There are a lot of choices we will make on November 6th, but there is one that will improve the quality of life for all Fairfax residents, and it is not subject to competing politicians or last minute veto.

The authorization to issue $25 million of bonds to improve three public libraries and relocate one will result in changes that we can see, feel and enjoy. The John Marshall Community Library and Pohick and Tysons-Pimmitt Regional libraries will be renovated and brought up to current standards for modern libraries by upgrading building systems, computer access, and energy efficiency. In addition, quiet and group study areas will be added along with conference space. Improvements to building systems will save on energy costs, and enhancements to study areas and conference space will benefit everyone from students to researchers to anyone who wants to learn something new. In addition to upgrading these three libraries, $10 million of the bond issue will be dedicated to relocating the Reston Regional Library. The current Reston Library building, located just north of Reston Town Center, is in an area slated for redevelopment, and bond funds will be used for site studies, design and construction once a new site is identified.

Residents of Fairfax County need look no further than the Martha Washington Library in the Alexandria section of the county or the Richard Byrd Library in Springfield to see concrete results from past bond issues. The renovations to these facilities dramatically changed the library experience by offering a brighter, more functional building to better meet the needs of library users. In addition, they are LEED certified, a peer-reviewed process to validate a decrease in construction costs while reducing negative environmental impacts and improving the health and well-being of library employees and users.

The value of our 22 libraries is reflected in the nearly 6 million visits made last year. And our libraries do much more than check out books or DVDs. They are used for everything from club and community meetings to education. Stop by any of our libraries after school and see how many children are reading, receiving homework help, or being tutored by one of hundreds of volunteers. Many of our libraries are literally bursting at the seams and the improvements the bond issue will provide will greatly lower the strain.

Fairfax County enjoys a triple-A rating from both Moody's and Standard and Poor which translates into lower interest costs for bonds and a savings to taxpayers. The triple-A rating also reflects the judicious use of borrowing by the county and a prudent financial management policy designed to protect the triple-A rating. And there is payback to all residents when these libraries are renovated: when they enter a brighter and more functional building which meets their needs, whether to check out a book, hold a meeting or do some research.


Sincerely,

Chris and Rich Peterson
Members of the Friends of the Richard Byrd Library
Residents of Fairfax County

Voting "Yes" on November 6th!

Was in the Chantilly regional library((don't like Fairfax City, too many homeless nut jobs)end of the bus line) on Sunday. Man that place was like a cave. Noticed about 5 overhead lights were out.

but the biddies who run the libraries love rearranging sh8t. Seems like every other month the branches I frequent they've rearrange sh8t. they got too much time on their hands. Please give them more money so they get overwhelmed with new materials. I know the bond has nothing to do with that.

There is a shift from the paper books to on the computer. Make the libraries recreation centers with computers and coffee. Like an internet cafe. Most people do not read paper books anymore. I did not make that up.

"There is a shift from the paper books to on the computer. Make the libraries recreation centers with computers and coffee. Like an internet cafe. Most people do not read paper books anymore. I did not make that up."

I know that why wouldn't you think I wouldn't know that

secret government plan is to get everyone staying in their homes all the time then taking over the streets

it'll be 1984 all over again wait, what?

voting for bond referendums is not voting for the project, you are voting whether to use general revenue from the budget, or to fund it with deficit spending.

Don't keep falling for this trick. Local governments have balanced budget requirements, so the only way to spend more than they take in is to hold referendums.

You are voting "YES" to allow the county to sell municipal bonds (debt) to pay for the project, or "NO" to force the county to balance its budget and only spend money they have on hand from tax revenue.

Supporting the library and allowing the county to take on more debt are not the same thing. You can vote no, tell the county to spend only the money they have, and still support the libraries.

Sure, OP, let's all vote "Yes" for fiscal irresponsibility.

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today is hardly a proper philosophical basis for responsible government.

"PETERSON ","CHRISTOPHER ","S","046"," ","NO FIXED "," "," "," ","10/17/2007","DRUNK IN PUBLIC OR PROFANE "
"PETERSON ","CHRISTOPHER ","S","046"," ","NO FIXED "," "," "," ","10/17/2007","DRUNK IN PUBLIC OR PROFANE "
"PETERSON ","CHRISTOPHER ","S","046"," ","NO FIXED "," "," "," ","10/17/2007","PT LARC-OTHER "
"PETERSON ","CHRISTOPHER ","S","047"," ","NO FIXED "," "," "," ","05/15/2008","DRUNK IN PUBLIC OR PROFANE "




"PETERSON ","RICHARD ","A","075"," 9404","BRIAN JOE ","LA","GREAT FALLS ","VA","03/09/2008","FAIL OBEY HWY SIGN "

Libraries in Fairfax County have become places homeless preverts surf the web for porn and day care facilities for illegal Mexicans to drop their kids off to run around all day. I'll vote NO on all these fricking bonds and try and restore some fiscal sanity to this once great county. Libraries are the 1990's. Cheaper to give the poor laptops and pay for their (low speed) Internet access and close the libraries down.

VOTE NO

Chris and Rich Peterson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are a lot of choices we will make on
> November 6th, but there is one that will improve
> the quality of life for all Fairfax residents, and
> it is not subject to competing politicians or last
> minute veto.
>

What about the 75% of county residents that haven't been to a library in years? You know, because its 2012 and libraries are largely irrelevant.

How does it improve our quality of life?

Its 2012, not 1985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chris and Rich Peterson Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There are a lot of choices we will make on
> > November 6th, but there is one that will
> improve
> > the quality of life for all Fairfax residents,
> and
> > it is not subject to competing politicians or
> last
> > minute veto.
> >
>
> What about the 75% of county residents that
> haven't been to a library in years? You know,
> because its 2012 and libraries are largely
> irrelevant.
>
> How does it improve our quality of life?


It doesn't matter. BOND REFERENDUMS are not LIBRARY REFERENDUMS, they are a vote on whether to use debt or cash-on-hand to PAY for libraries.

If you like libraries, you can still tell the county that you would prefer they use funds from tax revenue rather than selling bonds that require interest payments and paying back the bondholders who invest in them for profit.

Pay now, or pay later. It isn't about approving of library improvements.

Why are people so easily confused about the nature of a bond referendum?

This nonprofit - Friends of the Richard Byrd Library - is a nonprofit in existence since 1956 but does not appear to have any IRS filings in Guidestar. Zero transparency.

Tea party blind spot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> voting for bond referendums is not voting for the
> project, you are voting whether to use general
> revenue from the budget, or to fund it with
> deficit spending.
>
> Don't keep falling for this trick. Local
> governments have balanced budget requirements, so
> the only way to spend more than they take in is to
> hold referendums.
>
> You are voting "YES" to allow the county to sell
> municipal bonds (debt) to pay for the project, or
> "NO" to force the county to balance its budget and
> only spend money they have on hand from tax
> revenue.
>
> Supporting the library and allowing the county to
> take on more debt are not the same thing. You can
> vote no, tell the county to spend only the money
> they have, and still support the libraries.

Ssshhh....logic won't work on liberals who are addicted to spending other people's money. They really are worse then crack whores.

It Doesn't matter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its 2012, not 1985 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Chris and Rich Peterson Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > There are a lot of choices we will make on
> > > November 6th, but there is one that will
> > improve
> > > the quality of life for all Fairfax
> residents,
> > and
> > > it is not subject to competing politicians or
> > last
> > > minute veto.
> > >
> >
> > What about the 75% of county residents that
> > haven't been to a library in years? You know,
> > because its 2012 and libraries are largely
> > irrelevant.
> >
> > How does it improve our quality of life?
>
>
> It doesn't matter. BOND REFERENDUMS are not
> LIBRARY REFERENDUMS, they are a vote on whether to
> use debt or cash-on-hand to PAY for libraries.
>
> If you like libraries, you can still tell the
> county that you would prefer they use funds from
> tax revenue rather than selling bonds that require
> interest payments and paying back the bondholders
> who invest in them for profit.
>
> Pay now, or pay later. It isn't about approving
> of library improvements.
>
> Why are people so easily confused about the nature
> of a bond referendum?


Whether it is directly or not, it still is really. The only difference is whether we pay "cash" or put it on the "credit card." Having that credit line available can be a good and bad thing. It lets you finance necessary high-cost activities, but it also makes it very easy to spend a lot more than you might otherwise on things that aren't necessary.

We need to move more of this kind of stuff back to the more visible side of the ledger to force more scrutiny over spending. They put parks and libraries, etc., up for bond referendums because they know that 9 out of 10 times people will approve them just because it says parks or library and they can spend that same money elsewhere. Can't keep doing that. We're not too bad here (yet) but you can see the effects in plenty of other places.

They should redevelop the Reston Library site and allow a high-rise office building to be built with the top two stories of the 34-story building devoted to the new and improved library. This way, the deadbeats who hog the computers all day will be too embarrassed to enter the building.

Mac Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tea party blind spot Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > voting for bond referendums is not voting for
> the
> > project, you are voting whether to use general
> > revenue from the budget, or to fund it with
> > deficit spending.
> >
>
> Ssshhh....logic won't work on liberals who are
> addicted to spending other people's money. They
> really are worse then crack whores.


I hate to break it to you, but this is not something only liberals fall for every election cycle. All of the tea party sympathizers I know always vote yes on bond referendums, and are impervious to my explanations about what they actually voted yes for.

Everyone is susceptible to cognitive dissonance -- they voted yes because they feel good about schools or libraries. I tell them they didn't vote yes for the schools but yes for adding debt spending to the equation. They get mad and say I'm against schools.

It's not a liberal thing, it's a thing that all people who don't think too well do.

Newsflash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> It's not a liberal thing, it's a thing that all
> people who don't think too well do.

Bonds pass like 70% to 30%. I'm afraid you are right.

I vote and I vote NO on all bonds. Let my taxes pay for these things.

stephen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I vote and I vote NO on all bonds. Let my taxes
> pay for these things.

Yep...they want to pay for something, pay for it w/o having to sell a bond to finance it.

Last time I was in my local library they had reduced the reference section by half and had cut the non-fiction by probably about 25%, all so they could increase space available for DVDs, popular fiction, foreign language materials and internet computer stations. Talked with one of the librarians and she said that was the trend in most Fairfax libraries. Maybe that is where the demand is, but it makes libraries far less relevant to the rest of us.

Newsflash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> It's not a liberal thing, it's a thing that all
> people who don't think too well do.

I first started noticing almost blind support for bonds in the 1970s, and quite often it was from Republicans. As one told me he wasn't planning on still being in Fairfax when the bonds came due. What seems to have changed is the tollerance for what we will use bonds for.

I'm all for moving the Reston library away from the homeless shelter. Why do they have to hang out there? Can't they just get some old computers in the shelter?

Clue Clucks Clam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Libraries in Fairfax County have become places
> homeless preverts surf the web for porn and day
> care facilities for illegal Mexicans to drop their
> kids off to run around all day. I'll vote NO on
> all these fricking bonds and try and restore some
> fiscal sanity to this once great county.
> Libraries are the 1990's. Cheaper to give the
> poor laptops and pay for their (low speed)
> Internet access and close the libraries down.

+1

@Fax, Clue - yeah, I could see how you would vote to avoid education. Check it out - it's the pro-ignorance lobby LoLz

@everybody else who's human - these bonds are NOTHING to us, aint gonna cost us more than pennies.

Tysons and Rose Hill libraries are straight out the Eighties - dunno what all that bullshit was about coffee bars and whatnot, but I DO know that all the bond is gonna do is make those two libraries upgraded like Kings Park or Fairfax City.

And Reston's library? Well, if you dont start the process to move it now, it's just GOING TO COST US MORE MONEY IN THE FUTURE.

Gordon Blvd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @Fax, Clue - yeah, I could see how you would vote
> to avoid education. Check it out - it's the
> pro-ignorance lobby LoLz
>
> @everybody else who's human - these bonds are
> NOTHING to us, aint gonna cost us more than
> pennies.
>
> Tysons and Rose Hill libraries are straight out
> the Eighties - dunno what all that bullshit was
> about coffee bars and whatnot, but I DO know that
> all the bond is gonna do is make those two
> libraries upgraded like Kings Park or Fairfax
> City.
>
> And Reston's library? Well, if you dont start the
> process to move it now, it's just GOING TO COST US
> MORE MONEY IN THE FUTURE.

the more you shop, the more you save.

spend yourself rich Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>

and dance yrself clean.........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K93UlRJlzMs