candidates IQ was displayed for all the citizenry to see.
The snacilbupeR have brought us to the brink of rule by meritocracy of intellect. Not the greatest intellect as written in fiction but a meritocracy of the lowest intellects. Councilman Dick Young may in fact have a brain, but his inability to use it reduces its effectiveness to that of lower organisms which do not.
+1
15I hate Republicans.
The biggest cost savings they can do is cut their pay!!! Fat chance of that!!
16I’m a republican, and I support KEEPING this library. Anyone iconic in history, including Malcolm X, got there through literacy. I’ve also noticed that a good number of conservative types in this community are on the side of business as usual–treating the taxpayers like the mushroom crew, and feeding city council what they want them to know. They cannot measure quality of life with anything, nor do they know what it looks like. They should have cut their pay, not the oxygen supply that feeds the brain.
17I am not supporting the closure of the library, just pointing out that the article you referenced does say that there are two libraries, not just one…
18True story.
19A person wanted to close our one library too.
We do have a state university and a Jr. College in town.
But, they really serve a different population.
What about the children, he was asked?
Wel,l since they have a teacher education program, he ASSUMED the college library was full of children’s books.
We kept our library.
@ Ken @ 18–1 library + 1 branch library = 2 libraries. But closing *1* library is still likely to cut a whole bunch of folks out of access. Still a bad idea–from someone who’d pitch a royal fit if he were told his income would be cut by 1/3.
20Building and stocking new libraries may have the effect of reducing the need for building new prisons.
21They talked about this where I live. I and others pitched a hissy fit. People use online access to apply for jobs and get skills training plus do online college courses. Aren’t you Rs for people getting jobs and bettering themselves? (I can rant pretty good.) Last month the first of TWO NEW libraries opened. The other opens soon. THAT is the power of screaming out loud for what’s right.
And I live in an R dominant county… Prince William Va.
22@allyinfl#9- Interesting that these would be anti-government types since, far as I know Killeen is the gate city for Ft. Hood, and therefore relies on the federal government for its very existence.
23Keep them poorly educated, it is practically a vow.
24Libraries are a bastion of knowledge and possibility.
25(That sounded profound, doncha think?)
I’m very familiar with that area as I lived near there for many years. Killeen is adjacent to the largest military installation in the free world and the majority of their students are the sons and daughters of military members or civilian contractors.
It’s population is 137,000 and they have one branch library. Trust me, they need all the books they can get. As Gump would say “Stupid is as stupid does.”
26It’s probably too late, but this gives me an opportunity to post one of my favorite things. It’s called “I’ll fight you for the library”
27https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHEVf6z1RoU
Libraries are miracles. Rich folks go to book stores. Regular folks go to the library. Somebody needs to schlep over to Killeen and get a card and check out armloads of books and then return when due and do it again. Why would anyone want to close a library? Its a mystery. Remember it jhas to be someone who can prove he/she lives in Killeen….
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