The Library Tax

As a six-months-in-Louisville newbie, the library tax failing miserably strikes me as, on the face of it, quite a sad statement for the city. Between the "vote no to stick it to Abramson" crowd, the anti-taxers (so what if our infrastructure goes to pot, let the wealthy folks pay for it), those who claim that it's unfair to poor people (libraries bridge the divide for literacy and for pc access), and whatever other faction, this appears to be nothing to celebrate.

Let's note again that many of us who opposed this measure also very much support the libraries and see alternative ideas that would be much more workable.

[Robin Garr]

Let's note again that many of us who opposed this measure also very much support the libraries and see alternative ideas that would be much more workable.

You're "behind them 1,000 percent"?

As a six-months-in-Louisville newbie, the library tax failing miserably strikes me as, on the face of it, quite a sad statement for the city. Between the "vote no to stick it to Abramson" crowd, the anti-taxers (so what if our infrastructure goes to pot, let the wealthy folks pay for it), those who claim that it's unfair to poor people (libraries bridge the divide for literacy and for pc access), and whatever other faction, this appears to be nothing to celebrate.

Michael, this is not the end of the matter, and it does not spell doom for library improvements. As demonstrated here and in the news, there are a number of people who feel strongly about improving the libraries, they just feel this specific proposal was the wrong way to do it.

Just as there is nothing inherently bad about taxes in general, there is nothing inherently good in them either. Just because someone proposes a tax for what is a positive improvement, that doesn't mean the tax as proposed is the best plan... and an unwillingness to vote it in is not a statement on the metro area at all, good or bad. The only statement it makes, is that this was not a proposal enough people could get behind. Maybe someday soon we'll get something more people could support.

For me, I'd like have voted for it... if it had only included a sunset clause. I'd have DEFINITELY voted for it it included a sunset clause and did not divert money that is already allocated to libraries away from them.

Metro Gov. will talk about the library issue at tonights meeting. Come on down or it might be on cable channel 25.

As a six-months-in-Louisville newbie, the library tax failing miserably strikes me as, on the face of it, quite a sad statement for the city. Between the "vote no to stick it to Abramson" crowd, the anti-taxers (so what if our infrastructure goes to pot, let the wealthy folks pay for it), those who claim that it's unfair to poor people (libraries bridge the divide for literacy and for pc access), and whatever other faction, this appears to be nothing to celebrate.

Thanks Michael. I hear from a lot of people who have come from other areas that our library falls far below what they are used to in other areas. I wish I could say I had confidence in metro council to find the money to do what needs to be done. I'm afraid its just not there.

[Robin Garr]

I hear from a lot of people who have come from other areas that our library falls far below what they are used to in other areas. I wish I could say I had confidence in metro council to find the money to do what needs to be done. I'm afraid its just not there.

I'll offer one simple starting point: NO bricks-and-mortar, no library expansions, not even a bookmobile for neighborhoods that had new branches proposed but voted against the plan. They don't think they need libraries? Up theirs, then. Put the money where the people said they want it.

I'll offer one simple starting point: NO bricks-and-mortar, no library expansions, not even a bookmobile for neighborhoods that had new branches proposed but voted against the plan. They don't think they need libraries? Up theirs, then. Put the money where the people said they want it.

I'm out of town and haven't seen the CJ, but have they done the table breakdown of what precincts voted for and against? I'm sure that is a fascinating study ...

I think that all but maybe two vote no....

[Robin Garr]

I'm out of town and haven't seen the CJ, but have they done the table breakdown of what precincts voted for and against? I'm sure that is a fascinating study ...

Not precinct by precinct, but they had a vote by council district. Basically, Highlands, Germantown, Old Louisville and downtown voted for; Ward-Pugh's district was against, but I'll bet $100 that it was Crescent Hill for, St. Matthews against.

Basically it was the Blue Zone against the rest of the metro.

I'll offer one simple starting point: NO bricks-and-mortar, no library expansions, not even a bookmobile for neighborhoods that had new branches proposed but voted against the plan. They don't think they need libraries? Up theirs, then. Put the money where the people said they want it.

I'm out of town and haven't seen the CJ, but have they done the table breakdown of what precincts voted for and against? I'm sure that is a fascinating study ...

I'll be interested to see that, too. It was such an overwhelming "no" vote that I don't think it can be attributed totally to blue vs. red.

[Robin Garr]

I'll be interested to see that, too. It was such an overwhelming "no" vote that I don't think it can be attributed totally to blue vs. red.

Okay, it's not a map and it's not user-friendly, but this link should generate a precinct-by-precinct spreadsheet from the CJ:

<b>Library vote by precinct<b>

Looks like from the list of all of the precincts about 3 had higher YES votes then NO. Looks pretty overwelming NO votes across Jefferson County...

Although there are those on this forum (Steve and Aaron come to mind), who are thoughtful and apparently pro-library but only anti-this particular method...I'll have to say (and this comes from someone still trying to figure out the city/region after moving from New Orleans six months ago) that I have noticed a strong "if you read books, you're an high-falutin' elitist", anti-intellectual, suspicious of culture type-attitude far too prevailing in Louisville.

I daresay that folks of that type who voted were possibly the ones who carried the strong defeat of the proposed library tax. Sure, some of you voted against it for allegedly and perhaps reasonably good reasons, but you seem to be the good face on an ugly side of this city. I'm sorry, but I get the impression that if the tax would have been for something sports-related, it would have passed.

Not really because they would have used bonds for that just like they have done in the past for sports related items. As a matter of fact some of those are going to be paid off in the next few years....

I'll be interested to see that, too. It was such an overwhelming "no" vote that I don't think it can be attributed totally to blue vs. red.

Okay, it's not a map and it's not user-friendly, but this link should generate a precinct-by-precinct spreadsheet from the CJ:

<b>Library vote by precinct<b>

Thanks for linking. That's the information I was hoping to find. I'll base my comment strictly on review of my precinct, G116 in the Highlands, which I will hold up to anybody else's precinct as being bluer than blue.

The library vote went as a "Yes". Steve Beshear (D) and Jack Conway (D) beat their Republican opponents. No surprise at all there. The numbers are instructive, though. In the Governor and Attorney General races the Dems beat the Repubs 83% to 17%. That's a testament to the "blueness" of my precinct. However, in the library vote the "Yes" beat the "No" by a much slimmer margin of 56% to 44%. That's quite a difference and suggests, as I stated, that lots of my blue neighbors were against the tax increase alternative for the libraries and crossed over from what you might expect to be a blue vote.