Many states are facing major budget deficits and are looking at drastic ways to cut government spending. Wisconsin seems to be experiencing some of the greatest problems with state workers facing salary and benefit cuts as well as their right to collective bargaining.

Texas is also facing a meg-dollar deficit and many of the schools are facing draconian cuts. They are considering salary cuts for teachers as well as the elimination of many positions and programs. Even librarians and libraries are on the chopping block. It’s hard for me to imagine a school with no librarian or library. I guess the internet has become the primary source for the written word and we have Goggle rather than a librarian. It just seems impossible that the library may no longer be the center or nucleus for the dissemination of knowledge. All this seems like a science fiction story I once read where a man wished away his body parts because he didn’t think they were essential. First he started with his legs, then arms, and so on, until there was nothing left. Maybe this is just a process of evolution in which our society evolves to nothing.

My daughter has been a high school librarian for years and is even on a state committee that selects books for high school libraries. She has made books and reading exciting for the students. Now after years of hard work, all this is in jeopardy. Thanks to all the glutinous entitlement programs and also to Governor Rick Perry (Texas Gadhafi) for sucking the life blood out of our society. There is simply nothing more important than teachers and the education of our children, even our health care and many of the welfare programs. As education diminishes so does our life blood and the very element that makes us grow and advance in society.

Several years ago a library was started in our community. A primary source of funding for the library was a 1/2 cent sales tax on items purchased in our community. A citizen of the community, I know, is against all taxes and is also a person who has read few, if any books in his life. He was greatly opposed to the library and said. “we don’t need no lie-berrie in this town.” He was right, we didn’t need a library for him. You have to be able to read first. Maybe it’s best to just keep everybody behind a plow and the women pregnant.

It’s good to be retired and hiding on the porch. I may put locks on my book shelves because book burning may be next after closure of the libraries.