Marathon Library still in business, at least for the next year

Now that the July 2nd BOCC meeting has come and gone, we can all let out the collective breath we were holding--at least until the next time. The uproar created by the entire Keys’ community made a difference. Unless, of course, the threat of Libray and Social Services closures was a feint, a figurative pail of cold water in our “taxpayer” faces to wake us up and make us deal with real-life facts.

As citizens, and voters in Monroe County, we must understand that a certain amount of tax money must be collected to cover the County’s provision of services. Otherwise, we’ll lose things such as our libraries, veterans’ services, and the like. All the things that make life worth living here -- all part of the Community Services Division in Monroe County -- must be paid for by us.

By our reactions to the threat of library closures, we showed the BOCC that we’re willing to pay for services we, the citizens, hold dear. But did they, and the new County Administrator, also understand that we’re tired of being taxed for unneeded, and sometimes grandiose, projects that THEY dream up? I wonder.

Do the BOCC and County Administrator understand that the ordinary citizens of Monroe County -- and the U.S. in general -- are desperately trying to deal with the economy-wide inflationary tidal wave caused by the constantly increasing prices of all petroleum-based products? At the same time, recessionary forces are at work, too. Folks are afraid of losing their jobs, or if they keep their jobs, of not being able to meet all of their much higher living / working expenses.

Please BOCC, don’t start any new buildings or things of that sort. If you spent less on Capital Expenditures (is that what it’s called?) wouldn’t there be more money for the rest of the budget, for the services the County NEEDS to provide for its citizens? We need the police and emergency folks. We need the courts. We need the teachers. We need the Community Services, but you, BOCC, also need us.

You need us to bag your groceries, to fix your cars, to wait on you in stores and restarants, to check out your library books. If you take care of us by using our tax monies wisely so we don’t have to leave the Keys, then we’ll be here to take care of you.

Thanks.


[The opinions expressed in this posting were submitted by one of gobbysml.blogspot.com readers. It wasn’t approved by the Marathon Library staff or any other Monroe County employee.]