Opinion - Steinbeck's 'Eden' loses its libraries (Illegal immigrants bring added tax burdens)

The Columbian ^ | 12/30/2004 | ELIZABETH HOVDE

[FITZ]

Welcome to the future, where people won't kick in less than a penny to keep libraries open.

Why would they pay less than a penny to keep libraries open when for one they can't read anyway and another -- they have no interest in reading American books?

[FITZ]

Coming to a town near you.

Donde esta la biblioteca?

[riri]

Our library sports a huge "Spanish" books section and offers up many free Hispanic publications extolling the wonders of Fidel Castro and Che Guevera and promoting "social" activism for the Latino community.

[Travis McGee]

"We don' need no stinkin' libraries!"

[dljordan]

No problem. Lets me propose a biblical solution. Round up a few thousand of the illegals and ship them to the Sudan where they can be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The libraries get the money and the Sudanese can put them to work doing jobs that the Sudanese don't want to do. (sarcasm) :)

[cyborg]

I remember saying that people should know how to speak english when they come to an english speaking country. This was back in college about ten years ago when I was invited to a diversity roundtable. People thought I was a bigot and said I was wrong. Judging from the latest news, I am wrong apparently and who's laughing now eh?

[durasell]

Yeah, let's shut down all the libraries.

[FITZ]

They're shutting them down here. We must divert that money to free clinics and head start babysitting programs for the newcommers.

[usadave]

Only you, Nanak,(#1 Tancredo supporter on FR) could misrepresent the fact that the voting populace in a city(Salinas, CA) has finally put it's foot down against a bloated beaucracy and turn it into an ugly race baiting thread.

You were the first poster on this thread to bring up the subject of race.

[185JHP]

How many moochers/spongers adhere to each criminal alien worker? 3,4,6,8?

[Captain Peter Blood]

I saw another piece on this on tonight's NBC News and what gets me is the usual whine on who to blame. First it's the voters who turned down more taxes then it's Arnold for trying to balance the California budget by cutting back on the tax refund money for cities and counties.
The logical solution for this is to make a list of the wealthiest Foundations and individuals and start cold calling for money and try to get a commitment for funding the library for x number of years till the city gets back on it's feet. There is plenty of private money out there and lots of Billionaires putting money into foundations for Education, etc.. It should not be that hard to get a grant to keep the Libraries in Salinas open. Now why hasn't anyone made this suggestion? Answer because it's too logical and it's easier to whine about the Government not doing it.
Lest we not forget that is Andrew Carnegie at the turn of the 20th century who used his vast fortune to help build public libraries in this country not the Government. Private money from Capitalism not from Left Wing Progressive do gooders.