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Library Funding was a Well- Planned Attempt to Stack the Deck
Dear Editor:
It is with interest that I have been following the issue of the Julia L. Butterfield Library/ Town Board controversy. I have been a resident of Philipstown for 38 years and I am proud to live in a community where the most contentious town issue appears to be the funding of the library.
Unfortunately with today's financial burdens senior citizens are finding it harder and harder to stay in their Philipstown homes. So it was difficult for me to reconcile all those letters for the library, by the library board members, and not a sympathetic word for the poor homeowner! Apparently there are a number of Julia L. Butterfield Library patrons who would like to "hoodwink you" into choosing between your home, or a bigger, better, fancier library than this little community may need.
I've been involved with Town affairs for pretty much all of the time I have lived in Philipstown; and much of my involvement has been in the political affairs of Philipstown, so I know a little bit about things like; "targeting" those who are likely to favor your cause, versus giving everyone the same information and opportunity to make a independent rational decision.
I've read the letters to the editor, all proclaiming that "everyone was informed" via, email (I didn't get one), or the mailings to who, Library Patrons, (oh I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have voted no!) I must have missed the newspaper that week, and not one sign in CV.
Is it possible these informational efforts were only targeted to a select group? I live in Continental Village and there wasn't one flyer, not one phone call to come to the polls and vote for the Library windfall, in addition I go to most Town Board meetings and guess what, there was no one there spreading the word to get out the vote. It appears that this was a wellplanned and successful attempt to "stack the deck".
So, the jig is up, now what should we do now that more people now know that the library 'maybe" needs more money, lots of money, how are we going to deal with this? Spend lots of money getting the best "mouthpiece" each side can get?
How about this: the library board, and the town board, meet and hammer out a deal that eliminates the need for all those who missed the flyers, emails, signs, and the selected telephone calls to choose between praying they can hang on to their home, or go to the library.
Maybe the library can get by on less, maybe the Town Board can find a little more than last year's support. We all live here, we all want a library; but what we all can't forget is the 1000lb gorilla, not in the room, that wants us to feed 66% more of our tax dollars to the county!
Ken Gonsalves Continental Village
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