Library taken off list

If the Georgia House of Representatives' subcommittee of Appropriations for Higher Education has its way,the much-needed expansion and renovation of the Athens-Clarke County Library won't get any state funds. The subcommittee has removed six projects from its list, and the library was one of those.

In previous years, the project has merely been moved down the priority list, but this is the first time it has been completely removed from the list. The funding for this project will matching already existing local money that has been raised through SPLOST.

The next course of action would be to see the project reinserted during the Senate's review of the bill, and that means making sure that Sen. Bill Cowsert and Sen. Ralph Hudgens know of the local support for the project.

Cowsert can be reached at 404.651.7738, while Hudgens can be tracked down at 404.656.4700.

Copied below is text from an email I received ...

Everyone,
I ask that you take a few minutes and place a call to Senator Cowsert’s office-- number below-- to urge that the Athens Library project be reinstated from the Senate side of the General Assembly. The House subcommittee of Appropriations for Higher Education has removed 6 projects, added several others lower down on the priority list, and Athens is one that was removed. I could say a few expletives about certain representatives and retribution for the blue parts of the state, but I won’t. The Appropriations Committee is scheduled to vote tomorrow morning at 8AM and it will go to the full house soon thereafter. We need to work through the Senate to get it back into the budget.

This is an important issue and your participation may be critical. Make the call. You must give your name and phone number, but you don’t need to identify yourselves as library staff members. Just state the issue—we want the Athens library project funded in the FY10 budget. It is your future too! Thanks!

(I have to add, in a full disclosure notice, that I'm not overtly enthusiastic about lobbying for this project. It needs to be done, and we need to take advantage of the SPLOST money since it's designated for this purpose, but, given the existing budget crisis, I'm just not moved either way toward it.)