I agree with Jeff – the phone polling on a parcel tax is just the latest evidence that deciding to privatize our libraries was poorly planned by City Hall.
Al Ferdman has done some simple math and finds the numbers don’t exactly add up:
The smoke and mirrors continues in relation to Library costs and services. The new city phone poll says the City will reduce taxes and increase Library services. At the same time staff is looking for a way to collect the special Library Parcel Tax.
So, what is the truth. Last Year approx. $6 million per year was collected from city residents for Library operations through payment of yearly property taxes and the special Library Parcel Tax. If the Library parcel Tax is no longer collected the City Library System funding is reduced by approx. $1.4 million. This leaves a total of $4.6 million for City Library operations. The LSSI contract was granted, for the next 5 years, at a cost of slightly less than $4 million per year. This leaves a surplus of $600,000 per year.
Do the math and you will see there is no need for a City Library Parcel Tax. Someone at City Hall must have plans for the money other than Library operations.
But it doesn’t matter. As everyone paying attention knows, most of us don’t pay attention. The tax will probably be approved by the voters without much of a fight.
I admire advocates like Jeff, Al, TimBen, Gauny, Leon, Bossert, Berta, Cam, Carole and others because they actually care about this town. Outside City Hall and SCVTalk, there is really very little interest in the nuances of Santa Clarita politics. Even though local government has the biggest direct impact on an individual, for some reason we focus on national affairs.
Average SCVers don’t know/care about the self-imposed increase in campaign donations that passed earlier this year. They don’t spend the time to learn about what OVOV is or what it means. Nor do they really care about who is running the library. They’re just half awake, enough to get through the Newhall Pass morning and night and spend a couple of real days in town per week. In SCV politics, apathy is the elephant in the room.
It’s what I think about when I listen to a song like this:
Stay out super late tonight
picking apples, making pies
put a little something in our lemonade and take it with us
we’re half-awake in a fake empire
we’re half-awake in a fake empireTiptoe through our shiny city
with our diamond slippers on
do our gay ballet on ice
bluebirds on our shoulders
we’re half-awake in a fake empire
we’re half-awake in a fake empireTurn the light out say goodnight
no thinking for a little while
lets not try to figure out everything at once
It’s hard to keep track of you falling through the sky
we’re half-awake in a fake empire
we’re half-awake in a fake empire
Is there a better song that describes the dynamics of our City?
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