In an article yesterday it said that Miami Dade County would be opening up at least 11 tech center IN OUR PARKS. Gee, aren't our parks for recreation? Won't setting up these tech centers cost money to set up? Won't they have to be staffed? Let me think, there must be a better place to set up Tech Centers. Let me think...HOW ABOUT PUTTING THEM IN THE LIBRARIES? Leave our damn parks alone. Take the Tech Center money and apply it to libraries for the extra services.
We need the recreational space, there is too little as it is. Putting schools, recreational buildings Tech Centers and other entities in Parks is plain wrong. Tech Centers are a perfect fit for our libraries. I have lost count on how many they are closing but I can't figure out why we are closing one set of building to open up another set of buildings -- these tech centers. The Mayor thinks libraries are past their prime -- so reinvent them Mr. Mayor!! Make libraries part Tech Centers. Why can't the Tech Center money go to libraries instead of reinventing the wheel in our parks?
33 comments:
Why are they funding tech centers and not libraries? These forms of centers don't belong in parks. Parks are for outdoor activities. Libraries are for indoor activities.
The value of the libraries as indoor public meeting spaces is so critical to community growth. People actually go there to read books and enjoy book clubs as well. Imagine that!
As a county employee, I have attended numerous county meetings at libraries and certainly have never seen a underutilized public library anywhere in this county. More often than not, you are searching for parking.
Misplaced comment by accident on another topic?
Anonymous Anonymous said...
A pass through for politically favored organizations of certain County Commissioners? To keep in Mayor Gimenez's favor, are they going to funding organizations that will manage the new tech centers that will replace the libraries that re closing. Is this why the libraries are being closed? Because They are a model that didn't lend itself to the pay to play? Perhaps an Inspector General investigation is in order?
"Tech centers" do sound awfully tempting for 'partnerships' with favored CBOs - another boondoggle in the making for misspending out tax dollars. We can fund the Nigerian Tech Center; numerous Optimist Tech Centers; we can have a plethora of religious Tech Centers in District 8.
Gimenez can continuing to call them Tech Centers, but the plan is pure bullshit.
Really disappointed that the Miami Herald is reporting this PR spin by Mayor's office without taking a real look at how Gimenez is dismantling the Library system as a whole. He doesn't respect or understand role of libraries in a democracy. Maybe he doesn't understand democracy? Either way, it's a negative impact on our community with long-standing consequences.
Already, his policies are causing the library to vacate two floors of the main library - their own building! - and the destruction and removal of historic collections, archival materials, books and fixtures worth tens of thousands. Why? While the Herald stories tout how Gimenez is working to "save" libraries he first tried to close, there is something else going on behind closed doors.
What scares me the most is that the school educators are not speaking out.
We already have generations who can't do math because they use calculators, they can't reason because they are impulsive with 20 second attention spans, and now we are taking away their imaginations which are created/stimulated by reading. Imagination is what causes hopes and dreams and vision of what could be.
Oh, I forgot. No one reads on grade level anyhow, so get rid of the books and we get rid of the problem without correcting it. People DO read and they READ differently off paper than they do a computer screen.
Perhaps it is the unions that are going on behind closed doors?
Gimenez wants to be more than he is. He can't do that without a political platform.
He is saber rattling at the unions and perhaps before this is all said and done, it will be union contracts or the public libraries. Who then looks like the bad guys if the libraries are closed?
Stop blaming the unions. I am sick of all you tea partiers who hate seeing people paid a living wage. There are far too many hater-trolls cruising this blog.
I guess you would feel better if we paid what workers in India make. I just hope your income is dependent upon having sufficient number of customers who can afford what your income is derived from.
Everyone wants government but no one wants to pay for it. Last time I checked, services were not dispensed from vending machines.
Again the Mayor's staff fails him and he makes more bad decisions. We are struggling to maintain and expand parks and open space areas. These areas play critical roles in the quality of life our communities- have major impacts on mental and psychological health for users, support our physical needs for air, sunshine, exercise, relaxation, play, and provide beautiful tropical areas for our enjoyment. They are not just vacant land to be built on.
On the other hand, tech centers have a completely different function. Someone in the Mayor's office needs do a research paper investigating literature into the future of libraries, how libraries around the country are adapting to changes in our society, the impact of technology on our culture, how it will impact basic library operations in the future, existing and changing societal missions of libraries, and how they can address our needs for information, training, education, and personal intellectual exploration.
Parks and libraries are vital hallmarks of our culture. Major decisions about them should not be based on seat-of-the pants, knee-jerk reactions.
I'm so disgusted about the library issue. It is truly sad and gross.
The stupidity of these posting trolls is so evident. Get to a library and learn! Shake of the shackles of ignorance that are holding yourselves down and making so many of you so bitter.
Do you know what those evil union librarians make a year? Library assistants are not breaking the bank. They are far from overpaid undereducated professional athletes that people as so willing to shell out public money for, or pay more in Cable NFL ticket than they pay in library taxes.
No one goes to work for the county to get rich. Though some may go to work for the county in departments such as the County Attorney or DERM in order to train or make their contacts. Their real money is made once they leave the county to go into private industry. They they really work to screw you, the taxpayers.
No one goes into library services to be trained at taxpayer expense to move into those massive privatized libraries. Show me a librarian who has retired at 40, or even 50, and now lives on the penthouse condo on Brickell on that fat librarian pension.
I think so many of you really need to spend some time at the library to see what really happens there and observe the value to the community.
BTW, Einsteins, many more people use the library than just those actually sitting in the library. Many more have, get this, checked books out and have taken them home to read. Perhaps that person sitting next to you in the Starbucks, where you are using the free WiFi, is reading what the call a "library book."
The owners of this blog make you enter characters to prove you're not a robot. It is a shame there is no such hurdle to prove that a poster is not an idiot.
For all you nitwits:
The police department union is the one that in the bind with our mayor.
He wants to get in the face of the police union leaders, so what better way to do that than making cuts to library then to say it is either books or public safety?
Where is all the money that the library employee shared on Eye? What about all the increase in property taxes from the mini building boom that is going on and crazy house sales that is happening in the south end of the county? there is lots more $ there than there has been in years.
This is a game folks. Gimenez is trying to look good in the end... create chaos and then save the county.
No one was criticizing the librarians.
There is but one choice: Save the libraries and run them properly: as libraries, as the voters approved.
If not, then the library tax district should be dissolved and cities alone or cities could partner with surrounding municipalities to create their own library districts restricted to their residents.
Then you will see the cost of not having libraries as the Aventuras,Dorals, South Miamis, Pinecrests and Coral Gables, continue to have school ready kids and rising property values while the Falls, Kendalls and Goulds slide in both neighborhood character and educated populace.
The haves will wave bye to the have nots and will moat themselves of through simply going the route of saturation policing as Pinecrest and Aventura do to keep out the riffraff.
Nobody over 70 should be permitted to vote. They are done and don't want the next generation to have any of the benefits they enjoyed. They also will be long gone by the time all the shoes drop. They no longer have any stake in the future.
This was not a blog about the big bad police or fire unions so don't tell me the use of the term 'union' was anything other than a failed attempt to incite animosity against librarians. There is a certain core group out there who think that government salaries should be no higher than those who work the floor at Walmart.
Buy they way, wouldn't we be better served if we got rid of police and fire entirely and hired Zimmerman to create neighborhood watchers? He'd work cheap, never having earned a decent salary. We'd save money and eliminate many of the people who would never have opportunities gained from an education/use of libraries. We'd literally be KILLING two birds with a single stone. Beautiful. Most of you are morons. They rest are fighting to save our libraries, police and fire.
The time for games is over. We need responsible leadership guided by thoughtful people. All these predators, people looking for private gains, and crooks need to be cleaned out.
"This was not a blog about the big bad police or fire unions so don't tell me the use of the term 'union' was anything other than a failed attempt to incite animosity against librarians."
Ouuu. We are touchy aren't we?
I read; sometimes a book a week. I research. I love libraries. I pay my taxes. Do not put thoughts into my post that aren't there.
I am simply stating there is a political motive behind this library closure move. One does does not simply close libraries that are always busy without a whole back room planning happening.
Making a list of hard choice budget items for the community to have to mull over allows for an aspiring politician to come in and make the save.
Burgess was the king of "finding" money during the budget hearing breaks.... this is a game.
And yes. It is time for voters to wake up and boot the self-promoting politicians out of office. We seem to be lacking interest or the nuts to do what we need to do in South Florida. Maybe this is the new political reality in this state. Corruption as a way of life.
I would urge everyone who has posted here to become a member of the Friends of the Library. You can join online here:
http://www.friendsofmdpl.org/
Santiago Leon
Thank you, Sandy.
By the way, who ever said over 70's shouldn't vote can sit on it and spin.
:o/
Carlos Gimenez should be replacing his advisors. Disgraced ex-Mayor Manny Diaz used City of Miami parks as opportunities to pave over grass and build new buildings. Diaz, who is still under investigation by the SEC, always had friends in the architectural and construction industries who wanted money. Parks should be for sports. Libraries could use more support, not less.
Who are the thought leaders in the field of public libraries around the country? Who is on the cutting-edge of public library transformations in the 21st century? Has anyone in authority talked to any of these people about our situation here? What is happening in other progressive communities with strong employment infrastructures and high educational and achievement levels? Has anyone consulted the Library of Congress to get a fix on general directions and trends for public libraries? Has there been a meeting of local librarians from the county, school system, and colleges and universities to discuss the problem? Who will assume leadership of this fight, the Chamber of Commerce, the Beacon Council, the school system, someone else, who?
oh heck. Lets close the Library of Congress as well! That place is full of musty old information anyhow.
Hello. Carlos Gimenez? Anyone home? Miami-Dade County has libraries. Every library has computers, meeting rooms and real live professional librarians who use computers and help people all day. Visit sometime... Don't pave over our parks like disgraced Manny Diaz. Use our parks for sports.
I figure libraries could use an upgrade. Our parks are important for kids to be active and get off the computer or glued to a tv
Dear Blog Commenters,
This problem has a fix, a one year reprieve for the librarians to offer changes to the system that would appease Mayor Gimenez and generate money like ZooMiami. The fix requires your help. Reconsideration of a vote from the last meeting is allowed by the Board of County Commissioners. They can increase the millage at the Sept 10th. They can also decrease the general funds millage or countywide millage IF they still won't raise taxes that total pennies a day to save 49 branch locations. Two commissions must be convinced to change their vote on the flat millage.
https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheMiamiDadePublicLibraries
our community has become sheep. If things are not done the same way over and over, all hell happens.
Parks can be mini city centers, especially in the un-incorporated areas. If space is avaliable, why can't a libray or e-libray go in a park.....aren't kids there already???
Police unions must have thought of this idea. Increased calls and staffing in parks as more people get their tech equipment jacked. When I'm done using my $1200 Mac laptop I'll just put it in the trunk while I take a walk. Good luck with that.
Sometimes you need to hear the whole story instead of a soundbite. He is talking about using EXISTING, that is right EXISTING space at Park Rec Centers for the Tech Rooms. What is wrong with that?? Not building new structures... The problem with this town is there are too many experts that have no clue what they are talking about..
I didn't say that he was CREATING new space. Tech Centers don't belong in Parks. The rooms in Parks should be used for exercise or something park like not for computer labs. I did say he would have to pay to set them up and staff them. Why not do it at the library...why in the park?
The libraries are on bus lines.
The parks are often neighborhood parks that you have to walk to with no parking and those would be the ones to need tech centers and those are the ones that are mainly not staffed or have public use rooms.
I think that is AWFUL what is going on at county hall and will this Mayor. Trust me, this mayor will never get my vote for another elected office. He falls right onto the "never again" list.
There does not seem to be many real problem-solvers there in the County, and we are suffering dearly for it. When a problem emerges, no one seems to think through the problem, seek alternative solutions, and evaluates each solution. Everything is knee-jerk.
So it turns out the tech centers will charge $12 to use the computers and requires advanced registration. Who gets a money? Libraries and their are free to use when you walk in.
You attacked the blogger, that is why your comment was removed.
Post a Comment