The Laguna Library Question

India Hynes, GLBGOP Board Member

(As seen in Stu News Laguna, July 5, 2022)

There was an email that went out from George Weiss regarding the status of the library. Instead of taking the time and getting answers on the use of the library, they rushed to vote and decide on a long-term deal for an antiquated concept. George and a few others on the council agreed to give millions a year to Orange County for library services, which sounds like bad math to me. This is a money loser. 

Where was the analysis as far as out of the 23,000 residents how many of those residents go to the library, how many times a month, a year? What is the cost per resident and is there better use for that money? 

Why not be forward thinking? Digital media takes a lot less room than books. How many of the books have not been checked out for say five or 10 years? Should they still be there? Is there less space this library can use? Be more efficient? 

I did see that 147,000 visits occurred, what services are they using? I wanted to see the library for myself and when I was there to take a look (I have not been in that library since the ‘90s), four homeless people were napping in the chairs. When I asked how this can be, they replied that there is nothing they can do. 

Last I checked, we Lagunans spend a lot of money with the ASL in the canyon, the Friendship Shelter, some of our local hotels with vouchers, Mission Hospital (is now drop-off of homeless from other areas), Rehab Center and now the Library? Is that what the millions spent is being used for?

To pretend this is at all safe for kids, teenagers doing homework or really old people, it is not. This Residents First group that George Weiss created, is actually Residents last. Please connect the dots folks, this guy is bad for Laguna.