It is disappointing that the state of California did not see fit
to fund even a portion of the cost of a new library for Morgan
Hill. However, it should not be a surprise.
It is disappointing that the state of California did not see fit to fund even a portion of the cost of a new library for Morgan Hill. However, it should not be a surprise. Given the profile of this community, a bit more affluent than many, it is relatively easy for the bureaucracy in Sacramento to find reasons to turn down our proposal, no matter how hard Julie Spier, Steve Tate and the Library Commission has worked on this.
In a recent editorial, this newspaper correctly took the position that we must change the system by which our state Legislature redraws electoral districts every time there is a new census. Without those changes, the legislators will always gerrymander districts to ensure their own re-election.
To some extent, the fact the Morgan Hill finds it difficult to gain its share of state funding derives directly from the way in which we have been gerrymandered out of any hope of political power. In each legislative district Morgan Hill is an afterthought in a district with much larger population centers. The failure to gain a state library grant is a direct reflection of our lack of political power.
Without state funding assistance, we will need to come up with the funding on our own. I have always thought that we should. In February 2003 I suggested “starting a local fund to help pay for library expansion.” The reaction was muted, to say the least. Now, we are almost two years past that time and back to the same starting point. If we want to have an expanded library, then it is up to us to do it ourselves.
There is little that we can do in this community that will have more long lasting impact that maintaining a good library. While other worthy efforts, such as the Aquatics Center, have active support groups and can contribute funding, we seem will to wait for an Andrew Carnegie to come along and make a new library possible.
Last March, we had a chance to renew a parcel tax aimed at protecting our libraries. Though a majority favored the measure, it did not meet the two-thirds requirement for measures increasing taxation. Still, the citizens of Morgan Hill demonstrated a strong support for our local library.
We have gone through many steps and discussions to get to this point. The Library Commission has worked very hard defining the requirements for the new library. We have had a very heated discussion over the question of whether a new library belongs on the Civic Center site, along with City Hall and the existing library, or downtown where some view it as an “attraction.”
According to the approved 2004/2005 City of Morgan Hill budget as posted on the city’s website, there is $8.2 million available for constructing a new library without state funds. That included $5.4 million of RDA money. This is a long way from the $22 million needed for this project. (City Manager Ed Tewes identified enough money elsewhere to total $17 million for the project but not all is identified on the website.)
You can tell a lot about a community by the way in which it chooses to spend its money. We spend money on those things that we value. We have chosen to spend money on recreation. The expenditure of RDA funds includes the Aquatics Center (finished) and the Indoor Recreation Center (planned). We have chosen to spend money on the Community and Cultural Center.
Will we choose to spend money on a library? I am not sure. Many of the things we support have an element of competition for those involved. The impetus for the Aquatics Center came from competitive swim clubs, not from general public use. The motivation for some of the other projects comes from organized athletic leagues, tennis, soccer, baseball.
We support the Emerald Regime Band, which has a tradition of winning competitions. The nature of these competitions, based on marching performance, is somewhat strange for me. When I was in high school, our band entered competitions based on how well we could perform the music. Marching was something that we endured. We did it with pride, but in reality, we just endured it until we could get serious about performing the music. This was a concert band.
It would also seem strange to me if we allow the library to languish from a lack of support and funding. We have an economy that demands every higher levels of specialized education for our workers. We have a society where the issues that drive our politics are increasingly complex. Yet we appear to measure our community by how well our youth perform in competitions.
I think that we should begin to measure our schools on how many National Merit scholarships its students win. We could also consider whether there is a high ranked competitive debate team at Live Oak or Sobrato high schools. Those are indicators of academic performance.
We should also consider what it would say about our community if we didn’t give full support to a library fund.
“Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on this Earth.” – Roberto Clemente
