|
 |
4/15/2009
Funding libraries with funny money?
A few weeks ago, Senator Mike Ellis railed against the “library tax” in Governor Doyle’s budget – most specifically the funding coming from the Universal Service Fee (USF), hidden away in our phone bills.
The provision amounts to a 40 percent increase in a fee that was originally meant to improve access to telecommunications technology to all Wisconsin residents, including providing internet access to schools and libraries.
[In 1993], those were reasonable uses for the fee. There was a direct link to telecommunications technology and telephone users who paid the fee were the beneficiaries of the services funded by the fee. But in 2003, all that went off the rails and we opened the door to the travesty being perpetrated in this budget.
In the 2003-05 state budget, use of the Universal Service Fee was again expanded, this time to provide a portion of funding for public library aids …. It was one of many fund raids and accounting tricks that were used to take the easy way out of a difficult budget, and it was one of many many reasons to vote against that budget. Terry Dawson, director of the Appleton Public library, was not too happy when he read FP that morning – and sent over a comment or two.
Mike Ellis is off-base, politically opportunistic, and just plain wrong.
Whew. Them’s fightin’ words. Dawson does a good job establishing the credibility he brings to comment on the issue – and, setting the record straight. Read the entirety of his comments – it’s helpful.
Six weeks ago, when a bunch of library supporters met with him in his office, he assured us of his support for libraries, along with other educational institutions, as a funding priority. Reminded of the historical use of the USF for library funding, he did not express any strong concern. He said that he understood the pressures of our increased use. We discussed the conundrum of maintaining services while dealing with the deficit. Now he's attacking us for doing it. Senator Ellis absolutely supports the funding of libraries – through the general purpose revenue fund as it should be. He is opposed to the use of a fee that is supposed to be dedicated to telecommunications technology – but being used to fund all of the state’s support for public libraries. He also suggests that librarians should be concerned about having all their state funding coming from an arguably declining revenue source – in that the USF is connected only from land lines, which are being used less and less.
(The Post-Crescent, in Sunday’s editorial, doesn’t seem to get that part. Sure, libraries need the bucks. But what’s critical is this budget spends more than it takes in, transfers monies from here there and everywhere and uses unsustainable revenues to fund ongoing expenditures. Here’s the point that needs be made: Budgeting as it’s been done the last two decades doesn’t work.)
Dawson gets it. Just like many of us taxpayers do.
I will not stop pointing out inconsistent statements by elected officials. [Hmmm…] It happens that I agree with Sen. Ellis that the USF is not the best practice for funding library systems…. But I stand by my statement that libraries were named in the original purpose of the fund, and that library systems’ telecommunications costs make this use of USF justifiable. If Sen. Ellis wishes to propose using general purpose revenue for library systems instead, I'll stand behind him and applaud. But GPR or USF, I will continue to advocate for meeting library service needs of our citizens and communities. Here’s the deal. USF is not the best practice for funding library systems. Raiding funds for uses other than for what they were specifically intended continues to be practiced by the governor, as does using unsustainable revenues to fund ongoing expenditures. Wrong. And more of us, like Ellis, need to scream and holler about it. Like at a Tea Party?
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
As I noted in a comment to the original post:
"If Sen. Ellis wishes to propose using general purpose revenue for library systems instead, I'll stand behind him and applaud."
A big part of my admittedly strong reaction to the Senator's original press release was that he did not call for the use of GPR funds to support libraries. He only called for not spending the USF money as proposed by the Governor.
It sure felt like he was attacking state funding for library programs. But I'll agree with you and the Senator that "USF is not the best practice for funding library systems" -- and that "using unsustainable revenues to fund ongoing expenditures" is not a good idea.
The current budget proposal may be a stretch from the original intent of the USF, but I don’t think it’s a big stretch, nor the complete departure that you and the Senator seem to feel. And it may not be a best practice for the long haul, but it beats the heck out of no funding at all for this biennium. We surely need to hold the line on spending, but a substantial reduction in state support at a time when municipal libraries are seeing record-breaking use would be a bad idea.
Terry Dawson (Wed Apr 15 10:02:00 2009)
|
|
Blog Archives
| 2010 |
  December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
• Solberg: Healing After an Abortion
• Basketball fans eyeing extension of Miller Park sales tax
• Nanny sex-ed bill goes to Doyle
• A first. Village limits pension contribution for employees
• Nanny State update: Toothbrushing mandated
• Obama pushes education inflation
• WI Investment Board votes to borrow to juice up returns
• So Republicans have brought nothing to the table?
• You have got to be kidding me
• Nygren: Governor Continues Terms of Failure in State of the State
• Sen. Fitzgerald: Governor down the wrong track at high speed
• Phosphorus is the new CO2. $Billions in Wisconsin
• More Obama giveaways
• A reprimand? Would you keep him on the job?
• Burri: Sarah Palin for Prez troubles me
• Quote of the Day – Obama after the pie-eating contest
• Populism, abused and trampled
• Fitzgerald: Senate Republicans Propose Real Job Creation Agenda
• Stripped down health insurance – it’s about time
• Ok GOP, scrap the Party of NO; time to lead
• No way Feingold is a Coakley. Is Wall a Brown?
• Burri: Conservatives off the chart for a RINO?
• Paltry quid pro quo?
• Doyle says ARRA has ‘created or retained’ 44,000 WI jobs
• Does most of the public fall for this stuff?
• When you get signatures, always get a couple extra
• Blame it on the outmoded computers
• Scott Brown victory does not scuttle health bill
• 8th Congressional Candidate Forum, Jan. 25
• Scott Walker Meet-and-greet, Monday, Jan. 18
• Aren’t consumers taxpayers too?
• MORE taxes on investment income - dreadful and wrong
• Join the blaze orange army and say ‘Enough is Enough’
• The future of government-run health care
• Tax on banks is a really bad idea
• Roth, Savard on the stump, grassroots style
• Savard speaking in Appleton, 8 PM, Wed., Jan. 13.
• Rahmlow: Savard, Bies frontrunners for State Senate
• Burri: Failing Political Correctness 101
• School contracts and Race to the Top
• Senator Feingold worrisome and big red flags
• Psephological?
• This is really important. Contact Rep. Kagen. Now. Please.
• This is exactly what we need from Governor Doyle
• This guy is my hero
• Why am I not surprised?
• Talk health reform with Feingold (Th), Petri (today)
• Give the Mayor power over MPS - if he can break contracts
• Burri: Yup, Dems really are going to bypass a conference
• The $2.7 billion Wisconsin deficit no one told you about
• Walker launches county accountability website
• Rahmlow: Why is Van Hollen dodging the Nebraska deal?
|
| 2009 |
December
|
November
|
October
• The Lawton-Bader files
• Yup, it’s the TAX LEVY, not the tax RATE
• Ellis: costly automobile insurance laws must be rolled back
• If not Barrett, who?
• The subsidy game
• Burri: Bailouts, Banks, Health Care, and the Mob
• Attend Appleton Schools budget meeting tonight
• A public option WON’T increase costs? That’s delusional!
• Appleton Schools budget meeting Monday
• Wisconsin should be screaming for accountability
• Burri: If anything, we need more obstructionism around here
• WI on the leading edge - in the wrong direction
• Rep. Montgomery: Utility Customers Join State’s Crime-Fighting Efforts
• Public Conservation and Recreation Lands Total 16.5% of State
• In the crow's nest of the Titanic, shouting 'Iceberg!'
• Is Rep. Nelson a political hack?
• Health care: The road ahead will be brutal
• Kagen's pandering again
• Birthers - good stuff for you
• How much do we bend over backward for seniors?
• The trouble with health care is paying for it
• Two-parent families: The Gold Standard
• Burri: Kids... the joys and blessings
• Very, very worried about health care
• Rep. Huebsch: Wisconsin is proof government health care isn’t the answer
• School district contracts push up tax levy
• What? Obama, the Peace Prize?
• TODAY - hearing on Campaign Finance Reform
• Appleton School District tax levy up way too much
• CBO report is out - and the bill isn't even written yet?
• So, how much do YOU budget for health care?
• Burri: Copenhagen trip was amateurish
• “Sotomayor, you have blood on your hands...”
• Cap and Trade. Always follow the money
• Rep. Kagen gets (almost) free health services
• I actually agree with Rep. Kagen
• Future Wisconsin Conference for Conservatives, October 10, Wauwatosa
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
|
| 2008 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
• Important votes Tuesday, including Appleton Common Council
• Democrats are becoming supply siders??
• Further debunking Hillary myths
• WEAC has created an unsustainable monopoly
• From Mark Gundrum: One of the greatest honors an American can experience
• 'Operation Chaos' working?
• Joe Martin the best candidate in Appleton's 8th
• State programs to cut? - Volume II
• Oh the naivete of youth
• Not just disingenuous - flat wrong
• Steve - you will be missed
• Make cuts only AFTER you're elected....
• Getting serious: What programs can we cut?
• Rep. Steve Kagen joining me on Jerry Bader Show today
• Rep. Van Roy: Dental Care Pilot Program
• Has Dave Obey turned the corner on earmarks?
• Speaker Huebsch: Governor turns down Federal Aid?
• Mark Rahmlow: "We're Broke."
• As taxpayers, how do we know if it's a Chevy or a Lexus?
• This is trash talk - about a veteran
• Frank Lasee: Take time to get the Compact right
• 'The Gableman Ad' - is it racist?
• Roth thankful, Kagen shaking money tree
• Gov. Doyle's office not enamored with Freedom of Information
• Governor Doyle will never do it
• Leadership on smoking ban? Not Hanna
• Rep. Van Roy speaks out about smear ads
• You're threatening me about potholes?
• Losing the Hastert seat is NOT a trend and NOT curtians for the GOP
• First suggestion for 'slashing' programs
• Big money-saver for municipalities
• More one time fixes. Nuts.
• Any chances???
• I'm doing the Jerry Bader Show, today, the 11th
• Representative Frank Lasee: Final Waltz of the Season
• Guest Blog: It's not the county's business to be in the nursing home business
• Yup, Hillary won Texas and Ohio
• Gableman/Butler race featured - and it isn't pretty
• Lies from Planned Parenthood and NARAL
• He who sacrifices liberty.....
• Duh.
• The Troha sentencing, Doyle and that $200K
• Guns, passion and "originality"
• How hard is it anyway, to shut down a government program?
• Voting is a PRIVILEGE. And so are property taxes....
• Guest Blog: Governor Doyle, cancel your Ireland trip
|
February
|
January
|
| 2007 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
• Lots of ideas. No money.
• The Cigarette Tax - "Poor Policy Instrument?"
• School budget Lite?
• Frankenstein - not in the library, but in the legislature
• A librarian, a legislator, a president
• $1.25/pack - NO, NO, NO, and NO
• Kagen and Reagan in the same breath?
• Menasha: behind the 8-ball, but not biting the dust
• Any way you slice it, Wisconsin government wants (further) in on health care
• The World is Flat...what about health care?
• The PAC - too precious to fail. Day 3
• News follow-ups: Appleton West, Kagen at the White House
• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail - Day 2
• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail
• New Transit Tax coming your way
• Rep. Petri has his finger in the dike - I guess
• AASD Retirement Costs Burdensome
• Health care, health care, health care, health care
• Water rate increase was no slam dunk
• Education for all is just a bad dream
• New Year's resolutions from a parade snob
|
| 2006 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
| 2000 |
May
|
|
