Photo by June Johns
The Gabber Newspaper‘s Oct. 1 Letters to the Editor
Amendment 3 and Libraries
Like many Pinellas County residents, I moved to Florida for the lifestyle it offered: Yes, snow-free winters, but also beautiful natural resources, wonderful city and county parks, and what I consider to be the main attraction to a city or a town: A vibrant library system.
As a member of the board of the Friends of St. Pete Beach Public Library, whose mission it is to “promote and support the St. Pete Beach Library” I am particularly worried about Amendment 3 and its potential effect on library funding.
It’s clear that Amendment 3 will hurt Florida’s ability to fund its libraries. Florida’s public libraries depend on stable local tax revenue to provide books and materials, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs, senior services, job seeker support, meeting rooms, outreach, and trusted help for people of all ages.
Think of it this way: City budgets are like recipes. If we reduce the ingredients to a meal recipe, we end up with a smaller plate of food. Or we eliminate something on the plate. Ask yourself what gets eliminated from the library plate? Reduced services? A smaller collection of books? A library that closes at mid-day? Losing staff? Closing branches? When library funding is reduced, we will certainly lose services.
We urge you to fully read Amendment 3, just like when you were back in school. Get the facts. Talk to your friends and family. And vote “NO” on Amendment 3.
—Lee O’Neil, Tierra Verde
Read the Sept. 24 Letters to the Editor.
About Letters to the Editor
We want your letters! The Gabber Newspaper encourages letters (one per person, per month). Include your real name and city. Please keep it short – <250 words. We may edit letters for content, clarity, and length. We don’t print letters that incite violence or include attacks on private citizens. The Gabber Newspaper also doesn’t print letters that intentionally mislead people. Letters may appear online and/or in print. We may print comments that appear on The Gabber Newspaper’s website and social media. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of The Gabber Newspaper owners, advertisers, or staff. Send letters to editor@thegabber.com or 2908-B Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport, FL, 33707.
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In 1968, our founder, George Brann, started The Gabber Newspaper, then called the Gulfport Gabber, to hold Gulfport City Council accountable. Read more of our city council coverage, and learn about our policies on reporting, fact-checking, and funding.
