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My Hometown: Toronto Public Library and Satisfaction

Here is an e-mail making the rounds in Toronto:

Subject: Privatization of the Toronto Public Library

If you love the Toronto Public Library, you need to come to her defense right now!

The cost cutting agenda of Toronto City Council could target the TPL within weeks. Local branches could be closed and some or all of the Library’s operation could be privatized, unless we act now.

I have just signed a petition at www.OurPublicLibrary.to – I hope you will sign the petition too and forward it to your friends.

Visit http://www.OurPublicLibrary.to to sign the petition.”

This may be a bit overstated but there’s no figuring or predicting what our current mayor and the troubling lack of facts he uses upon which he bases most of his decisions, actions, soundbites, and viewpoints. He has been met at every turn by reports and citizens who use the actual facts to support their positions. And Toronto Public Library is by most measures one of the most successful, busiest, and respected in the world. It is the pride of the city, a jewel.

Anyway, getting to the point, KPMG has done a series of reports and found little to cut in our city and very little waste. You will enjoy the internal KPMG report that Ford got which is almost the opposite of the mayor’s position and claims. The mayor’s city councillor brother laughably claims that there are more library branches than Tim Horton’s coffee shops in his neighbourhood in support of his budget cutting stance. Hmmmm, private sector $4 coffee or free knowledge and community support for all? Why are they even in competition?

Look at Chart 3 on page 6 (reproduced below)
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2011/pw/bgrd/backgroundfile-39507.pdf
(47 page PDF)

Yes, police are important, but not as important as libraries.

Here’s some selected charts:

Yep, Torontonians love themselves some libraries. Every branch is sacred. The mayor may make some proposals based on his theories of city government, but voices will be heard about how we value our libraries. I hope he reads the report he commissioned. The editorial in the Toronto Star yesterday suggests that he doesn’t.

Anyway, as far as I’m concerned, anyone who cuts libraries gets unelected as fast as possible and I’ll work towards that end.

Stephen

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Posted on: July 19, 2011, 4:05 pm Category: Uncategorized

3 Responses

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  1. Robert Noise said

    More power to you. Only a lunatic would cut public libraries.

  2. Bill Reno said

    Great stuff, Stephen. Community libraries must be protected from the Ford Horde.

  3. Ahtasham Rizvi said

    Very interesting stats. We are with you, stephen, not with Rob Ford.