Faimon Roberts: The Library Plan of SID Edwards is a bad idea. But this is an important conversation. – nola.com

The proposal of the mayor of Eastern Baton Rouge to Mayor Sid Edwards to take specialized funding for the library is a bold, politically smart and wrong move for the parish of Eastern Baton Rouge.

Some of the news was probably lost in the midst of Big Game’s craze, but the bones of it are this: Edwards, Republican, said he would ask the parish voters to redirect and 11.1 miles of ownership that funded the brilliant Library System of Baton Rouge and 11.1 miles.

The completion of the knee libraries of the parish for the sake of the payment of the police is more, the determination of some infrastructure and financing meter projects of the Council (other parts of Edwards’ proposal) is a bad idea.

It is seductive to see this as another Republican attempt to gut on libraries that were seen in the parishes of St. Tamani, Livingston and Lafayette. In these places, objections to the functions of the library come from people who worry that there is too much inappropriate content in books available to children.

It doesn’t look like the same. Edwards did not campaign as a culture warrior; He launched a campaign as a problem solving that he didn’t mind taking bold steps. This is certainly this.

It is also politically reasonable. Crime was the biggest problem in elections and Edwards, a republican disadvantage, managed to use it in its favor.

Moreover, by promising to reduce the maximum Millage from 11.1 to 9.8 (library leaders plan to demand the maximum to be reduced to 10.52), Edwards throws it as a reduction in taxes.

If Edwards is successful, Baton Rouge’s libraries would be vulnerable to political attacks like these other parishes. They would also be in the same boat they were 40 years ago, and they had to fight for scarce dollars from the general parish fund, along with public affairs, fire protection and the like.

“In 1985, when the library was part of the general fund, their budget was reduced to almost nothing, hours were reduced, the facilities were closed, staff said and no books were purchased,” said library member Katie Wesk, said A reporter reporter, reporter Quinn Cofman, told a reporter.

That is why Baton Rouge voters gave libraries a special tax to derive their funding from the hands of politicians.

This does not mean that Edwards’ proposal is not worth discussing. This is a real attempt to fix a serious problem. Batton Rouge police officers, who earn an average of about $ 41,000 a year, are disturbingly unpaid. And the violent crime remains a thorny question, even when other major cities, including New Orleans, had downturns.

Edwards was chosen to solve these difficulties.

In his proposal, Edwards noted the balance of the library system – about $ 100 million – and frequent surpluses from his $ 61 million budget. Edwards said it was because of the “excessive fee”. Library leaders would call this stable financial management. They were prudent with their taxpayer funds, not to spend just because they could. That is why they have a large balance of the fund.

Here’s how they do not debt to build new branches, renovation of outdated or implementation of other capital projects. Most public subjects need to go to the bond to make big projects. Not East Baton Rouge’s parish library. Uses a payment system like you.

After Edwards released his proposal, library executives said they were “blinded” by him. Reducing funding would almost certainly lead to reduced hours and other impacts, they said. Library leaders had planned to ask the subway council this week to approve their resolution in order to place their renewal on the newsletter later this year. Now this is a doubt.

Edwards says he plans to work to “ensure that we will maintain the best library system with public funding in the country.” But how you would do this is not clear.

The Edwards plan can be a difficult sale for another reason: raising the pay of BRPD employees serves only one of the five parish municipalities in East Ruzh.

Why is someone in Zahari or Central – or St. George on this – would like to pay taxes to subsidize police in a city where they do not live? Many of these people have spent their lives from Baton Rouge, physically and legislatively.

Perhaps the argument is that the worse crime in Baton Rouge is a tide that would raise everyone’s boats to take a badly used cliché?

What may be the most disturbing here is the approach to everyone or nothing that Edwards has chosen. The library may not need such a large balance of the fund. Baton Rouge police need more pay. Can’t there be any middle position?

Maybe this is the final game. Edwards may expect a significant retreat, even rejecting this plan, but he hopes his proposal helps to gather different groups to discuss real solutions to Baton Rouge’s problems.

They could meet in the library.