I HAVE BEEN a big supporter of San Buenaventura Friends of the Library's dogged efforts to save their beloved Wright Library from closure due to cutbacks in the Ventura County Library System. They've done event after event and even invited science fiction legend Ray Bradbury to be the featured speaker at a fundraiser. So far they've raised $92,000.
But there comes a time when even the most devoted volunteers get tired. Volunteer-driven fundraising efforts cannot always be sustained. I've been there, done that myself when in 2003 as part of an equally determined group of moms we raised $84,000 to save the School Resource Officer program in Ventura's middle schools for just one year. We couldn't do it again the next.
So the Friends are pinning their hopes on the passage of Ventura's Measure A, the 1/2-percent sales tax measure on November's ballot. The estimated $8 million raised locally by the measure would stay in Ventura and wouldn't be subject to a raid from Sacramento. The state is taking $4 million from the city's now balanced budget to solve the state's budget crisis -- "borrowing" $2.8 million in property taxes and taking an additional $1.2 million from the city's Redevelopment Agency.
The spending plan for the revenue measure, which sunsets in four years, would do much to restore some of the service cuts our older, full-service city has had to make in the last few years to balance the budget. Supplementing the county's funding for our libraries would keep Wright open and maintain hours at our other library facilities.
Today the Friends and other community leaders and local families officially kicked off the campaign for Measure A in front of the Wright Library. The measure has broad community support if the endorsement list is any indication. On the growing list is the Ventura Auto Center Dealers Association and other local business leaders.
SBFOL President Will Thompson put an impassioned plea in the group's latest newsletter: "So, it will be up to us voters to save Wright Library. ... We are, in the face of so many voters in previous elections who just said "NO," the voters who now have the opportunity and the privilege to say "YES." We love Ventura and are eager to save our Wright Library!"
22 cents a day to keep our library open, and our streets safe is worth it. Sacramento will be taking even more money away from us in the future as they attempt to balance their budget.
Vote YES on Measure A to save the Wright Library from shutting down permanently. A YES vote will give back monies so the city can repair our roads and will restore funding for the maintenance of our lovely parks in a manner that we all expect. YES on Measure A insure that this funding cannot be taken by our politicians in Sacramento. It is paid by us and all visitors to our fair city and will stay here. YES on Measure A will also bring back our Fire Department's Engine 10 and allow for more public safety personnel to be placed on our streets. Doesn't matter if you live in the North, South, East or West, we have a rise in crime. 22 cents a day is a small price for us to pay for us to continue to enjoy the special place we call home. A YES vote on Measure A is a priceless gift to give our children, senior citizens and all residents of Ventura.
Thank you. Vote November 2, 2009..... YES on Measure A
Measure A is NOT guaranteed to save the Wright Library from shutting down permanently. The college owns the lease and will eventually shut down the library.
A NO vote will give the city council a clear message that the residents expect that they manage monies so the city can repair our roads and will restore funding for the maintenance of our lovely parks in a manner that we all expect.
NO on Measure A will also force the city council to look for other ways to bring back our Fire Department's Engine 10 and allow for more public safety personnel to be placed on our streets.
Nothing in the measure’s ‘spending plan’ is legally binding. The city council can spend the money ANY way they want. They can inflate the pensions of public safety. They can spend money on out of city consultants. They can waste it on all sorts of pet projects.
The city council needs to learn to live within its means just like the residents of this fine city. Their anti-business stance over the years is coming back to bite them and they DON’T need any MORE money to squander away. What we need is a city council who understands how to live within a budget.
TIME FOR CHANGE!!!!
Vote NO on Measure A
I guess John Doe shoots from the hip and asks questions later. The city has a balanced budget. It lives within its means. Living within your means in a time of declining general fund revenues NATIONWIDE means cuts. Almost $17 million of them in the last few years. You're fine with cuts it seems. You're fine with the Wright Library closing right away instead of years from now or not at all if the lease can be worked out.
You're fine with Medic Engine 10 being shut down and fine with Downtown patrols being cut. You're fine with lower maintenance citywide and missing street fairs and other services the citizens value. All so you can save $65 a year. But if you shop in Oxnard or Santa Barbara you'll be paying higher sales taxes because those citizens chose to invest in services for their cities.
There is a citizen commission being established which will oversee the spending plan. You should apply to be on it. Then maybe you would be able to grasp a rudimentary knowledge of city financises.
JaneDoe thinks I'm crazy.
That's fine.
In my opinion the city has done NOTHING to promote TAX REVENUE. I keep hearing that the city wants to promote 'high paying jobs' and yet where are these jobs? We've been hearing this mantra for years. Meanwhile business owners have been TURNED AWAY from opening/expanding their businesses in Ventura. And you think it's ok to give this council even more of your money?
"There is a citizen commission being established which will oversee the spending plan." Just like every other HAND PICKED 'citizen commision', this one will do what the city council wants it to. They wouldn't have me or want me. You think they'll ask Brian Lee Rencher to be on that panel? If anyone knows about the city's finance, it's Mr. Rencher. But the city council cringes when he speaks because he speaks the TRUTH about the poor job the council does with the finances. Also, there is NOTHING LEGALLY BINDING in the measure that forces the council to even listen to the 'citizen commision'. And you think it's ok to give this council even more of your money?
If (g_d forbid) this measure passes, the council will take the money and use it for whatever pet projects they choose. There is nothing LEGALLY BINDING to make the council spend the money on what they claim they will. And you think it's ok to give this council even more of your money?
Save your money.
TIME FOR CHANGE!!!!
From what I hear, many of the Council have close ties to developers. These guys obviously aren't in to the job for the little pay. They are pushing development and are using any justification they can for support (keeping libraries open, social equity, affordable housing, inflated population statistics). Developers are backing their candidacies heavily. I even received a banner ad on Yahoo mail today for an incumbent up for re-election. Same incumbent who can afford giant, billboard ads for his campaign. Big money behind this character! Wonder if that is why he promotes all this high-density development lately?? I am all for libraries, but this current City council (except for Monahan) seems to be made up of only Developer puppets and extremist social activists. I do not trust them with any extra funds. I originally was in Favor of Measure A, but after watching Council Meetings and reading up on their agendas, I am now strongly against it. They have not earned our trust and have a track record of squandering investments and pandering to special interests. Along with my neighbors, we are all voting "NO" on Measure A!!
Rob, you are stating what is well known. The Council wasted Ventura Tax Payer monies by commissioning an initial "poll" to see if Measure A had a chance to pass. Even though it will handily be defeated (people are sick of taxes and wasteful government spending) the Council "cooked the books" and cherry-picked whom they polled. They used these false stats to justify the cost of putting Measure A on the ballot. This has a very slim chance of passage, but like their poor investment choices, the Council forged ahead at taxpayer's expense. They also "cook the books" with false stats to justify their other goals. With stats, you can massage them a variety of ways to come up with the result you are seeking. Common practice by this Council to push their agendas. Vote NO on A! Should be a landslide against this money grab by the fiscally inept Council. They never learn!
The poll was scientifically conducted and reflected the same results the city has gotten every time they've polled residents on this issue. Sounds like a few bloggers here are a little wound up and missing basic facts.
Rather see a few big signs around town than the little ones stuck in every planter and median. I won't vote for any candidate who feels like he needs to pollute my town like this..
The taxpayers have more than done their share.....the county supervisors have doubled taxes forced upon the people in the county over the past ten years....doubling the county budget over ten years.....wih all the money going into the pockets of public employees....we have done our share
Regarding SBFOL's support for Measure A, although it's perfectly legal, I am a bit concerned that they have donated $5,000 to the Yes on A campaign. Even for a IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit, lobbying is legal.
Did that $5,000 come out of a general pot, or could any part of it come from the generous donations, including school children and folks directly contributing to the Save Wright campaign??? Open the books and let us know.
That $5,000 could just as well have been added to the Save Wright funds. When (not if) Measure A fails, that $5,000 is lost and gone forever.
The city lost our money in bad investments, the council did not provide oversight until it was lost, $3 million of our job investment fund was handed to a Santa Barbara Venture capital firm with no requirement to create jobs in Ventura (suggested by Andrews, Summers and Fulton.) I have friends who are voting No on A because they are so angry at the city council. However, Voting no on measure A doesn't punish the council, it will punish our citizens. Just vote them out, but vote yes on Measure A.
Measure B simply saves our city from out of town developers who will pillage and go.
Measure C should get a yes vote because we need Ikea, Fryes, etc. We don't need another place to buy laundry soap. Walmart will require at least two full time cops because it is a crime magnet (open 24 hours a day)The jobs lost and cannibalization from existing businesses will put us in a net loss situation.
Let's use common sense folks, all three measures are to save our quality of life.
Hmmmmm? Regarding Measure A and my 19 October question about SBFOL's generous donation of $5,000 in support of Measure A, am I the only one interested in what pot of money that $5,000 came from??? If it came out of the donations I and others, including school kids made, to help keep Wright open, it may have been legal, but it was sure immoral! Open the books, SBFOL.
The best thing you can do to keep Wright open is vote yes on Measure A. It will close for sure if you don't.
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The business incubator program, a small business loan program and the Jobs Investment Fund were the reasons Fortune Magazine named Ventura one of the best places to start a small business in the country.
As far as the city's investments go. I have written extensively about this here, but I did talk to City of Ventura financial folks Jay Panzica and Kay Mirabelli about it. They, along with Cole and a community member, decided not to sell the formerly AAA-rated blue chip investments at fires sale prices, thinking they would go up again.
Many other cities have this issue to face. According to our City Attorney: The County of San Mateo has $150 million at risk; Monterey County has $10 Million; Long Beach $20 Million; Burbank $10 Million; Fontana $10 million; Costa Mesa $5 Million; Cerritos $4 Million; Fremont $4 Million; El Segundo $3 Million; Santa Clarita $2 Million; Tuolumne County $2 Million; Culver City $1 Million; Folson $700,000; Loomis $500,000; Shafter $300,000 and the list goes on.
Good Grief!! A few days ago I asked a relatively simple question as to where the Friends of the Library $5,000 donation in support of Measure A came from, but no responses!! Simply, are the books of Friends of the Library keeping pots of money separate? If that $5,000 came out of a pot provided by donors responding to Friends of the Library's campaign to keep Wright open, when Measure A fails that $5,000, including my contribution and those contributions by school children is down the drain. In any event, Friends of the Library needs to be a bit more transparent as a IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit. It's perfectly legal for them to lobby by giving funds, but that was no small donation!
Supporting Measure A WILL keep the Wright open. Their money was well spent and perfectly legal and acceptable. If you are asking for a non-profit's participation in a blog thread as a sign of transparency, you're asking in the wrong place.
Hi Bookworm:
Sounds like you are on the defensive and probably know the answer, but I guess your saying I need to pose the question to FOL.
Ya gotta admit, that $5,000 payment for lobbying would have made a difference if applied to FOL's campaign to keep Wright open.
Measure A would be no guarantee, even if it were to pass. Those percentages to benefit from Measure A are just numbers and not legally enforceable.
Drop in the bucket compared to what is needed to keep the Wright open monthly. Citizen oversight committee will make sure spending plan is followed.
It doesn't matter now. The stupid people won. They are closing the library in an attempt to make sure that Ventura generates more dumb citizens to vote.
It says alot about the people of this town that they voted out a Library and voted in a Wal-mart. Unfortunately these dumbasses also have children. Maybe they will learn to joy of reading in the monster truck book section at the Wal-mart.