It's too bad that the City doesn't think enough of the Wright Library to dip into it's reserves to keep this open.
If the city doesn't care, why should the citizens.....

I think I/we live in 2 worlds here, maybe more. While those of us who use and love the Wright Library knew of the care and concern and efforts of the Friends, outside of that group it was not really well understood that A would save the library. We were invested in its being saved. I wish we could turn back the clock and start over, do more - not a new lament.

Others I spoke to, neighbors, new acquaintances, either hadn't read the newspaper articles or what few ads they encountered gave it little or no play. One neighbor said the money from A would go to more bloated pensions - she is in education and was 100 percent against it. Some seemed surprised to hear that the Wright might be saved if they even knew of its projected demise. Many had no clue there even was a Wright Library.

I saw few signs for it, many many against with "No new taxes" and the one ad that came in the mail emphasized seniors' needs which surprised me.

I remember reading on a city blog earlier on, long before the election, that it was going to have to close in 2015 anyway, as if to say, 'so what - it's a done deal'. It was as if there could never be an alternative or bequest or other good news to save it in the ensuing 6+ years.

We have all lost something really fine, even those who haven't realized it yet.

The trouble with thinking like your's Janice is that there was nothing LEGALLY binding the city to spend the money the way that was proposed. Once it was in the General Fund, Rick Cole and his band of bandits could spend it on anything they wish. Looking at past spending priorities, it appears to me that the Wright Library would be at the bottom of the list. How much money has the city contributed to funding the Wright Library over the last 3 years?

What the Friends of The Library should have done was put their OWN ballot inititive together. Sure it would require a 2/3 majority, but looking at the numbers you could have asked for about 1/8% increase and it might have passed.

It is my understanding that there was a watchdog group of citizens being formed to oversee the spending plan. So it would be spent correctly. John Doe could say the moon was made of green cheese but that doesn't make it so. Enjoy the few pennies a day you'll save here. You can spend your money at Barnes and Noble now.

The 'watchdog' group was going to be made up of the same politcal lackeys as the 'blue ribbon' committee that told the council what they wanted to hear in the first place.

It is my understanding that the 'watchdog' group was going to be auditing the plan. To me that means looking at the numbers AFTER they were spent. Doesn't do much good then does it?

I will enjoy MY money. I will also enjoy watching the city council cry over the injustice of it all.....

No you will just enjoy watching the kids lose their library I guess. Please enjoy yourself. Those pennies are important to you.

Please don't bother to drive on public streets, use public schools, call for emergency services etc. either. It's really obvious you don't understand the connection between public services and how they are funded.

I seldom comment about things in cities where I don't live. But I was hopeful that the Wright Library could be kept open. I'm truly sorry to see the effort fail.

I know exactly how everything is funded. Through my and your (and everyone else's) taxes. My point is that the city council has not proven to us that they can be responsible with our $$$, so why give them even more? The whole 'spending plan' was flawed to begin with. The premise to put measure A on the ballot in the first place was flawed. Everything was spoon fed to the citizen's like we were all a bunch of morons. Well, the morons read through the lies and deciets and soundly rejected the measure.

The city has been sketchy in their support of the library for years. What makes you think that if measure A passed, the library would see any of the money? There was nothing LEGALLY BINDING in the measure, just some touchy feely/ warm & fuzzy language that meant absolutely nothing.

If the Friends of the Library truly wanted our tax dollars, they should have put their own measure specifically for the library. They could have asked for

My wife and kids use the library, but they also use the college library for research. Me, I read used paperbacks.

Go ahead and say that BS over and over. Sleep well tonight. You voted to shut down a library to keep a few pennies a day to yourself and you need to justify that to yourself.

Gewn says that I "voted to shut down a library to keep a few pennies a day to yourself".

Correct me if I'm wrong Gwen, but Measure A was a general tax increase of 1/2%. Measure A was not designed as a law to keep the library open. Measure A was flawed from the beginning. Why do you think the VOTERS turned it down?

Nowhere in Measure A's language did it say that it was intended to keep Wright Library Open. Sure the 'spending plan' mentioned it, but guess what, measure A was GENERAL TAX measure. Do you know what that means? It means that Rick Cole and the City Council could spend that money on ANYTHING the wanted. How about some more out of state consultants? Need a survey to ask residents if they like us? How about a junket to China? All of those things could come from Measure A money and there isn't a d*mn thing that the residents of this city could do about it.

You think the city council cares about the Wright Library? Nope.com
If they cared, they would dip into their reserves and fund it. Do you see them doing that? Have much money has the city contributed to the library over the last 3 year? If they cared they would be auditing the Motel/Hotel owner's books to make sure we were collecting every last cent of the TOT that is due.

The city council has failed us. Everytime you turn around there is more talk about raising fees/taxes. This is the same council that tried to shove the 911 tax down our throats. This is the same council who decided that it would be a good idea for Edison to bury electrical cables, but turns out Edison can't afford to do that without charging RESIDENTS more money which turns into another tax. This is the same council who has told at least 2 business owners in Mid-Town that Ventura didn't want their jobs or tax revenue.

And you want to give them even more money to squander.

Here's an idea.... take your checkbook down to city hall and write them a check for the 'pennies' a day you would be contributing if Measure A passed. Do that and you'll prove to us that your money is where you mouth is.

JD: The 911 fee is gone. You need to find another dead horse to beat. The voters re-elected those who voted for it except for one and I am wondering if his replacement would've voted for it, too. But I shouldn't speak for hm.

The city has already gone into reserves to fund police and fire. I had complete faith that the money would go where they said it would, plus the tax would have sunset in four years.

I think it's a great idea to bury cables. I have power lines behind my house that throw off sparks when the transformers are dirty. I have to call Edison to come out and blast water at them to clean them. It's a fire hazard. I will post video of it here, if you want.

Thanks, Roy. I am sad, too. I donated $150 to keep it open awhile longer, which is a lot for me.

People hear the word "TAX" and are the response is an automatic "NO". Very sad indeed
that they do not take the time to become informed. This is what happens with an automatic NO.

Yes, the 911 fee is dead - to the tune of $1 million stolen from residents.

I think it's a great idea to bury cables also. But what hasn't been mentioned in any of this yet are the OTHER cables strung along power poles.

Edison will charge the ratepayers to bury their cables, but who is going to pay to have the phone lines and TV cables buried? Maybe the honorable mayor will write a check.

I don't consider putting our very effective School Resource Officer program back in our schools a waste of money, nor do I think paying for other emergency services is a waste. The money was earmarked for our SROs and I gladly paid the fee to restore this program.

When you die, all the money in the world will not make heaven a better place for you. It's what you do on this planet now that counts. Money just doesn't mean that much to me. Helping others does. It's how I live my life.

Money shouldn't mean that much to the city then, either. They should all volunteer and be as holy as Marie Lakin.

If your money doesn't matter, Marie, give it all to the library. Go ahead, we're waiting.

I think you should post that under your real name.

I give A LOT of money to charity and even more of my time.

I wish we were so fortunate to have most Americans contribute to society to the extent of Marie Lakin.

The Wright Library building has come to an end. Just like the books it held there is a beginning and an end. It wasn't the oldest library just 44 years but just like a book it ultimately isn't judged by the amount of pages it contains. Like a good book it will be judged by the content.That is something the people the used the Wright library don't have to return to the library.

I think its a shame that the city council did not see fit to rally behind Wright Library, but I cannot say that I am surprised. It is common knowledge that Ventura College holds the decades old lease on the library set to expire in a few years and it had no intention of renewing the lease. I assume the City Council felt it was best to stay out of the matter and let the citizens who actually care about making our city a better place fight for what truly matters. Like many of the people who fought to raise money for Wright, I attended every one of their book sales, I attended the standing room only city council meeting where it was decided to postpone the closure of Wright Library, I wrote a letter to our council, my children donated their allowance to the "Save Wright Library" fund, and on November 3rd I went out and voted yes on Measure A, but in the end I had to turn to my seven-year-old and tell her that the place where she learned to read "Goodnight Moon" among the stuffed animals in the children's section would close it's doors. It is sad really because if something was worth saving in this town it was a library.

where will the books go? they'll still be available and not warehoused? it's an outstanding collection.

(and if you ask me, the measure was voted down because of tightwad penny-pinching. how do you expect to have decent services is you don't pay a tax to fund them? i'm a resident; i voted yes.)

Everything is moving over to E.P. Foster downtown. Agreed about the tightwad penny pinching. Some of us value our quality of life here in Ventura. Others sit in their sad little homes with money stuffed into their mattresses. Sleep well.

I note that those who regret the failure of Measure A are signing a real name to their remarks. Those who are happy it failed are nameless "John Doe's" and "thatsfunny's."

Are you opponents of A so frightened of your shadow that you can't sign a real name to your cutting remarks?

Yes and they should write letters to the editor under their own name too. Ring a bell anyone?

While I'm not happy that the Wright Library is closing, I am glad that the irresponsible city council didn't get another bucket of uncontrolled funds.

As I've pointed out all along, the problem I had with Measure A is that there was nothing legally binding the council to spend the money the way they said they would. I just flat out don't trust them. The 'citizen's oversight committee' was designed to report to the residents how the money WAS spent (after the fact). Sort of like asking Mrs. Lincoln how she enjoyed the play.

It is unfortunate that the Friends of the Library got suckered into believing that the city council and the voters would answer their prayers by linking the funding of Wright Library to the passage of Measure A.

Using 20/20 hindsight what the FOL should have done is put their OWN tax measure on the last ballot. The FOL could have asked for 1/8% or less earmarked (and legally binding) to Library funding. I would have voted for that measure without blinking an eye.

I also believe that there is money hidden somewhere in the library administration that could be used to fund the Wright Library.

Call me paranoid, but I also don't trust that Rick Cole (or his staff) doesn't troll blogs looking for malcontents. That is why I am JohnDoe. I am also JohnDoe because I like to think that I represent views of the unknowns, the people in this town that don't spend hours on this (and other) blogs posting their views.

No I represent the unknowns and the people that don't spend hours on blogs and they like Rick Cole. They think he is a financial genius.

John Doe represents the Theodore Kaczynskis of the world. But John Doe should at least use his real name when he sends letters to the Star.

I think its a shame that the city council did not see fit to rally behind Wright Library, but I cannot say that I am surprised. It is common knowledge that Ventura College holds the decades old lease on the library set to expire in a few years and it had no intention of renewing the lease. I assume the City Council felt it was best to stay out of the matter and let the citizens who actually care about making our city a better place fight for what truly matters. Like many of the people who fought to raise money for Wright, I attended every one of their book sales, I attended the standing room only city council meeting where it was decided to postpone the closure of Wright Library, I wrote a letter to our council, my children donated their allowance to the "Save Wright Library" fund, and on November 3rd I went out and voted yes on Measure A, but in the end I had to turn to my seven-year-old and tell her that the place where she learned to read "Goodnight Moon" among the stuffed animals in the children's section would close it's doors. It is sad really because if something was worth saving in this town it was a library.

Personally, as someone who has worked with many people, tutoring at various libaries throughout California, this is a heartbreaking article to read. I do not live in your city. I am grateful, however for the life of this second resource, as long as it was given a chance to make a difference for all of the people who opted to walk through the doors. All it took was for readers, or those who wished to learn to read, was to make a decision. Go to the libary, today!
Politics are apparently a huge issue, to some. The death of choice seems to be far more vital. Was that based on only the politcal viewpoints of those who were also elected, not appointed? No, of course not.
Time has made an insidious mark, as it always does. Television, radio, vidio games,cell phones, computers, I-pods, all of these new-age gadgets rage on, vastly more interesting than a mere book. This is the basis for the loss. Let go of the rage. It does only harm to good will, as well as the innocent.
Accept that the most popular facility died, because it was ignored, no more, no less. At least you have the other library, along with the college, for all of the research. Take advantage of it.
Parents might want to kick around a lot more, now, the ideas of what they were considering as the next most important gift for their childern, with all of this in mind, if memories last longer than the demands for "Gimmie that, now!"

I vote to raise my taxes if the revenues can be used to kick the ignorant book hating JohnDoes of Ventura out of the city.

I travel alot with my job. I will forever spread the word across the US and the world that the city of Ventura is populated with the type of people who voted out a Library and voted in a Wal-mart. This is Ventura's legacy. This is why people live over the grade and not here. Its not the city its the people. And the people here have not proven themselves to be called good people or good citizens.

"Accept that the most popular facility died, because it was ignored, no more, no less. "

IT WAS NOT IGNORED!!!
The Wright Library got more people coming in through its doors then the main downtown library twice its size! IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL LIBRARY!

What killed it is the general hostility towards intellectual thought. Fox news viewers, teabaggers, etc. Basically the same people who questioned peoples patriotism for not supporting endless wars now do not want to pay for the local library. They want all the benefits of a community (police, sewers, etc) but they want somebody else to pay. They complain about illegals but are the first to hire them. They are anti-knowledge, anti-community, heck, they are truly the anti-Americans. I do not want to share my community with them. They should leave.

Right on Andre! Well said.