- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: Thrive, And The EBR Library System
Posted on 11/17/25 at 4:13 pm to doubleb
Posted on 11/17/25 at 4:13 pm to doubleb
quote:
My comments have nothing to do with the election. It’s the fact that they can not act for the good of the whole. They won’t ever say they have more tax dollars than they need. They will spend as much as they can justify and bank the rest. It took pressure from the outside to get them agree to the “compromise”. And the voters really had no say so. It was either renew the current millages, or not fund the libraries. What kind of choice is that? If the Library Board was really looking out for the taxpayers, they would have lowered their requests and reduced the millages and funded a more lean system.
Your criticism assumes the Library Board has the authority to unilaterally “lower their requests” or redesign the millage. They do not. A dedicated millage is set by the voters and can only be changed through the statutory process — not by a board deciding to rewrite what the public approved.
The board’s job is not to guess what level of taxation voters might prefer; it is to administer the revenue exactly as the voters designated and maintain the system the millage was created to support. The idea that they should simply surrender portions of a restricted tax to unrelated government functions isn’t “good of the whole” — it’s a violation of the purpose of dedicated funding.
The pressure to accept the “compromise” did not come from taxpayers. It came from elected officials seeking to redirect library revenue to the general fund — something the library is not allowed to do without violating its statutory mandate. Protecting restricted funds from political repurposing is not self-interest; it’s stewardship.
Banking funds is also not evidence of excess. It’s how public entities responsibly save for capital projects, major repairs, technology upgrades, land acquisition, and future branch construction without taking on debt or raising taxes. Those reserves keep the system stable and prevent emergency tax hikes.
And the complaints regarding the building of these-say the downtown library-all of these branches were picked and decided on by the public in public meetings. Not the library board just deciding to build a new unneeded building. That building was built because the public voted to build that building whether you wanted it or not.
A “lean system” sounds appealing in theory, but gutting the primary source of funding doesn’t create efficiency — it creates decline. The Library Board preserved what voters intended and prevented a long-term degradation of services parish-wide.
The real question isn’t why the Library protected its dedicated revenue.
It’s why other officials attempted to take it in the first place.
1
Posted on 11/17/25 at 4:15 pm to winkchance
quote:
How many libraries are in St. George and how much refurbishing happened to them?
1 - Jones Creek
The Bluebonnet Branch is on the border of BR/St. George too. And serves as the main location for much of SW BR such as Bluebonnet, UClub, Highland/Oak Hills/ Village St. George area.
Posted on 11/17/25 at 4:23 pm to KamaCausey_LSU
Both Jones Creek and Bluebonnet have been renovated already.
I wish the ones saying there is no need for them would actually go visit and see exactly what they offer.
In the last few months I’ve been to 5 different organization meeting in Bluebonnet and Jones Creek in the evening and they are full of people of all ages doing all kinds of activities. I regularly go to the Goodwood branch. It’s really a great community gathering and use space which in this day and age we need more than ever. Isolation and iPhones are a face track to mental health issues.
I wish the ones saying there is no need for them would actually go visit and see exactly what they offer.
In the last few months I’ve been to 5 different organization meeting in Bluebonnet and Jones Creek in the evening and they are full of people of all ages doing all kinds of activities. I regularly go to the Goodwood branch. It’s really a great community gathering and use space which in this day and age we need more than ever. Isolation and iPhones are a face track to mental health issues.
Posted on 11/17/25 at 4:30 pm to winkchance
quote:and the Jones Creek Regional is one of THE MOST used libraries in the parish
How many libraries are in St. George and how much refurbishing happened to them? 1 - Jones Creek
So cry all you want about it, but St George residents use this library. And if a book is not available from the Jones Creek branch - I’m sure it can be sent there from one of the other 14 branches.
With AR (accelerated reader) - there is no way schools can have enough books for their students to read - and parents really shouldn’t be buying books that are just to be read one time, or not even finished bc the child doesn’t like the book -that’s what libraries are for
Plus, if writing is not taken out of schools (which it shouldn’t be) there are many valuable reference books and resources that public libraries will have that schools and private schools just can’t afford. School librarians should work with the nearest branches to teach the kids this. I know I did when I worked at the public library.
This post was edited on 11/17/25 at 4:40 pm
Posted on 11/17/25 at 4:48 pm to ronniep1
quote:
My response is tremendous pressure was placed on this board by elected officials, those in positions of power that are above this board, to accept this "compromise." Doing otherwise would have decimated the EBR Parish Library System.
What pressure?
How would it have decimated the library?
Posted on 11/17/25 at 4:51 pm to LSURussian
quote:
Your post is over the line and totally uncalled for.
This is rich coming from someone who constantly insults people. Look in the mirror pal. And if the shoe fits.
Posted on 11/17/25 at 4:56 pm to LemmyLives
quote:thx for posting this - and yep
Door counts for 2024
Pride branch still has the least amount of people and more visitors to the River Center Branch (Downtown) than to the Greenwell Springs REGIONAL branch
The branches in the black areas are underutilized.
Posted on 11/17/25 at 4:59 pm to ronniep1
quote:
If the library board were to tell the Mayor and Metro Council to "pound sand," the Council would first "fire," and then replace, the entire board.
So basically the Library Board is a lame duck. You jump to the will of the Mayor and Council. If that’s the case, nothing you say is relevant and your opinion is worthless. You don’t control anything ultimately.
Why even have a Board then? Yall get paid to be a rubber stamp?
This post was edited on 11/17/25 at 5:01 pm
Posted on 11/17/25 at 5:06 pm to UptownJoeBrown
quote:it’s basically there so the mayor and metro-council don’t steal library money
So basically the Library Board is a lame duck.
It’s difficult to steal something when so many eyes are on it.
If library board wants to do something- it has to be approved by metro council. Of metro council wants to touch anything that belongs to a library - it has to go through the library board. It’s not that difficult to understand.
This post was edited on 11/17/25 at 5:10 pm
Posted on 11/17/25 at 5:48 pm to Martini
quote:
Your criticism assumes the Library Board has the authority to unilaterally “lower their requests” or redesign the millage. They do not. A dedicated millage is set by the voters and can only be changed through the statutory process — not by a board deciding to rewrite what the public approved.
I never said that, but can’t the board ask the public for less when it’s time to renew a tax? They can also roll back taxes each year (which they have done).
quote:
The board’s job is not to guess what level of taxation voters might prefer; it is to administer the revenue exactly as the voters designated and maintain the system the millage was created to support. The idea that they should simply surrender portions of a restricted tax to unrelated government functions isn’t “good of the whole” — it’s a violation of the purpose of dedicated funding.
Which proves my point. Our system is bad. Someone needs to act for the good of the whole. It’s bad govt. to keep spending money on the extras at times when vital services are not properly funded.
quote:
Banking funds is also not evidence of excess. It’s how public entities responsibly save for capital projects, major repairs, technology upgrades, land acquisition, and future branch construction without taking on debt or raising taxes. Those reserves keep the system stable and prevent emergency tax hikes.
Sure, but there’s no one looking at things to say we are banking too much. Maybe we don’t need all those extra branches. Maybe we don’t need to bank do much.
quote:
And the complaints regarding the building of these-say the downtown library-all of these branches were picked and decided on by the public in public meetings. Not the library board just deciding to build a new unneeded building. That building was built because the public voted to build that building whether you wanted it or not
The library just admitted they had too much money and the millage was too high; yet you keep defending their operation. The public was never behind the tear down of the old library and the rebuild, but they did it anyway because they can.
quote:
A “lean system” sounds appealing in theory, but gutting the primary source of funding doesn’t create efficiency — it creates decline. The Library Board preserved what voters intended and prevented a long-term degradation of services parish-wide.
At a time when the City is short 150 cops, it’s the time to hire every librarian that you need. At a time when the DA and public defender is short people, taxpayers need to know that there are no problems with the libraries because they are fully staffed. Maybe if we had a mechanism to cut everybody and not just sone our local governments could work better.
This post was edited on 11/17/25 at 6:01 pm
Posted on 11/17/25 at 5:54 pm to UptownJoeBrown
quote:No. It's clear you don't know the meaning of "lame duck."
So basically the Library Board is a lame duck.
The correct phrase you're looking for is "figurehead."
Posted on 11/17/25 at 8:30 pm to nola tiger lsu
quote:
Libraries are publically funded entities that better communities by giving everyone access to books, computers, tools. They are not private clubs.
If this was 1925, I would agree with you. But even our "poor" have computers in their pocket with access to more information than most libraries.
Posted on 11/17/25 at 8:33 pm to RougeDawg
quote:this is a terrible misconception
But even our "poor" have computers in their pocket with access to more information than most libraries.
There may he welfare queens that sell their food stamp and WIC cards for cash for phones but there are a lot of middle class families barely making it that need libraries. Which is why the Jones Creek and Bluebonnet Branches in Baton Rouge are so heavily used.
Posted on 11/17/25 at 9:01 pm to ronniep1
People voted against Thrive because the a mayor was trying to force the library to eat a shite sandwich, and steal the fund balance to prop up the city-parish. We voted for years to fund the library, BREC and the COA separately, and Thrive sought to reallocate this funding. Hopefully the citizens will renew the separate taxes at a slightly lower rate, assuming the council will authorize placing the renewal on the ballot.
Page 5 of 5
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News