People poo-pooed my suggestion a couple of years ago that the signs being passed out by the Crystal Lake Library were intended to support a property tax hike.
But look what is popping up in the same yards as those signs:
A “Vote Yes” sign for the advisory referendum on building a new Crystal Lake Library is next to a sign passed out by the Library. Note the “For Sale” sign in the yard next door.
The signs are undoubtedly being financed using some of the $8,000 than non-Crystal Lake resident Richard Naponelli donated to the Crystal Lake Library YES Committee a month ago.
Now the Crystal Lake City Council, which appoints the Library Board and controls the Library’s budget and could borrow money without a vote of the public to build a new library–has put on the ballot an advisory referendum asking whether a new library should be built.
The ballot language is below:
Crystal Lake Library referendum ballot question.
If the referendum passes–which will not raise taxes–lead the City Council to issue bonds without an authorizing referendum?
The Council can do so, because of its Home Rule power.
Or will the Council put a real tax hike bond referendum on the ballot when incumbents are on the ballot?
Will anyone opposed to tax hikes run for the City Council?
Those interested in either hiking or cutting taxes can obtain petitions for next spring’s election now from City Hall.
Once again, I need to point out that Cal has said that the “A Library Champion Lives Here” is/was a political sign; yet now we see a true supporter’s sign.
I know that Cal has a “thing” for signs, but he needs to be more discerning when making comments.
Is there anyone with “A Library Champion Lives Here” sign that plans to vote against the referendum?
Well put Mark !
Tom, the fact that Cal notices these
Things & knows things BEFORE they happen
Is APPRECIATED by many others on the blog
And me.
This ONE EPISODE is not the usual scenario
So your comment to Cal is unnecessary.
Assuming this referendum is on the Nov. ballot …..
How dumb are these library pickpockets?
In a general presidential election, but especially so in this one, the voter turnout will be HIGH; 95% of the Trump and Libertarian voters will be voting NO; and 2/3rds of the Killary people will too.
Ok, the library-robbers may get over 50% of the Stein, Green Party voters …. but it’s a ‘no go’ from the getgo!
BTW, the sign should be amended to read ‘A Library Chump-ion Roosts Here!”
This is how wacky the whole Crystal Lake Library really is:
They sponsored a book club where apparently nobody ever bothered to read the featured books (maybe they just couldn’t read and looked at pictures)
the reading-optional “Book” Club disbanded in 2013.
You can imagine the consternation of an author, Rick Kogan, who ventured to the Crystal Lake Library to discuss his book …. only to find out that nobody bothers to read the books featured in the ‘club’ ……
You can’t make this kinda stuff up!!!
That’s how lame and fatuous the presumably “Library Champions” of the defunct CL ‘Book’ Club really are!
“Schopen recalled a presentation from well-known Chicago author Rick Kogan who was shocked when he asked what book the club was reading only to hear Schopen say we don’t read books. Kogan even talked about the reading-is-optional book club on his radio show the next night.”
http://www.nwherald.com/2013/07/26/crystal-lake-book-club-writes-final-chapter-with-library-donation/axf05qg/
Here’s what the “Library Champions” are readin’ …..
but they want to pick our pockets!!!!!!!
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tt3wqAcOsgg/U0bTE02jVOI/AAAAAAAACao/5A4dW31Tgzs/s1600/Idiot+book.jpg
The obscene expense of the proposed building should shock the typically apathetic electorate.
Have these morons promoting this concept looked at what $40,000,000 actually will purchase?
Who stands to win the construction contract on this obscenity?
If Old Man Winter would actually read the articles he’s posting, he’d realize that the CL Library had nothing to do with the book club that didn’t read books.
The club just donated their remaining funds to the library when they decided to disband.
What moron has Observer been talking to?
The proposed library will cost $30M not 40, and much of that cost has to do with other aspects of such a big project, not just the building.
The building itself is under $17M.
All and all, it seems smarter to invest the money now in a new library, rather than spend over $9M repairing the old one with all of its problems.
I’d rather be done with this for 50 years than have to spend another $9 or 10M again on the old building in 10 years.
And if we get smart then and decide to stop throwing good money after bad, we’ll be out the 9M in repairs and inflation will make a new library cost even more!
Now’s the time.
CL shouldn’t follow the Springfield example and just keep kicking the can down the road.
Hey Will, wake up.
The CL Library sponsored the ‘book’ club ….
that’s where they met …..
CL Library gave ’em coffee and a room …….
CL Library put the damn club in its newsletter ….
I went ONE time and quickly figured the club was for idiots …
don’t tell me the club has zero to do with the CL Library.
No evidence is presented that $9 million must be spent ‘or else’.
Or else what?
Will CL no longer have an adequate library? Will it shut down?
I can tell you there is evidence that $9 million MUST NOT BE SPENT, ‘or else’.
‘Or else’ What?
Or else CL property tax rates reach inflection point of property value death spiral, a negative feedback loop which drives property values lower and tax rates higher.
(Reference: See Woodstock IL, 4.6% property tax rate and plummeting home values).