A few blog posts ago, I made a plea to save Ohio libraries because the governor was proposing a budget plan that included a major cut in library funding. The vote went through the state legislature, and the budget was re-worked in such a way that the libraries received less than half of the budget cut that was originally proposed, so YAY! Our voices were heard! In this economic crisis, it is understandable that funding is going to be cut on certain community resources, so let’s hope that our libraries can figure out a way to continue their many services without changing too much in light of these cuts. I received an email back from one of the congressmen, so I thought I’d share it below. Not that the letter was written personally for me, but it’s nice to have my efforts acknowledged. Hopefully my friends who work for the state can keep their jobs in light of the budget re-working!
Dear Ms.
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns over Governor Strickland’s proposal to reduce the general revenue transfers to the Public Library fund by $227 million over the next two years. A vital aspect of democracy is that all citizens are able to express their views, and I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me. Although I was not able to respond to you prior to the budget vote, please know that your correspondence as well as messages from across our region and the state had a major influence on my work on this bill and, ultimately, how I voted.
Due to the economic situation that the State of Ohio is encountering, all agencies and departments have been forced to absorb cuts in state funding. Fortunately, during the conference committee, an agreement was reached to reduce the Governor’s proposed cut to library funds so that libraries statewide will experience only an $84 million cut over the next two years. While I realize that this is still a considerable reduction, it is substantially lower than the $227 million originally proposed by Governor Strickland.
Again, thank you again for contacting me with your concerns on the budget. If I may ever be of assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to write or call.
Sincerely,
Steve Buehrer
State Senator
1st Senate District
Confidence and determination score once again!
Good news indeed, in light of what could have happened. 🙂
Hm, that looks a LOT like the one I got!!! Yes, indeed, YAY!!!!!!