" They weren't satisfied with their 7 million plus addition, now they want MORE money. Remember this, once they start getting tax dollars from the rural folks for the town library, those taxes will do nothing but go up every year. Library greed must be contagious, the folks running the city library in Mattoon are pulling the same scam. Vote NO! "

" What HP said. "

" The only way library taxes go up is an increase in assessments. Both Mattoon and Charleston are at the highest rate they can tax. "

" "For Charleston residents it costs them nothing. For most outside Charleston, it saves them money on their library card"

this is a true statement...for those outside Charleston who ACTUALLY USE the library. "

" What is wrong with rural residents paying the tax assesment for the library like those in the cities? NOTHING. What is the county making us pay taxes on that are far less useful than the library? What are those frills?

It is no different than the citizens within the city paying the tax assesment for the Coles County International Airport.
Many in town will make you country bumpkins a deal...if you don't pay taxes for the library, the city slickers don't have to pay for the RURAL airport.
The library contributes much more for the welfare of education in the present and the future than the airport contributes for anything. How long ago has it been since their was regularly scheduled flights into CC International? If you really get down to the bottom line, their shouldn't be any tax assesment for the airport. It should be a private enterprise.

Also, those of us that don't have children, ever, should not pay taxes for the public schools if you country bumpkins don't pay the library taxes.
~~My parents paid the school taxes when I went to school.~~ Plus, those that have 3 or more children are getting a discount on their taxes. IF, the standard family size is 2 children, then those that have 3 or more get those 3rd plus children to go to school for nothing in reference to school taxes.

Sure I may be stirring the pot, but if you want to talk about things are fair, then you shouldn't be leaving out "equity". "

" "This will NOT change the tax payments of those living within the city limits of Charleston. However, a Yes vote by Charleston citizens is needed to ensure the proposal passes."

I plain English this means the people within the Charleston City Limits can force the people outside the City to help pay for the library. Since this "will not increase the tax burden on City residents" but will greatly increase the burden on those in the County why not let those outside the City decide for themselves?

Another free spending taxing body we don't need. Vote NO on the library District. "

" Nothing has been doccumented that city taxes will be reduced, if they win their freedom. Library boards have been appointed by city councils, nothing has addressed how that will work, if the city is no longer holding their purse strings.

There is already a program where anyone who can't afford the $45 for the card, can get it reduced to as little as $10, for any library in the Lakeland tax district. If people are being turned away, it is because they don't feel it is worth what they are being asked to pay, for how they anticipate using the library. Kids can order anything available in the entire library system through their school libraries. there are already options, that leave no one out, that don't require creating a new tax entity with the ability to max levy annually to their hearts content.

If specific funding needs aren't being met, by cities max raising their own levies annually, that should have been confronted directly. This is an end run, that leaves more questions than answers, seeks huge funding increases, and will see more people paying more, for services they already could use, if they so desired. "

" "Charleston City Limits can force the people outside the City to help pay for the library."

That is just an ingnorant comment. At the same time, neither library has done a good job during this referendum drive, so it will go down in a flaming ball of poo tomorrow. "

" Amen vakyin, amen. With local industries laying off workers right and left why should we give the library a blank check. They operate fine with the funding they receive now. It is plain greed that is behind this referendum.

It's hard to read in a cardboard box under the overpass. If taxes get any higher that is where we'll be living. I'd rather be able to feed my family that finance more construction at the library. Enough is enough. "

" cd, you're absolutely right about city residents paying taxes for things they don't use themselves but which city leaders have determined as improving the quality of life for our area. Childless people pay taxes to support the schools, city residents pay taxes for the library whether they use it or not. We all pay taxes for 9-1-1 service, fire protection, and police protection fully hoping that we never have a medical emergency, a fire, or a crime committed against us to necessitate having to use those services personally. We support the animal shelter with our taxes, whether or not we own animals or even care about animal welfare. The list goes on and on. So I find it rather amusing to hear those living in the country complain about the possibility of having a library tax levied against them. I'm sure most of us who live in town would trade what we pay in taxes for the $45 fee for a library card that rural residents can pay now -- what a bargain. The argument that they live in the country and thus are less likely to use the service just doesn't wash. Many in town don't use the library either. But I can't imagine living in a town that didn't offer library services. It's one of those entities like public schools, an animal shelter, 911 service, etc., that enhances the quality of life of a community. But don't get me started on the airport -- a classic example of the many paying for the an amenity used by only a handful of people. We just don't need it or use it. If we need medical supplies like blood flown in or donated organs flown out to a transplantation center or a medivac flight for a critically injured person, that's what the hospital's helipad is for. If you're wealthy enough to have your own airplane, you should be expected to pay for your hobby yourself. "