Our friends at the “Brix and Trix” blog have run the numbers…and once again the City of Santa Ana has come up short. This time they compared the number of libraries in a number of cities versus their population. You guessed it – Santa Ana has the least number of libraries in the state, versus our large population. See the graphic above for more information.
Why is it that Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido and Santa Ana City Manager Dave Ream have ignored this issue for the past twenty years?
How much progress would the people of our city have made had the City maintained an adequate number of libraries throughout Pulido’s selfish career? Talk about a lost opportunity…
Agreed Art, its just like the schools, kids never get the chance to live a year over again and if they dont get the education or opportunity then they missed it. So much of what kids learn builds on what they learned the year before, if they dont get the lessons there is weakness in their foundation for adding more knowledge. Wonder why so many drop-pit or don’t go on to college? How can they if they didnt have the resources when they needed them?
Its time for the city and the schools to begin working together for the betterment of the whole community. Its time to give a new set of ideas a chance and end the incumbancy of the current elected leaders. Hopefully when their hired administrators don’t respond these new represeentatives will have the huevos to find competent ones that will.
Ha, I like that!
San Francisco is twice the size of Santa Ana in area and yet has over 10 times the amount of libraries.
What a goofball city council you guys have. Thankfully, I don’t live there.
Another interesting city by city comparison might be ratio of residents per acre of parks.
The registered voters of Santa Ana have the upper hand…..get out and VOTE to remove the blight named our city council.
Santa Ana residents have a constitutional right to speak our minds at every city council meeting..let’s overload the agenda with public speakers.
‘Goofball’ city council? I had some other four letter words choices in mind….
Do Libertarians support PUBLIC libraries?
what!!!,
In either case there is a social cost incurred. Santa Ana is rife with crime and decay. More libraries will help us help those who have the least to move up the social-economic ladder.
I have written a proposal for “micro-libraries” that will cost a fraction of the cost associated with regular libraries. And I am fairly certain we can get the business community involved in these projects to offset at least some of the cost.
The VP for the Libertarian Party’s presidential ticket, Wayne Root, is fond of saying that today’s Libertarians need to reach out to the suburbs. My interpretation of that is we need to be more open minded about concepts such as public libraries.
Go back through history and you will find that the earliest progenitors of democracy, the Greeks, as well as the Egyptians and the Romans all built vast libraries – sadly most of them were destroyed and their archives were lost. Imagine of all of those materials were still with us?
I like the micro-library idea. Here’s a sample contract Santa Ana could use…
LEASE AGREEMENT
This Agreement entered into this ______ day of _______________200_, by and between the City of ____, hereinafter referred to as the “City,” and ——, hereinafter referred to as the “Owner.”
Whereas, the Owner owns property located at ——, in the City of ____; and
Whereas, said property is presently vacant and not being utilized; and
Whereas, City in order to promote and preserve the public health, welfare and safety of the residents of the City, desires to provide areas of learning and quiet study; and
Whereas, both parties hereto join in this endeavor to make improvements on the property.
NOW, THEREFORE, City and Owner, for and in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants herein contained, agree as follows:
A. Description. The subject property is legally described in Exhibit “A,” attached hereto and made a part hereof.
B. Ownership. Owner represents that he is vested with full authority to enter into this Agreement.
C. Improvements. City at its own expense and responsibility will complete tenant [and property] improvements in the manner and amount City so determines. City, at its own expense, shall maintain the building, property, landscaping and said improvements.
Ownership of improvements installed on the property shall remain with the City. Upon termination of this Agreement, City shall have the right to immediately remove all such improvements without further notice to Owner.
D. Sale [or lease] of Property. Both parties acknowledge and agree that the subject property is presently for sale [or lease]. This Agreement shall in no manner limit or restrict Owner’s right or ability to sell or lease subject property at any time.
Owner shall have the right to place “For Sale/Lease” signs on the property in the manner provided by law.
E. Term. This Agreement shall be for an indefinite term and either party may terminate this Agreement at any time upon given thirty (30) day written notice to the other party to the last known mailing address of such party.
F. Hold Harmless. City shall hold Owner harmless from any claims, costs, or suits for bodily injury, personal injury or property damage arising from or as a result of use or activities on subject property during the term of this Agreement.
Owner shall defend, indemnify and hold City, its officers, and employees harmless from all claims, costs, or suits arising from hazardous materials or necessary remediation that may exist on the site whether such materials are over, in or under the ground.
Witness our signatures to this Agreement this day and year first written above.
CITY OF _______
By: _____________________________
City Manager
OWNER
By: ________________________________
Owner
Junior,
According to the Trust for Public Land, Santa Ana ranks far below the nation’s 50 largest cities in terms of acres of parkland per person. Oakland, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Sacramento, San Jose and Fresno all have between 3 and 10 times as much. Anaheim has nearly double.
The dearth of park and open space is well known among city officials. They’ve said they don’t have the money to create new parks.
The Renaissance Plan DOES envision the creation of several “pocket parks” in the downtown area.
Let’s take Art’s micro-library idea and apply it to pocket parks…there are plenty of small vacant/underused properties that are going to waste. The City doesn’t have to buy the properties…just enter into an agreement with the owner to use the land in the meantime. Costs are relatively minimal to plop down a small playground and a few benches to sit.
I wonder how Santa Ana compares to these other cities in the area of adult literacy rates. Perhaps the demand for libraries differs in relation to the literacy of a city’s residents?
I don’t see a connection between literacy and the number of libraries. For example, Fresno (and most of the Central Valley) has a low literacy rate, but they have 4 times as many libraries per resident than Santa Ana.
It’s more about political will.
Older than,
Blow off the dust from your backward old brain that still has a turn of the century point of view.
The purpose of libraries is to INCREASE LITERACY !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your statement indicates you are either a racist or shamefuly ignorant.
Older than is the type this current government caters to.
That is why Santa Ana has only one library.
what!!! –
This Libertarian does. Libraries fall under the heading of ‘teach a man to fish’ to me, but if librarians were teaching lesson plans, that would be a different story.
The cornerstone of Libertarianism is self improvement and libraries are very important to that end, and since Art’s micro-library proposal in particular involves donations from the private sector and citizens who want to build a better community together, I don’t have a problem with it and neither should any other Libertarians in my humble opinion.
The idea is to create a smaller, more efficient government, not to eliminate it entirely.
SMS
By the way, for sake of drawing a fair comparison between California’s libraries, I considered the Newhope Learning Center in Santa Ana a library. Also, some of the cities (Fresno, Modesto, Irvine) have their respective county run their libraries. Sacramento is a joint county-city operation.
Adding my agreement to the micro-libraries.
Check out what Los Angeles is doing with it’s miles and miles of unused, dirty alleyways. An unlikely place for mini-parks but it creates green space and sheds light in areas where crime thrives.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-outthere12-2008sep12,0,6220185.story
Art Lomeli, can you do a post without levying personal insults? It gets a little tiresome. If not, you need to attend charm school. By the way, last time I checked the turn of the century was about 8 years ago. Being connected to the progressive thinking of 2000 seems pretty reasonable to me. And where in the world did you get your statement of purpose for libraries? Justt made it up, I’ll bet. Or have you been inhaling at the office? For your education, here is the mission statement of the largest library system in the county:
Mission Statement of the Orange County Public Library
To open new worlds to our diverse communities through knowledgeable and friendly staff who are trained in the latest technologies and tools offered at our branches and through our website which will, in turn, enable our patrons to explore resources for leisure, learning, business, and community interaction.
Dr. Lorneli, I particularly liked the knowledgeable and friendly part, though you probably have trouble relating to both characteristics. Perhaps when you grow up.
In the meantime, may your stock market investments keep pace with the current trends —
Baddicus,
I don’t count the Newhope branch as the city itself doesn’t call it a library.
I am told that the rest of the cities in the County system won’t let Santa Ana, for obvious reasons.
It looks like we will have to go with our own micro-libraries and mini-parks!
Older than,
Excuse me, I meant the turn of 1900. Before 1900 and in the early 1900’s some cultures, local or forcefully brought to the U.S, by law were denied a education – to keep them illiterate. Your post suggests a literacy threshold where those below it do not deserve opportunities others have. Do you believe this for all cultures or just for some?
Calm down. The mission you stated says exactly what I said. Libraries are a resource for increasing literacy. Where does this mission statement you reference contradict what I said? Amongst other educational tools libraries have books . One reads books which results in literacy. What part do you not understand?
The personal insult is what you think of this city’s residents. I agree in return that your statements minimizing, marginalizing and offending the Hispanic community in Santa Ana is getting tiresome.
I just responded in kind to your statement. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
Explain what is progressive about your prior post? Do you define progressive by your interest in changing (lowering) the Hispanic presence in the city?
Based on your prior ignorant post, knowledgeable and friendly are not characteristics of you.
I don’t invest in the stock market. Try another harmful wish. You are in your twilight years , you should not be so nasty.
In view of some of the battling going on here about the subject of literacy I thought a definition of the term literacy might be useful. Recognizing that some view the on-line Wikepedia web site as a questionable source of authority, it was however the first thing to come up when I Googled the word literacy. So, here it is for those who wish to continue debating about whether libraries are a place to obtain literacy or a place where literacy is a required skill in order to utilize what libraries have to offer. Not to suspect, of course, this will result in peace and harmony on the subject here —
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.The traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write, or the ability to use language to read, write, listen, and speak[1]. In modern contexts, the word refers to reading and writing at a level adequate for communication, or at a level that lets one understand and communicate ideas in a literate society, so as to take part in that society. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has drafted the following definition: “‘Literacy’ is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning to enable an individual to achieve his or her goals, to develop his or her knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in the wider society.” In modern times, illiteracy is seen as a social problem to be solved through education.