Letters to the editor

Make a difference by supporting library

The Polson Library has been a valued part of the community for almost 100 years.

However since 1992, the library has not received any taxpayer dollars for books, newspapers, periodicals, DVDs or CDs or online services like the Shared Catalog Partner's system in Montana.

Only one other library in the state of Montana receives no taxpayer monies for materials. Pretty sad!

True, you can request a book from another library to be sent to you without a fee, but this service is available only because our library pays to be a part of the system.

It is an invaluable service and the Polson Library deserves credit for being one of the founding libraries. Nothing is free, but this is a bargain.

Without the levy, the library will have to cut these kinds of services.

The library board of trustees and library director have worked very hard to keep the library operating and have had to count on gifts for 35 percent of the budget.

Not one of us would like to depend on gifts to make ends meet. In the past few months, Drummond, Belgrade, Sanders County and Carbon County have successfully passed levies to help maintain and sustain their libraries.

We can do the same to preserve our library. Are we not just as supportive as those communities?

So, people in the areas of Polson, Valley View, Big Arm, Elmo, Proctor, Dayton, Rollins and East Shore to Yellow Bay are being asked to come together to form a North Lake County Library District.

The formation of a library district will ensure equitable and stable long-term funding and will retain the library as a dynamic center of learning and community life. If other libraries in Lake County reconsider the initial invitation sent out four years ago to work together toward a sustainable and equitable means of funding, they could join the district.

Libraries help everyone who walks through the door.

From 2008 to 2009, the cardholders at the library increased by 37 percent. That's more than 1000 new cardholders. You are not turned away or charged a fee because the Montana State Code mandates that Montana libraries be available to all.

A community depends on the library the same way it depends on police officers, fire fighters and educators.

Even though you may not need these services today, they are there when you do need them. You are not charged a fee for help.

Think about the value of the Story Shuttle traveling to the day cares and preschools and providing after-school programs to elementary school children.

As a retired educator I know the importance of developing a love of reading at an early age. It is priceless.

These children are the future. Let's give them a good start to becoming literate.

Your choice will make a difference. Support the funding of the North Lake County Public Library District by returning your mail-in ballot before July 27. Make that difference!

Bonnie Triepke

Library District Steering Committee

Polson

Library is a city service, not county

I am an impassioned supporter of educated literacy and of our children learning high level reading and writing in good English, preferably from excellent classic literature rather than from hand-held toys.

Good libraries are included in this passion, as are good schools and even better teachers.

But let's see.

It's "The Polson CITY Library."

But since Polson residents don't seem to provide enough support to their library, we're going to impose a COUNTY levy on everyone to support the Polson CITY Library and increase its staff. "No city … tax money would be required."

And we're going to do this during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Got it.

I actually live in northern Lake County, and Polson is 35 miles to my south. To visit the Polson City library requires a minimum 70-mile round trip.

Like most people who actually live in northern Lake County, I can travel much quicker and much safer with the kids to a better library in Kalispell, and it wouldn't cost me nearly as much as paying forever for more permanent bureaucrats far away in Polson.

The chances of anyone in my neighborhood ever benefiting from that "North Lake County" library down in Polson is zero.

This situation is duplicated in many other small towns also far from Polson, full of private sector people trying to make ends meet during this Great Recession — a fact that seem totally lost on the public sector bureaucrats pushing this levy.

Put the library in Dayton or Rollins and it would actually be "The North Lake County Library."

But this levy with its cleverly deceptive title is just the usual trickery to get 'someone else" to pick up the tab.

The Polson City Library is for Polson residents; any library levy should be limited to Polson metropolitan area residents.

How many Polson residents would support the levy if the purpose was to put a library in, say, Dayton, only 23 miles away?

If the Polson City Library was a private sector bureaucracy not receiving sufficient support from its local customer base, it would already have (1) offered more and better services, (2) applied for a bank loan at interest risking its physical plant as collateral, (3) pared back its operating hours, (4) reduced its services, (5) laid off some employees, or (6) closed its doors.

The very last thing it would ever think of considering is adding another three full-time employees at premium compensation.

Why must public sector bureaucrats and their bureaucracies be immune from the same challenges that routinely affect everyone else?

Where does that mentality of special entitlement come from?

Why is it always so characteristic of those very many who now can hide their economic self-interests behind "the children"?

When private sector citizens lose their jobs or can't get work, their ability to pay taxes to keep bureaucrats on the payroll declines. It's simple arithmetic in the real world.

In over thirty years, I've never seen even one of those Polson bureaucrats in my neighborhood, asking how they can help.

The only bureaucrats who know we exist are those in the tax office.

If Polson bureaucrats want to confiscate my money to hire more bureaucrats for a public library, then put the library in my town where I and my family and my neighbors can use it. Simply calling it a "North Lake County" library does not actually place it in north Lake County, now does it?

And it certainly doesn't move it to four blocks over from my house.

The proponents of this levy are counting on (1) most voters being emotionally persuaded by "the children" to put even more bureaucrats on the taxpayer's Polson payroll, (2) most people not thinking things all the way through to see that this is just getting 'someone else" to pay for yet another Polson amenity, or (3) enough Polson voters to vote for the levy to overcome the voters outside of Polson voting against it.

Those proponents should be ashamed of themselves.

Very often anymore the primary driving force behind American "thinking" seems to be, "How do I get someone else to do the hard stuff and pay my bills for me?"

No, thanks. The whole intent of this proposal is simply to get others to pay the cost of Polson city services, something very many of us have been doing for decades.

I'd rather voluntarily donate to the tiny Lakeside Library.

Robert J. Lavin

Lake County

Vote for library levy 'essential'

The voters of this community and the surrounding area are being asked to vote in favor of the formation of a library district, a service that many will and should support.

It is essential to a healthy community.

This area is well known for its ability to show concern for many divisive issues.

However, the people turn out again and again in favor of schools and they create new programs like Friendship Dinners, a new food pantry, "Soups On," golfing schools for young children, teaching music and drama for the community through the Port Polson Players and many other programs that may not directly affect the individual voter.

These supporters represent more than a caring community; they show a community whose issues, though not directly affecting each voter, are seen as an approach to solving problems when they speak as one voice.

We are not just a good community, but a community where growth is a promise.

Little can be said in favor of 'scratch my back" and "I will scratch yours." Polson voters say "we care" so support the creation of a library district because you are an essential part of this great community of Polson.

Adell Hansen

Polson

Save the library

You have seen the signs. You may have attended one of our PowerPoint informational presentations or heard one of our radio ads.

Last week you received a "please vote" postcard. All these to remind you that our Polson Library is in jeopardy. Now is the time for us all to take up the challenge of preserving our wonderful library for future generations.

Just as a forward-thinking group helped establish our library here in 1912, we are asking you to invest in the future of our community by voting "yes' for the North Lake County Public Library District, and for the levy to support it.

You will receive a mail-in ballot soon after July 8. Please consider carefully what our library means to you and help save our library!

Jackie Gran

Chairperson

Polson City Library Board of Trustees'