“This entire reopening of the dialogue started with the hope we would be able to get some stimulus money, which has not happened,” Hughes said. Karl said the county should meet with trustees “because trustees are custodians of library. The county does not realize this. They refuse to recognize us beyond social functions and rubber-stamping proposals.” Karl said the county is asking trustees to “register every square inch of a project that will cost $5 million” when the county itself plans to bond for up to $51 million for a new nursing home for which it does not have a fully detailed architectural plan.
In my opinion, a library expansion in these days of electronic technology is unwarranted. Over the next 20 years that the library plan is to address, there will be less print media as more households are wired to the internet. There will be fewer patrons who frequent the library with the continued advances in technology.
I agree with those who commented above that the current economic conditions do not support the expenditure of $3M to $4M of public revenues. This expansion is a priority only in the eyes of the library trustees.
I do have a question about why those who govern the City of Schenectady and Schenectady County have been unable "to get some stimulus money". In the most liberal state in the country and in a county and city that is controlled by the Democratic party, where is the money promised by their man in Washington? It was even reported that Stratton has had meetings in Washington with those in the administration.
By all news reports, it seems that little of the $700+ B stimulus package has been disbursed to fund public projects. With little oversight of the expenditure of federal stimulus money, other than that by Vice President Biden who knows how every penny is being spent, is this money being used to stimulate the economy by funding public projects or finance giveaways to the connected and redistribute wealth amongst the classes?
I am opposed to the expenditure of $3M to $4M of our tax revenues to fund a library expansion. Let us focus on job creation and infrastructure maintenance and enhancement.
I recall that there was only one legislator who consistently voted against the library expansion with taxpayer funds, each and every time it came up for a vote. He said it was not affordable on channel 16 (before they began censoring it.) Of course if the Friends of the Library were able to raise the money through private donations then fine, in MY OPINION. Sadly, when the county stuck it's nose into the mess and proclaimed they would fund it with taxpayer money, the donations ended. When the county did that they also assumed dictatorial control over the matter including the design, which would feature the Sue Savage Cafe, at the expense of the McChesney Room, which is the acoustically superior round room next to the entrance. At on point it looked like the donors would be coming up with 6 or 7 million bucks to re-do the whole place, making it more energy efficient and all. Too bad the Democrats politicized it so much.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
When the county did that they also assumed dictatorial control over the matter including the design, which would feature the Sue Savage Cafe, at the expense of the McChesney Room,
What is the government in competition with the private sector now? aka Barnes and Noble?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I recall that there was only one legislator who consistently voted against the library expansion with taxpayer funds, each and every time it came up for a vote. He said it was not affordable on channel 16 (before they began censoring it.)
And, which Legislator was that? Is he still conservative in his views?
Only one legislator was against this ripoff? Thank You Joe Suhrada. Where the other 3 Reps? I know-don't ask. What is never remembered is how the KRATS wasted over ONE MILLION taxpayer dollars on architectural plans for this unneeded addition. And you wonder why your County property taxes went up 10% last year and the KRATS want to raise them another 18% this year. No amount is enough for these hogs.
The last thing we need is yet another taxing/bonding authority which will be controlled by KRAT puppets. There is absolutely no reason for any addition that will be for private offices. Use the $2 Million in donations to upgrade the boiler system.
SURHADRA IS SO EXTREME HE IS EVEN AGAINST THE LIBRARY AND THE KIDS READING
I wonder where Ang stands on this library issue ...... sal?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Slightly over a year ago, an ambitious but flawed library expansion plan blew up on Schenectady County legislators when the public realized it would involve closing the main branch for 18 months. The expansion, 10 years in the planning, was sent back to the drawing board, while a much-less-ambitious but sorely needed overhaul of the 40-year-old building’s heating and electrical systems was allowed to proceed. Much has happened, both to the county and the country, since then, and it now appears that county leaders — who are preoccupied with the idea of getting a new nursing home built — are in no rush to revisit library expansion. That’s too bad, because it still needs it, and library trustees have a plan. It would not only be 40 percent larger than the one county leaders were ready to go ahead with last year, but a couple million dollars cheaper. ..............>>>>..............>>>>..............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar01103
OMG! Here's what should happen. Anyone that is for a separate taxing authority for the library spenders should be thrown out of office. The library director should be fired. Find a fiscal conservative. Joe Suhrada for new library director-I bet he could find millions in pork.
The Gazetto will not stop ginning up non-existent support for this. The current downtown branch is more than adequate. Use the private donations to replace the boiler. End of story.
Stop coming to the ripped off, oppressed County taxpayers for yet another unnecessary Downtown construction project. The Gazetto should start looking into Metrograft, including the total empty Clinton's Ditch "mall" or the Robinson's fiasco.
Library plan needs joint effort Sunday, July 5, 2009 By Michael Lamendola (Contact) Gazette Reporter
SCHENECTADY — Trustees of the Schenectady County Public Library have closed the book, at least until September, on plans to split from county control. They will use the time to work with county legislators and county staff to refine a concept design that calls for adding 13,000 square feet to the library for a cost estimated at between $5 million and $6 million. Trustees say they have commitments totaling $2 million toward the capital project and need county financial assistance to complete the work. They said the central library on Clinton Street, built 40 years ago, is too small to handle community needs, such as providing access to computers and free Internet and offering meeting space. Trustees govern the 11-branch library system, but the county owns it and provides it with an annual budget of $7 million. In September, the county is expected to provide details on how to accomplish the proposed expansion, both logistically and financially, with as little interruption in service as possible, said county Legislator Gary Hughes, D-Schenectady, liaison to the library board. “It is a very complicated process to expand a library. We have agreed we need to do the project. Now we are doing careful planning that makes it financially feasible, that satisfies donors who donated to the capital campaign and that makes sense from a programmatic point of view,” Hughes said. Esther Swanker, president of the library board, said trustees “are not unhappy with the results. We will be moving forward.” Steve Fitz, chairman of the library board’s Building Committee, said the county “promised to work with us, and it is my feeling they have the same desires we have.” Fitz said the library building board and the county Legislature will meet before September or in September to find out “what we will do.” projects in works Trustees Fitz and Hughes stressed that the county has several significant capital projects in the works, including construction of a new nursing home, and that it needs to prioritize projects. Said Fitz, “We don’t want to wait, but we don’t know what will happen with the county getting federal stimulus money.” The county is seeking stimulus money to pay for some of its capital projects. In the meantime, Hughes said, the county and library will work together to make improvements to the central library. These include installing handicapped accessible rest rooms, completing electrical upgrades, possibly doing sidewalk work, placing planters outside and upgrading energy systems to make them more efficient. John Karl, chairman of the library board’s Governance Committee, said he will not reconvene his committee until September. The committee is investigating the process to create a separate library district with taxing authority. Under this concept, the public would vote annually on the library’s budget. “We want to see what happens with this expansion plan, and we do not want to do some conflicting actions if we can help it. The most important thing is this expansion,” Karl said. “The county does not want to talk to us about expansion if we are talking about dissolution.”...........>>>>............>>>>...............http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2009/jul/05/0705_librarysplit/
SCHENECTADY COUNTY Officials agree to expand library BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
County officials and Schenectady County Public Library trustees have agreed to expand the central library on Clinton Street by using the building’s second floor for services. The proposal, which will be ironed out during a Jan. 6 meeting at the central library, relies on using a combination of state grants and county money to achieve the long-sought expansion, said library Director Andy Kulmatiski. Schenectady County Legislator Gary Hughes, chairman of the county Legislature’s library committee, said: “Our work group has agreed that it is necessary to do some expansion at the library to expand the children’s area and increase computer space.” Kulmatiski said he is hoping to land a $309,000 state grant for the project, which the county would match. The combined $618,000 would be used to make bathrooms in the central library handicapped accessible and to install an elevator. The elevator would allow people with disabilities and others to access the second floor, now used for storage and staff offi ces. Once the work is completed, the library would expand its children’s area on the first floor and add more computers for public use and meeting rooms on the second floor, Kulmatiski said. “This would alleviate all the problems,” he said. “Everyone agrees there is great space available on second floor.” ...........................>>>>..................>>>>................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01100&AppName=1
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Only one legislator was against this ripoff? Thank You Joe Suhrada. Where the other 3 Reps? I know-don't ask. What is never remembered is how the KRATS wasted over ONE MILLION taxpayer dollars on architectural plans for this unneeded addition. And you wonder why your County property taxes went up 10% last year and the KRATS want to raise them another 18% this year. No amount is enough for these hogs. 
