Saturday, August 11, 2018

Close the Books

A well informed electorate, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and read books, shall not be infringed.
Now the GOP wants to gut your public library:
Townships are not the only public bodies in the crosshairs of Republican leaders scrutinizing their tax bills and looking for taxes to slash.
McHenry County GOP leaders: Want tax cuts? Look at libraries
One Republican leader in particular is Dan McConchie, a State Senator:
The 26th District leader said he had heard an out-of-town visitor once describe an area library as something like the "Taj Mahal."
McHenry County GOP leaders: Want tax cuts? Look at libraries
The science behind an informed electorate is beyond dispute: Ignorance is proportional to your likelihood to vote for rightwing candidates. And all of those rightwing candidates who fear knowledge are going to fear their public libraries.

Dan McConchie's Senate district covers McHenry and Lake Counties. It goes without saying that the McHenry County electorate is functionally illiterate anyways, and that libraries there pose no threat to their Republican candidates.

Lake County, however, is a different story:
McConchie pointed to the "very property-rich southern part" of Lake County, where "every year they take the max they can under the tax caps" and build "massive" facilities. "Sure," McConchie said, "they provide nice services to their folks, but I walk in there, and there's people that are just sitting there on the clock doing absolutely nothing."
McHenry County GOP leaders: Want tax cuts? Look at libraries
Note to Ops: There is an election in three months. Get busy!

No comments: