Salinas Library Closing

smg225

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Monday December 27, 2004 · 12:17 PM PST

2004/12/27 · 12:17

Short quote first, from the AP story (via Yahoo News, link here: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=6&u=/ap/20041227/ap_on_re_us/salin as_libraries):

"Facing record deficits, the City Council voted Dec. 14 to shut all three of Salinas' libraries, including the branches named after Steinbeck and labor leader Cesar Chavez. The blue-collar town of 150,000 could become the most populous U.S. city without a public library."

So, this is obviously a disgrace, and also obvious is that libraries need money. Wouldn't this be a good thing for our literacy-oriented, librarian First Lady to champion? I wonder how many letters suggesting the idea it would take before she decided it might be worth her while, image-wise, and values-wise. Or is the fact that it is such an immigrant-heavy population sufficient dissuasion? Or the fact that Steinbeck was, well, you know, kind of a commie?

Still, he was an American and a 'folks' person. I'd love to see Mrs. Bush pick up the initiative on this one, do some good. Think it'll happen?

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