Letterbox - Corrections to WCLS article, etc.

Editor’s Note: Whatcom Watch doesn’t have the personnel to verify the contents of articles; instead it allows contradictory views to be expressed in letters to the editor and rebuttal articles. Whatcom Watch encourages citizens to contribute researched opinion pieces about the local environment and government.

The Bellingham Public Library staff will respond next month to Fred Voltz’s article about Whatcom County/City of Bellingham libraries.

Dear Watchers:

My name is Richard May. I am an activist for local libraries. A progressive firebrand newspaper like yours has as much, if not more, responsibility to be accurate, so that you can maintain credibility and therefore forward your goals better.

The recent article (March 2009, page 6) by Fred Voltz about libraries, contained several inaccurate things that greatly malign and jeopardize the health and well being of the Whatcom County Library system. I will detail these:

1. Voltz indicates many inefficiencies and wild spending plans by Bellingham Library. These are mostly true. However, Voltz indicated that Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) was not interested in a merger. This is simply untrue. Myself, I would personally think it sensible for WCLS to not wish to tie itself to the sinking anchor of the Bellingham Public Library (BPL), its $135 million overblown new plans, and the Fairhaven reno money pit. However, my understanding is that WCLS has made overtures for a merger, and been given a cold reception each time.

I wondered where Voltz got this idea. I have never seen him at a WCLS board meeting ever. I Googled and saw Voltz mentioned in two different minutes of BPL board meetings, both times bringing up the merger. One included this response:

“Pam Kiesner answered the Board has not given her direction to look into an analysis. There has been no interest on either side in the past.”

This was an inaccurate assertion by a BPL officer. Your author Voltz should really have checked with the horse’s mouth at WCLS. Several trustees are fervently in support of a merger, and the director of WCLS has put thought and bean crunching into what hurdles and disparity would need to be resolved in the event of a merger.

Hold the phone ... a mere Google and I found this on the WCLS site’s board minutes (http://www.wcls.org/november-18-2008.html)) “Over the years, the topic of whether WCLS and BPL should merge has been raised. Ms. Airoldi suggested a study to evaluate this idea to get factual information. After discussion about the need for a joint effort, Ms. Boyhan volunteered and was appointed to discuss the details with BPL.”

2. The more heinous inaccuracy that Voltz states as fact in your publication is his assertion that:

“...Whatcom County Library System soon plans a special election for an additional levy when it has not demonstrated judicious management of existing tax monies? Special elections cost more to stage and result in ... only “the faithful” turning out... ...Is this forthright democracy?”

Where to start ... First of all, if the WCLS board does eventually choose to ask a vote to increase their levy, it will absolutely be done on the November ballot along with the existing county and ports races. Fred Voltz is making stuff up. This is inexcusable journalism, when a mere phone call to the director of WCLS would have gotten him the actual facts. There was [sic] never any wheels in motion for a special election. Never.

Secondly, WCLS has in fact demonstrated excellent management of existing funds and has no high fallutin’ plans like Bellingham Library does. WCLS’s tight, lean budget is 75 percent comprised of wages to meagerly paid librarian staffers. Removing what little fat there is in the 25 percent of hard costs would not make enough of a dent. The problem is that Tim Eyeman’s initiative capped property tax increases at 1 percent per year.

Meanwhile, life on earth costs 2–4 percent more each year. The WCLS used up a substantial rainy day fund, but even with their maximum expense increase of 1.9 percent this year, there is no keeping up with it unless they start shutting the door, reducing hours and firing librarians, reducing service to the public.

So in summation, Voltz’ factually false statements in your paper may have unfairly poisoned the jury pool of levy voters against the lean and efficient, open to merger negotiations, WCLS.

Dear Watchers:

Kudos to Bob Keller, John Moles and particularly Brian Flowers for the commercial green burial alternative the “Meadow Natural Burial Ground” at the Greenacres Memorial Park. I’ll be reading “Grave Matters” (also available at our library) and being the oldest of my clan, generally pursuing my interest in green burials. Since my previous letter on this subject, I’ve explored my options (from internment on a friend’s private property to spattering my remains into the Nooksack River) and still think “green burial” a proper “yes we can” kind of change for which many are searching. (It costs about $6,000 for a prepaid green burial at the Meadow.)

In particular, I think the organic value of our bodily remains should be enough of a reason to provide such an opportunity on public land (this practice is currently not legal).

Dear Watchers:

Your front page “savvy consumer” article on reminded me of a recent NPR segment that mentioned the Ramone’s lyrics “do I spend or do I save” the answer to which came shortly thereafter (?) in the advice spend to save. What this means is to spend money to increase one’s energy efficiency; a new take on frugality if you will. Also, the inside “Yo Palestinians cartoon” brings to mind our long disappointing practice of taking land upon which others dwell, something we’ve done since time began. While it’s proven itself to be in sync with our human nature, most do not think it right. JC said to “give unto Caesar, what’s Caesars” which may very well be “the truth,” but we’ve certainly not followed this advice.