Essential for preserving democracy
The article regarding the ballot proposition in which King County voters are being asked to support the King County Library System by an increase in property taxes did provide excellent information about the origins, effect on a hypothetical property tax and the long-term plans for the use of these funds [“Property-tax boost needed to avoid cuts, library says,” NWThursday, Feb. 4].
I regret that Will Knedlik, who wrote the opposition statement in the Voter’s Pamphlet, was the only person quoted outside of the library-system’s staff. The article would have been much more balanced if it had included a statement from those who see the everyday benefits of having a well-used library in their community.
Libraries are at the center of our secular democracy; they truly serve everyone. It is not a mystery why, in tough times, libraries have been sought out even more for both information and respite.
An example is the White Center Library, an overcrowded 6,000-square-foot space into which 8,000 to 10,000 people walk every month. Especially in the late afternoon, the computers are often busy with students who are doing their homework — in our community, not everyone has a computer at home.
What I would invite Knedlik to do, is take his Kindle and retire to a comfortable space, where he will not be bothered by those who seek the benefits of learning, which he obviously enjoys for himself.
— Rachael Levine, Seattle