Commentary; Posted: 8/27/03

Gustafson is the one pulling wool

Sheree Vincent and Stephanie Salzman
Guest Columnists

Whoís trying to pull the wool over the eyes of Chisago County residents? In Bob Gustafsonís recent commentary, he claims someone is trying to pull the wool over the eyes of county citizens. Letís consider Commissioner Gustafsonís facts.

Yes, Commissioner Gustafson, you have asked some questions regarding the current library bond proposal, but have you listened to the answers? Or better, have you bothered to read the reports and recommendations submitted to commissioners from the separate county task forces on libraries during the last 10 years. Have you forgotten you were county commissioner when both task forces were established?

Their reports and findings were submitted to and accepted by you. The findings are in the county record and speak to the size and locations. Furthermore, the space needs reports by Ron McGriff, consulting librarian, addressed the size, location evaluations and spatial needs of each proposed library.

As a commissioner you have had a say and a vote at every step of the way in this 10-year process. What more do you need? Makes us wonder what your real motive is. Are you willing to keep citizens in the dark?

If you are so concerned about tax implications, please answer these questions. How do you support spending $400,000 on libraries that donít meet the needs of the people paying the bill? To use your words ó ìThat is a lousy way to represent the people!î

All the counties in the metro area are countywide library systems. There are six or seven more counties in the outstate area that do the same. With our extremely mobile society, where anyone by law may access any library in the state free of charge, we can no longer look at city boundaries as the end of a library servicing area. Since all of us may use the library it is only fair and equitable that everyone pays for the buildings that house them.

Chisago County spent $375,000 on library services this year. That equates to $8.50 per capita. In Washington County, residents pay $25 per capita. According to East Central Library, in the past Chisago County commissioners have not always responded in a positive way when asked to pay for more hours. It is only recently that the current county board has become more progressive in this area. Perhaps it is the new commissioners that are looking out for the citizens of the county whose needs have been ignored in the past.

The current proposal is estimated to cost $38 per house valued at $200,000, not the $40 to $50 per taxpayer you claim. Why are you misstating the facts? No one every suggested the bond would not involve an increase in our taxes. Of course it will increase the average household tax by $38. What you refuse to understand is this tax is levied over 20 years and within those years the tax impact decreases as our tax base grows.

Yes, we are already paying special taxes for the Lake Improvement District and our best guess is that we all donít live on a lake, or have a boat. We also pay for roads we donít drive on. Most of us donít use the jail, yet we pay for those services and are willing to do so.

Do you think access to a library system that provides for the needs of all citizens in Chisago County is not as important? Is that what you are trying to say? In Chisago County we have .22 square feet per person in library space. One local prison has 2 square feet per inmate. Whatís wrong with this picture?

After being involved with the library task forces, many public meetings, meetings with the county commissioners and weeks of letters to the editor and a commentary by you, we have heard hundreds of people in favor of library services being improved. We find that you, Commissioner Gustafson, are the negative voice.

You have a vote on this proposal. Why do you feel it is necessary to throw up smoke screens and distractions to cloud the real issue?

Is it possible you are ashamed of your past record on libraries and therefore trying to take the attention away from this fact?

Or are you trying to justify your determination to cast a no vote on this issue? We truly hope this is not the case.

Letís talk about these ìreal emergency issuesî facing the county. $20 million for a new jail sounds a bit inflated. Perhaps we arenít getting the real story here. You do know we currently pay other counties a substantial sum of money that we will save by building a new jail? This will in fact defray much of the cost of the new jail.

As for the other ìreal emergency issues,î why do we need additional office space in North Branch? What is the space for? The repairs needed at the courthouse are being taken care of through a loan repaid from the maintenance budget already established.

Who is trying to pull the wood over whose eyes?

You asked, what is our real motive? We will tell you ó It is to build the library space we need for the best price possible. We arenít rushing this 10-year process; we are attempting to take advantage of the current historically low bonding rates and to save us all a great deal of money.

The Wednesday, Sept. 3 county board meeting at 7 p.m. is scheduled to address the library bond issue. If you support the need for improved library services in Chisago County, you need to be at this meeting.

If you canít attend, call our county commissioners and let them know you support this bond issue: Commissioner Gustafson, 651-213-0459; Commissioner Robinson, 320-358-3223; Commissioner Olseen, 651-674-7510; Commissioner Montzka, 651-464-8515; and Commissioner Walker, 651-462-9308.

The writers are co-chairs of the Wyoming Library Society.

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