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Republican 93% 4% 2% 43 total votes

Democrat 100% 0% 0% 67 total votes

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Re: 2009 Senate Bill 247 (Appropriations: 2009-2010 History, Arts And Libraries )  by FreeSpeaker on April 5, 2009 

I recognize the need to curtail expenditures in the State
budget at this time, and so can find little to criticize about the final
outcome of this legislation in the Senate. 

 

However, I am dismayed to see declining support for libraries
and the arts in Michigan.  Both
exert significant and important civilizing influences on society, both of which
are sorely needed in this day and age. 
I will applaud significantly increased State support of libraries and
the arts when better economic conditions prevail.

Re: 2009 Senate Bill 247 (Appropriations: 2009-2010 History, Arts And Libraries )  by Admin003 on April 2, 2009 

 

Senator Gleason’s statement is as follows:

I concur with the previous speaker about these drastic cuts. There are two particular concerns I have with this budget. The first is the slashing of our state libraries. We just went through Reading Month here in the state of Michigan. We all celebrated it. Many of us went around to our local school districts and read to the kids emphasizing the great need to read and have the books accessible.

Schools are only open, typically, about 180-some days a year, but the libraries are open most of the time. I always try to encourage the young folks in my district that the most important time to read is during the summer when they don’t have a more scheduled regiment for learning, reading, and increasing their vocabulary; that they have access to their local library.

In the last few months we’ve encouraged our residents, particularly those who were laid off, to go get online; to have access to the unemployment services of this state at their local libraries. It’s just one other way they can get their unemployment compensation and keep their families intact and their budget somewhat in order.

Another disturbing aspect of this budget is the book distribution centers. I think there would be few programs in the state that have met with such success. We have organizations in the Upper Penninsula and down here below which offer thousands of books—thousands of books—to our young readers across this state. Maybe not enough of us know about this book distribution center which we utilize annually. We’re talking about spending less than $350,000 on a program that offers millions and millions in dollars in resources to our young readers across this state.

So that is my “no” vote explanation, and I hope that we put a premium on year-round education at our local libraries and to reward those who have offered many resources such as the book distribution centers in both the Upper Peninsula and down here below.

Re: 2009 Senate Bill 247 (Appropriations: 2009-2010 History, Arts And Libraries )  by Admin003 on April 2, 2009 

 

Senator Switalski’s statement, in which Senator Jacobs concurred, is as follows:

I appreciate the fiscally responsible approach that members have taken in adding the substitute that cuts the budget by 10 percent, but I think when we are cutting, we should use the scalpel rather than the meat cleaver. If we cut everything by 10 percent, on me, that is my head. Some of you might favor that approach with me, but I would rather take my left hand, as painful as that would be. To take my head would kill me. The same way if you have a rose bush and cut off all of the flowers, you would kill the bush. But if you choose a few well-placed stems and take those out, the whole bush can recover and survive.

So I think that when we are looking at libraries and the important work that they do, we risk losing that institution, rather than going in and restructuring and rethinking. Let’s adjust the entire budget, rather than across-the-board 10 percent cuts.

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