By Linda Manderson

Anderson resident

I can’t keep my mouth shut any longer. I worked at Anderson Public Library for 35 years, and it kills me to see the decisions the Library Board and its director must make about which services and, in the long-run, personnel to cut due to budget deficits because of decreased property taxes. This is the only government institution open seven days a week, open more evenings a week than not, open on holidays that other city and county agencies are closed, and offers equal access to information, reading, and entertainment, regardless of income.

In fact, city and county agencies refer people to the library to get forms for divorces, for child custody, to file tax returns. They refer them to library computers to apply for unemployment benefits, create resumes and fill-out job applications online, and to apply for other benefits online. People go to the library because they can’t afford their own home computers, and they use library computers to stay in touch with family members through e-mail, job search, and do research. They check out DVDs and CDs. And of course people read, and they read a lot, which is good because kids in this town need a lot of help in that area. By the way, library employees have never had paid lunch hours or longevity pay. They’ve always paid 3 percent into their PERF retirement, and they’ve had high-deductible health insurance for years. The library knows about budget cuts, and it makes me sick to think they have to cut deeper.

Now the county employees don’t want to give up paid lunch hours. They don’t want to eliminate jobs as they come open through attrition — are you kidding? County judges making $120,000 were unfairly picked on because they didn’t get their stipends, so now they’ve gotten them — seriously? I see an empty trolley and its driver trundling around the city every day — how much does that cost taxpayers? If it’s the employees’ union holding the city and county hostage, three words: General Motors gone. So somebody out there grow some — stand up for the taxpayers in this county and make some real budget cuts that count. The librarians did it.