Saturday Brimstone
Sam and I walked into the possibly-doomed Kingsessing Library on Saturday to get him a library card of his own.
The building was nearly vacant: besides the two of us, there were two librarians and a few people using the computers at the back of the room. Large gaps of books were missing from nearly every shelf.
As we filled out the paperwork, I looked up at the librarian and asked if she’d heard anything about the lawsuit to keep the libaries open (thank you for signing on Jannie Blackwell). “Nothing so far,” she sighed.
“I cannot believe that mayor,” I replied.
Just then the door opened and who should step in but Hizzoner himself wearing a baseball jacket and hat. Our eyes met, and as usual he looked a little confused as if to say, i know that guy, and I don’t like him. But where do I know him from and why don’t I like him?
As he walked by the librarian rolled her eyes and muttered “There he goes himself… maybe you should go talk to him.”
“I don’t have anything to say to that guy,” I scoffed, and we both chuckled.
Sam signed off on his library card, and we walked out the door and down the steps where tow massive SUVs were idling outside. It was kind of galling: here’s Mayor Literacy talking about how we have to shutter the libraries to save money, and he needs two SUVs to get to where he’s going. Why not save some dough a show up in a compact or a hybrid? Why not turn off the engine instead of wasting gas.
As I walked by the SUVs, I flipped the bird at them. A man stepped out of one of the vehicles.
“What’s that for?” he said. “Why’d you give me the finger?”
“It wasn’t for you,” I said. “It was for this entire administration. Big disappointment.” And I turend to walk away. No point in talking to someone that doesn’t listen.
“What? Why?” the guy persisted.
“Well for starters, there’s no need to close this library, or any of the 11 branches.”
“We have a $100 million dollar deficit,” he began.
“Yes, I know. And you have plenty of tax bills outstanding. And you have plenty of loopholes that could be shut. And you have hundreds of people proposing alternatives. And I know for a fact that this plan to shut libraries has been in development for some time now.”
As if to prove a point, the guy said snottily, “well then where’s the next nearest library to here.” As if I didn’t know.
“It’s two miles west in Paschalville, through a neighborhood where people pop off guns like it’s going out of style. You read the past year’s news, and it’s nothing but shootings in southwest, murders in southwest.” I pointed at Sam. “You want me to walk through that area with a 5 year old? Or maybe I should wait out in the cold and rain for a trolley? There aren’t any trolley shelters in this neighborhood. You want to walk 4 miles round trip with a kid?
This library is a resource to the community here. People rely on this place.
“So yeah, that’s why the Mayor gets the finger. Have a nice day.”
Then I went home and took a shower because I smelled like brimstone.
December 29th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
[...] Saturday Brimstone [...]
December 30th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
[...] in a related event, Brendan runs into the mayor at the library. Democracy [...]