DETROIT: Public Library infected with same ole' Detroit culture...

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I read a story in the Detroit News this morning that could drive people insane. It was another story about Detroit and why the city is doomed unless we blow up the culture that doomed it in the first place.

The story concerns the Detroit Public Library Main Branch in downtown Detroit. I think I may have been there once during my college days (1960s) at Wayne State University. I really did not need to use this public library since Wayne State had a great one.

I do remember my local public library branch on Martin Street (Conley Branch?) that I used often during grade school and high school for research and of course to meet girls.

I was saddened but not surprised that Detroit would be forced to close 18 local library branches due to budget cuts as even the suburbs are closing their libraries for the same reasons; hell the whole state is in a budget crisis and has to make some painful cuts in spending.

Detroit school kids need their libraries to be open so when a report detailing how the main Detroit Library underwent a remodeling of its South Wing that ballooned from $300,000 to $2.3 million was made public, one can be excused for getting a little upset.

The library is controlled by the Library Commission which is appointed by the Detroit Board of Education. You will remember the Detroit Board is the same board that destroyed the Detroit Public School system (DPS) and gave the emergency financial manager so much grief when he started cleaning up the corruption and mismanagement that ran rampant throughout the system…yup…it’s the same ole’ culture.

I can forgive the library commissioners somewhat since the project was voted on in 2008 when things were not as bleak as now but when one hears of library chairs costing over $1,000 each, light fixtures over $500 each and fireplaces (in a library?) costing over $5,000 each, one has to stop and think, who was in charge?

There is more…there are bills detailing over $160,000 in food bills…yes, the librarians ordered out quite often because they worked so hard, poor dears…$1,760 for ice cream?

The library gave its union workers a 6% increase when the union did not ask for a raise and most public employees were taking 10% cuts. Now they have to lay off those workers and close branches.

I have been harping away for a very long time at the Detroit “culture” of hiring incompetent and corrupt officials who hire their incompetent and corrupt friends to run city departments because it’s “their” city and they will do what the hell they want to with it, even blow it up into smithereens…

I did see one ray of hope recently when Mayor Bing told the city council that if they don’t let him clean the city up, the state will appoint an emergency manager that will tell them all what to do with “their” city.

The council in all its wisdom quickly put two and two together (a great feat for them) and asked, “Can the mayor be given these emergency powers?” at least this way it would not be a hard ass stranger kicking their asses but one of their own.

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