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Mar. 2nd, 2005
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Mar. 2nd, 2005 05:26 pmCall To Action:
The Ohio Library Council has asked library staff, board members and friends to immediately contact their representative at the Ohio House of Representatives (not the Senate) and Governor Bob Taft. The House of Representatives will conclude hearings on the budget on March 17, take a two week Easter recess and return April 4 to introduce their substitute proposal. To identify and contact your legislator, click on http://capwiz.com/olc/
The time to act is now. I’ve already sent my own letter to House Speaker Jon Husted. I plan to send a letter to each House member served by our library. Information and facts about the state budget proposal will be posted to our web site shortly in case our patrons want express their own thoughts to our legislators.
Thanks for promptly contacting your representative. Use the attached information below in crafting your own message. Or you visit one of two web sites:
http://www.olc.org
http://www.protectOhiocommunities.com
Now that we have started a campaign we need a strong response. Don’t worry about trying to send a long letter that makes every point outlined below. It doesn’t have to be a typed letter. Short, to the point, and handwritten letters are very effective.
Tim Kambitsch
Ps: Today is the one year anniversary of the overwhelming show of public support for our library by voters in Montgomery County. I remember well the hard work and dedication to library service so many of you showed. It made a difference. Let’s not let the fruits of those efforts be eroded. Write that letter today and advocate that others do the same.
Message on Public Library Funding:
Public libraries have done our part during the past three years to help bail the state out of its budget crisis by enduring our own budget cuts in excess of 8%. Public libraries and the millions of patrons who use their services can accept a temporary freeze, only if the state commits to developing a reasonable, stable, and predictable mechanism to fund the libraries and local governments that provide essential services to all of Ohio's citizens.
Talking/Writing Points:
* Libraries provide essential services for our communities.
* Public libraries have been “off formula” since 2001.
* Between 2001 and 2004, public libraries have taken an 8.3% reduction in funding.
* The Governor's proposal includes an additional 5% funding reduction.
* This is more than 13% reduction in funding since 2002. At the close of this next biennium budget, public libraries will be “off formula” for almost six years.
* The personal income tax reduction proposal will impact public libraries in the next biennium, if the expectation is that we will return to the formula. It is impossible to determine what that impact will be; since we cannot reliably project income tax reviews that far into the future, but the Governor's own estimates are 21% reduction in personal income tax revenue. This means a 21% reduction in library funding.
* For those libraries that have passed local levies, the reduction in personal property tax base further erodes library funding. The Department of Taxation estimates that this will reduce property tax base by 75% (using 2005 as the base) by 2010.
Statehouse Day. Mark your calendar now to come to Columbus on Wednesday, March 16 to demonstrate support for the Local Government Funds! This is in addition to our scheduled April 27 OLC Legislative Day.
OLC is joining the county governments, municipalities, townships, villages & park districts in asking local officials and supporters to come to the Statehouse to meet with lawmakers about the Local Government Funds & demonstrate your support for Local Government Funds' funding.
A joint press conference with representatives of the local government funds will be held. In addition, public testimony is scheduled in the House Finance Committee on the Governor's proposed budget, which recommends cuts to the LGF's. The schedule for this hearing is not finalized. Please come to show your support.
More information will be forthcoming in the very near future. Please mark you calendar now to support LGF Statehouse Day on March 16 and funding for local governments, libraries, & parks. Please standup for local governments!
The Ohio Library Council has asked library staff, board members and friends to immediately contact their representative at the Ohio House of Representatives (not the Senate) and Governor Bob Taft. The House of Representatives will conclude hearings on the budget on March 17, take a two week Easter recess and return April 4 to introduce their substitute proposal. To identify and contact your legislator, click on http://capwiz.com/olc/
The time to act is now. I’ve already sent my own letter to House Speaker Jon Husted. I plan to send a letter to each House member served by our library. Information and facts about the state budget proposal will be posted to our web site shortly in case our patrons want express their own thoughts to our legislators.
Thanks for promptly contacting your representative. Use the attached information below in crafting your own message. Or you visit one of two web sites:
http://www.olc.org
http://www.protectOhiocommunities.com
Now that we have started a campaign we need a strong response. Don’t worry about trying to send a long letter that makes every point outlined below. It doesn’t have to be a typed letter. Short, to the point, and handwritten letters are very effective.
Tim Kambitsch
Ps: Today is the one year anniversary of the overwhelming show of public support for our library by voters in Montgomery County. I remember well the hard work and dedication to library service so many of you showed. It made a difference. Let’s not let the fruits of those efforts be eroded. Write that letter today and advocate that others do the same.
Message on Public Library Funding:
Public libraries have done our part during the past three years to help bail the state out of its budget crisis by enduring our own budget cuts in excess of 8%. Public libraries and the millions of patrons who use their services can accept a temporary freeze, only if the state commits to developing a reasonable, stable, and predictable mechanism to fund the libraries and local governments that provide essential services to all of Ohio's citizens.
Talking/Writing Points:
* Libraries provide essential services for our communities.
* Public libraries have been “off formula” since 2001.
* Between 2001 and 2004, public libraries have taken an 8.3% reduction in funding.
* The Governor's proposal includes an additional 5% funding reduction.
* This is more than 13% reduction in funding since 2002. At the close of this next biennium budget, public libraries will be “off formula” for almost six years.
* The personal income tax reduction proposal will impact public libraries in the next biennium, if the expectation is that we will return to the formula. It is impossible to determine what that impact will be; since we cannot reliably project income tax reviews that far into the future, but the Governor's own estimates are 21% reduction in personal income tax revenue. This means a 21% reduction in library funding.
* For those libraries that have passed local levies, the reduction in personal property tax base further erodes library funding. The Department of Taxation estimates that this will reduce property tax base by 75% (using 2005 as the base) by 2010.
Statehouse Day. Mark your calendar now to come to Columbus on Wednesday, March 16 to demonstrate support for the Local Government Funds! This is in addition to our scheduled April 27 OLC Legislative Day.
OLC is joining the county governments, municipalities, townships, villages & park districts in asking local officials and supporters to come to the Statehouse to meet with lawmakers about the Local Government Funds & demonstrate your support for Local Government Funds' funding.
A joint press conference with representatives of the local government funds will be held. In addition, public testimony is scheduled in the House Finance Committee on the Governor's proposed budget, which recommends cuts to the LGF's. The schedule for this hearing is not finalized. Please come to show your support.
More information will be forthcoming in the very near future. Please mark you calendar now to support LGF Statehouse Day on March 16 and funding for local governments, libraries, & parks. Please standup for local governments!