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We love the smell of books. The aroma of the pages change over time; new books have a crisp smell, while middle aged books, stained with fingerprints, are only just beginning to gain that musty aroma. Old books, though they may be fragile, smell like knowledge, like adventure, like time. Breathe deeply when you open a book, and if you don't have any allergies, you'll come up with a sense of where it may take you.
No place smells exactly like a library. It's here that entire communities store their accumulated history, sometimes in the reference section, sometimes in the nonfiction section. Though it's quiet, every now and then you can hear a kid's laughter as they rifle through popup books in the children's section, or the rushed breath of a teenager who's just discovered what may be his favorite science fiction novel (at least, for that week.) An elderly couple may be sitting near the back, both reading magazines or newspapers. Near the computers, you can see a group of varied people surf the web, checking social networking sites or looking for a job or researching genealogy.
It's with these scenes in mind that we at the Southwest Daily News have decided to come out in support of the entire Calcasieu Parish Public Library system, and we urge the community to vote YES on May 2 for the library's millage renewal.
Operations at the Calcasieu Parish Public Library are funded through an ad valorem property tax, renewed every 10 years. This tax constitutes almost the entirety of the library's funding: 93 percent comes from local taxpayers, while the state legislature typically counts for three percent (though with the looming budget deficit, that may be reduced.) Library fines from overdue books, fees, grants and donations make up four percent of the library's funding.
We're asking voters to vote YES on the ballot on May 2, the library's operating millage at 5.99 mills. Annual cost to homeowners is covered under homestead exemption, meaning that no tax will be taken on the first $75,000 of a home's value. Homeowners with a home valued at $100,000 would pay $14.98 a year, or $1.25 a month (about the cost of two candy bars.) Homes valued at $200,000 would pay $74.88 a year, or $6.24 a month (about the cost of a value meal at a fast food restaurant.) Business owners with property valued at $250,000 would pay $149.75 a year, or about $12.48 a month (the cost of a movie ticket and large popcorn), while business owners with property valued at $600,000 would pay $359.40, or $29.95 a month (or about the same as DSL internet service.)
The Calcasieu Parish Public Library system is a fixture in the Lake Area community. Voting YES on the millage renewal on May 2 allows local taxpayers to make a commitment to literacy, to community, and to the preserving of our shared history. We urge you to vote YES.
We love the smell of books. The aroma of the pages change over time; new books have a crisp smell, while middle aged books, stained with fingerprints, are only just beginning to gain that musty aroma. Old books, though they may be fragile, smell like knowledge, like adventure, like time. Breathe deeply when you open a book, and if you don't have any allergies, you'll come up with a sense of where it may take you.
No place smells exactly like a library. It's here that entire communities store their accumulated history, sometimes in the reference section, sometimes in the nonfiction section. Though it's quiet, every now and then you can hear a kid's laughter as they rifle through popup books in the children's section, or the rushed breath of a teenager who's just discovered what may be his favorite science fiction novel (at least, for that week.) An elderly couple may be sitting near the back, both reading magazines or newspapers. Near the computers, you can see a group of varied people surf the web, checking social networking sites or looking for a job or researching genealogy.
It's with these scenes in mind that we at the Southwest Daily News have decided to come out in support of the entire Calcasieu Parish Public Library system, and we urge the community to vote YES on May 2 for the library's millage renewal.
Operations at the Calcasieu Parish Public Library are funded through an ad valorem property tax, renewed every 10 years. This tax constitutes almost the entirety of the library's funding: 93 percent comes from local taxpayers, while the state legislature typically counts for three percent (though with the looming budget deficit, that may be reduced.) Library fines from overdue books, fees, grants and donations make up four percent of the library's funding.
We're asking voters to vote YES on the ballot on May 2, the library's operating millage at 5.99 mills. Annual cost to homeowners is covered under homestead exemption, meaning that no tax will be taken on the first $75,000 of a home's value. Homeowners with a home valued at $100,000 would pay $14.98 a year, or $1.25 a month (about the cost of two candy bars.) Homes valued at $200,000 would pay $74.88 a year, or $6.24 a month (about the cost of a value meal at a fast food restaurant.) Business owners with property valued at $250,000 would pay $149.75 a year, or about $12.48 a month (the cost of a movie ticket and large popcorn), while business owners with property valued at $600,000 would pay $359.40, or $29.95 a month (or about the same as DSL internet service.)
The Calcasieu Parish Public Library system is a fixture in the Lake Area community. Voting YES on the millage renewal on May 2 allows local taxpayers to make a commitment to literacy, to community, and to the preserving of our shared history. We urge you to vote YES.
