miscellany

vote yes on the library, and vote for mike nielson

I. The Library This should be a no-brainer: we need to better fund the Elting Memorial Library.  It’s an anchor of the community, public libraries are good, ours is great and needs the money to become even better.  Yes, taxes will pay for it, but in a town that maintains it’s own pool right down the street from the county pool, in a town that pays for AR-15 assault rifles in the trunks of our police cars, it’s embarrasing that we fund our library significantly LESS than do our neighboring towns.  If necessary, other spending should be cut to give the Elting Library more money.  For those who don’t want to fund the library, I ask only that you walk in, look the underpaid librarians in the eye and tell them they shouldn’t have a raise.  They deserve that raise, we deserve our fantastic library and should pony up the money to keep it here, keep it running, and make it even better. For those who need a hard-nosed, economic reason to support the library, the Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business did a <a href=”http://www.carrollcountycomet.com/news/2009-07-08/community/058.html”>study</a&gt; on the economic impact of libraries: <address>”The key findings of that IBRC study, completed and published in November 2007, indicate that libraries are a good value. The direct economic benefits that communities receive from libraries are significantly greater than the cost to operate the libraries…The Library Value Calculator, customized for the Delphi Public Library and its community goods and services, indicates that in 2008, the return on investment for every $1 of tax money spent on the library was $2.25 in value. This is a 125% return on investment. The Flora Monroe-Township Public Library customized the calculator for its goods and services and found that in 2008, the return on investment for every $1 spent was a whopping $3.99 in value – a 299% return on investment.”</address>II. Mike Nielson He’s a firefighter, he’s got got guts, he’s got ideas, and he’s got to be our new Highway Superintendant.  Vote for Mike Nielson.  His latest letter to the New Paltz Times lets us know he wants to figure out how to provide municipal, curbside compost collection.  He’s said he wants to figure out how to use biodiesel in Town trucks.  He’s an environmentalist who also know how to get roads paved, fix bridges, and plow our streets.  A blue-collar, small-g green.  Here’s my letter to the New Paltz Times on his behalf: <address>”Dear New Paltz Times, There isn’t much i can write about Mike Nielson that isn’t well known and often repeated.  He is honest, hard working and thorough.  He has that rare combination of a clear progressive vision, KNOWELDGE OF the pragmatic steps necessary to put his vision into practice and the backbone to get the work done.  The job of Highway Superintendent is largely a technical one – get the roads plowed, make sure the bridges stay up, order enough asphalt.  But already, Mike Nielson sees those small opportunities that exist in public service to realize a larger purpose.  It may not seem like much, reducing salt on the roads and trying to use biodiesel in our trucks, but small advances put into practice here can have enormous impacts, when highway departments around the Hudson Valley begin replicating the innovations brought to the field once MIke Nielson takes charge.  I’m voting for him this November; please join me electing Mike Nielson Highway Superintendent.”

Advertisement