Comments on: Odds of saving libraries and rec centers better than Lions making playoffs http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285 The wild west of San Diego politics Mon, 20 May 2013 03:33:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Erica Holloway http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285&cpage=1#comment-120583 Erica Holloway Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:20:38 +0000 http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285#comment-120583 @Tony: Of course and time allows for wisdom to flourish. @Gayle: It took the County roughly a decade to turn around its finances from about where the City sits today on the fiscal dial. Budgetary creativity came into play there with outsourcing, managed competition and reverse engineering. Those budgeting decisions include public private partnerships, which help deliver program-heavy government services while keeping costs manageable. All those decisions leave breathing room in the budget for library services and those pesky grants fund what the general fund can't. Cities, such as Del Mar and Encinitas, partner with the County for some of the best programs and facilities in the region. Fallbrook recently, after a decade of applying for and getting denied state grants, opened its new, expanded GREEN County library to a grateful community. Best part - it was paid for with cash: http://www.youtube.com/countysandiego#p/u/0/ynejr3oA5mc Libraries often get dismissed today as a dying community relic where books collect dusk. It's better to characterize them as modern-day Learning Centers. @Tony: Of course and time allows for wisdom to flourish.

@Gayle: It took the County roughly a decade to turn around its finances from about where the City sits today on the fiscal dial. Budgetary creativity came into play there with outsourcing, managed competition and reverse engineering.

Those budgeting decisions include public private partnerships, which help deliver program-heavy government services while keeping costs manageable. All those decisions leave breathing room in the budget for library services and those pesky grants fund what the general fund can’t.

Cities, such as Del Mar and Encinitas, partner with the County for some of the best programs and facilities in the region.

Fallbrook recently, after a decade of applying for and getting denied state grants, opened its new, expanded GREEN County library to a grateful community. Best part – it was paid for with cash: http://www.youtube.com/countysandiego#p/u/0/ynejr3oA5mc

Libraries often get dismissed today as a dying community relic where books collect dusk. It’s better to characterize them as modern-day Learning Centers.

]]> By: The Libertarian Lass, Gayle Falkenthal http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285&cpage=1#comment-120213 The Libertarian Lass, Gayle Falkenthal Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:13:57 +0000 http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285#comment-120213 Tony, excellent post. Damn, I miss having you at the Union-Tribune. Thank God for Rostra. Beyond the scare tactics, I can think of at least two good follow-up stories about the City of San Diego's libraries. The County of San Diego's library system seems to be flourishing. It's not cutting hours. It's building new branches. Is this true, and if so, why? Might it have something to do with the fact the County doesn't maintain a pricy central library? The other topic is one of my favorites, and also a topic often discussed by fellow Rostra columnist Richard Rider: privatization of libraries. I've advocated this for so long I'm no longer bothered by being accused of snatching books from the hands of children and barring them from the opportunity to learn to read. Is it time to get serious about looking into this option? Tony, excellent post. Damn, I miss having you at the Union-Tribune. Thank God for Rostra.

Beyond the scare tactics, I can think of at least two good follow-up stories about the City of San Diego’s libraries. The County of San Diego’s library system seems to be flourishing. It’s not cutting hours. It’s building new branches. Is this true, and if so, why? Might it have something to do with the fact the County doesn’t maintain a pricy central library?

The other topic is one of my favorites, and also a topic often discussed by fellow Rostra columnist Richard Rider: privatization of libraries. I’ve advocated this for so long I’m no longer bothered by being accused of snatching books from the hands of children and barring them from the opportunity to learn to read. Is it time to get serious about looking into this option?

]]> By: Tony Manolatos, Councilmember Kevin Faulconer http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285&cpage=1#comment-120207 Tony Manolatos, Councilmember Kevin Faulconer Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:56:12 +0000 http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285#comment-120207 Thank you for the feedback. @Erica...Yep, I was a young and green once, and I was overworked a time or two. ;) I was fortunate to work with really solid editors at every paper I worked at. One of the lessons they taught me: It's okay to take the bait...just be sure to mix in some balance/perspective so the end product is fair. Tony Thank you for the feedback.

@Erica…Yep, I was a young and green once, and I was overworked a time or two. ;)

I was fortunate to work with really solid editors at every paper I worked at. One of the lessons they taught me: It’s okay to take the bait…just be sure to mix in some balance/perspective so the end product is fair.

Tony

]]> By: Bradley J. Fikes http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285&cpage=1#comment-120008 Bradley J. Fikes Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:05:06 +0000 http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285#comment-120008 A cynical person might think Sanders is scaring people with cuts to popular services to build support for a tax increase. However, the mayor has a such an unassailable record of opposition to tax hikes that we can safely dismiss that disturbing notion. A cynical person might think Sanders is scaring people with cuts to popular services to build support for a tax increase. However, the mayor has a such an unassailable record of opposition to tax hikes that we can safely dismiss that disturbing notion.

]]> By: Jim Sills http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285&cpage=1#comment-119999 Jim Sills Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:52:08 +0000 http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285#comment-119999 ATTABOY to Councilman Faulconer for defending San Diego City's branch libraries. Another reason he is a successful councilman. ATTABOY to Councilman Faulconer for defending
San Diego City’s branch libraries. Another reason
he is a successful councilman.

]]> By: Erica Holloway http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285&cpage=1#comment-119984 Erica Holloway Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:37:29 +0000 http://sdrostra.com/?p=15285#comment-119984 Tony: Oh, my Michigander friend. The minute I saw the Lions comparison, I knew it was you! P.S. You once loved those leading, bleeding stories too. Best, Erica Tony:

Oh, my Michigander friend. The minute I saw the Lions comparison, I knew it was you!

P.S. You once loved those leading, bleeding stories too.

Best,

Erica

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