Tea Party Wages War on Public Libraries

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/economy/tea-party-wages-war-public-libraries



In September 2012 the Library Board of Pulaski County, Kentucky raised property taxes $1 per year for a typical homeowner to maintain the existing level of services in its five libraries. Voters were not given the opportunity to reject the increase; in 2006 however, they were and resoundingly approved a much larger increase to finance a new library.

But in 2006 the county and the country did not have a Tea Party. That grassroots movement sprang up early 2009 in fury at the federal government’s attempt to help millions of people facing foreclosure stay in their homes. In 2010 it escalated into a full-throated attack on the federal government’s attempt to expand medical care access to tens of millions. By 2012 the Tea Party movement’s virulent anti-government, anti-tax philosophy and take-no-prisoners, I’m-not-my-brother’s-keeper attitude had come to define American politics.

Pulaski County Tea Partiers, justifying their fury by noting the $1 increase had not been voted on by the people began circulating a petition to dissolve the library tax district completely. The effort’s leader declared her group would stop accumulating signatures only if all members of the current library board resigned.

The board did not resign and ultimately the petitioners found they had too little time to gather the necessary signatures. But the Tea Party had demonstrated its strength and revealed its willingness to use scorched earth tactics.

[Scuba]

1. "Grassroots movement". Bwahahahaha.

[hobbit709]

2. The teabaggers corporate masters want an illiterate workforce.

Why do you think slaves were forbidden to read and write.

[Atman]

3. What's a "full-throated" attack?

By a Tea Bagger, no less. It sounds dirty.

[annabanana]

4. In the War on Knowledge, the teabaggers

are fully engaged.

[WCLinolVir]

5. The tea baggers were busy in Richmond.

This weekend I saw them on an overpass with impeach O signs. In the historically black neighborhood of course. They did not last long. Someone called the police and complained about them as a nuisance.

[JoePhilly]

6. we don't need no book learnin.

[Johnny Ready]

7. Taxes - And the one track mind.

Taxes, are important to a Rep, ok fine. We all need to save money. Funny though if you try to suggest raising minimum wage to lower crime and prison populations to save money they cannot wrap their hands around that idea. Last time I checked it costs 17k per year to house an inmate. If we ever hope to see true change and empowerment it will have to pay more to work than it does to sell drugs or be a criminal. This would not only increase the tax revenue but also save money and lives.
Your article is another good example of the R not being able to see the forest because of the trees.

[marmar]

8. Useful idiots.

nt

[Le Taz Hot]

9. They're going to take on libraries

which means they're going to have to take on librarians.