Maine Library Association

We’re down to the wire – one week from today voters will be deciding, albeit indirectly, the fate of many Maine libraries. Here are some last minute talking points:

Vote No on TABOR II
Question #4
November 3, 2009
• TABOR II is a warmed-over version of TABOR I which Maine voters rejected in 2006.
• TABOR II eliminates local control over how tax and budget decisions will be made.
• TABOR II locks-in historically low levels of spending caused by the current economic crisis.
• TABOR II and effectively blocks the state from ever meeting its obligation to fund 55% of the costs of public education or effectively addressing Maine’s transportation infrastructure.
• TABOR II triggers an expensive statewide referendum election for revenue increases of as little as 1/100 of 1%.
• TABOR II caps all state revenue accounts, including minor accounts such as the snowmobile trail maintenance fund.
• TABOR II formulas are less stable than are current formulas.
The Maine Library Association supports a reasonable and rational approach to taxes that support public services. We believe, however, that An Act to Provide Tax Relief, (TABOR II) is a “one-size-fits-all” attempt to limit taxes on the state and local level without sufficient regard for the financial needs, special situations, and realities of the people of our state. TABOR II will erode the ability of our state and communities to sustain necessary levels of services, including quality libraries. For this reason, the Maine Library Association opposes Question 4 on the November 2009 Ballot in Maine. – Sept. 2009

Vote No on Motor Vehicle Excise Tax
Question #2
November 3, 2009
 Motor vehicle excise taxes collected by Maine’s towns and cities are retained at the local level to be used for local purposes. The initiative drastically reduces this source of revenue by 40%. (Total excise taxes collected in 2008 = $205 million. The initiative would reduce that revenue by $82 million.)
 Statewide, municipalities spend $235 million per year maintaining local roads and bridges. This includes plowing snow and sanding streets in the winter as well as road reconstruction and bridge repair in the summer. This work is crucial to our economy and our safety.
 The money used for this road work comes primarily from two sources, 90% from the motor vehicle excise tax and 10% from state aid. There is no requirement that excise taxes be used for road repair and maintenance, but the facts clearly show that they are.
 The cut to the motor vehicle excise tax caused by the initiative would reduce the quality of our roads and local bridges.
 Also, the initiative will only benefit people who own newer cars, hybrid-type cars and motorcycles. According to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, nearly 70% of registered cars in Maine don’t qualify for any benefit under this proposal. The only ones to get a break are those who can afford a new car, but new cars and hybrids cause just as much wear to roads as other cars.
 Municipalities will either have to cut expenditures overall or increase property taxes.
The Maine Library Association in support of its member libraries and all Maine libraries recognizes the need for access to sufficient funding to maintain operations and infrastructure to provide excellent service to all communities especially at a time when demand for library services is at an extraordinarily high level. Referendum Question 2 proposing a reduction in excise taxes levied on vehicles registered in Maine will greatly reduce the funds available to municipalities to maintain essential municipal operations, including libraries. For this reason, the Maine Library Association opposes Question 2 on the November 2009 ballot in Maine. – Sept. 2009

In the last week or so of the campaign, the state’s major newspapers are taking positions on the ballot referenda. So far, the Maine Sunday Telegram, the Biddeford Journal Tribune, the Kennebec Journal, and the Bangor Daily News have spoken out against TABOR II.  However, the MST has given a short-sighted thumbs up to the excise tax measure.  This is much more scary for libraries than the TABOR II measure.  It is a huge disappointment.

We’ve mentioned ALA Connect in previous postings. ALA Connect is a social networking site for ALA members and supporters of libraries. At ALA Connect, ALA members can join (or start) groups on any number of subjects, and do a lot more. Non-ALA members can participate, too, in a more limited fashion. Joining any new Internet service can be a bit confusing at first. That is why ALA’s Emerging Leaders Group took it upon themselves to create about a dozen short screencasts (under two minutes each) to help new users make the most of the ALA Connect site. They are at http://alfocus.ala.org/tags/ala-connect.

A quick reminder that October 18-24 has been designated by the American Library Association as National Friends of Libraries Week. If you have a Friends group at your library, you may want to check the ALA web site for ideas and materials you could use to mark the week. Also note that five Friends groups around the country will be recognized for outstanding efforts to promote the week. Deadline for submissions is Dec. 1, 2009. For more information on National Friends of Libraries Week, go to http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/altaff/altaff/folweek/index.cfm.

In researching further the TABOR II issue, I came across a 2005 newsletter from the Colorado Library Association (October-November, Vol. 4, No. 5) urging its members to vote to curtail Colorado’s version of TABOR which had been enacted a few years earlier. The newsletter pointed out that during the time of TABOR in Colorado libraries lost 76% of their funding. A significant amount of local funding ($11M) was also lost during that time. As could be expected there serious cutbacks in library services statewide.

Those who oppose TABOR II in Maine have sponsored visits from Coloradians who experienced the negative effects of that state’s version of spending and revenue raising limits. Maybe we should give them a very serious listening to……

We are now about a month away from voting on two referendum questions that could have a long-term effect on libraries state-wide. As we get closer to the vote, the extent of the possible effects of TABOR II and excise tax reduction are being realized. I decided to see how these items might effect three towns that are special to me – Lewiston where I grew up, Kennebunk where I live, and South Berwick where I work.

If TABOR II passes all of these towns will feel the effect in some way. If the excise tax proposal passes, the loss in revenue could be staggering. Lewiston would lose approximately $1.24 million. Kennebunk conservatively estimates their loss at $770,000. South Berwick is looking at a loss of $500,000. While these losses may be shared across the board in all city and town departments, it would appear that libraries could bear more than other departments as municipalities scramble to keep up public safety standards, maintain roads, and keep city halls functioning. The revenue loss in Kennebunk, according to the Town Manager, represents 12 full-time jobs (that’s the entire public works team). Many people consider these expenditures more crucial than libraries. However, we know, especially in these times, that libraries are providing very essential services also. We know how needed these services are. Let’s work together to make sure that the public knows how important we are and that they need to vote no on questions 2 and 4 on the November ballot.

For an excellent presentation on TABOR II and the excise tax question, check out a PowerPoint presentation on Lewiston’s website: http://www.ci.lewiston.me.us/