Don't Cut New York's Libraries Petition Comments by Assemblymember

NAME	ASSEMBLYPERSON	COMMENTS
Janet Cassidy	Ball	People need libraries more than ever, to search for jobs, use the Internet, find tax info, etc.
Laurie Sarracco	Ball	We use the library 2 times a week. Now that the economy is so bad it has gotten much busier!
Sarah	Ball	Save the library! They are a great resource!!
Katalina Estrada	Ball	Please save intelligence.
NAME	ASSEMBLYPERSON	COMMENTS
Diana B. Stern	Cahill	In Woodstock, we are busier than ever. Please help us preserve good library service.
Ann Sarrantonio	Cahill	Please do not cut the hearts out of our communities by cutting library funding!
Jennifer Lee Fowler	Cahill	Please act now to protect these vital resources in our communities!
Nancy Graham	Cahill	As we shift to a more sustainable economy based on human need and not corporate profit, our library system will be ever more essential to the health of the cultural commons and the development of an informed citizenry. Please vote for dollars for libraries.
Faith Johnson	Cahill	Libraries should not be cut!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Teresa L. Genovese	Cahill	PLEASE DO NOT CUT FUNDING TO LIBRARIES!!!! They are at the heart of a democratic nation and America needs them more than ever. Help America and its citizens by providing support to our public libraries. No other country in the world has such a developed public library system-one of the things that makes our country so great. Thank you for your time and consideration; may you hear us loudly!
Karl Beard	Cahill	We all understand that the State is in a terrible budget crunch, and that serious cuts must be made. But to many people, the local library is the only source for ESL training, educational resources for children, internet access, and an essential part to their learning and job search. Cutting at the state level only shifts the burden to equally-strapped municipalities. Please limit state cuts to libraries.
Sondra Giordano	Cahill	Please vote to help our libraries.
Leslie Pereira	Cahill	As the distance between the haves and the have nots increases institutions like the public library are essential for people with limited financial resources to gain access to education and information so that we have a society with diverse participation.
Allan Podell	Cahill	A society without libraries is an illiterate society. Illiterate societies cannot succeed.
Sheldon Zimbler	Cahill	Support our library- loss of funds will equate with lower school grades and additional crime- Like the auto commercial of AAMCO- do it now or it will cost us later!
Bruce Drake	Cahill	Please do what you can
Daniel Werbalowsky	Cahill	Cutting money for libraries is counterproductive and solves nothing.
Kevin Healy	Cahill	Please help keep our libraries open.
Margaret Human	Cahill	The need for public amenities rises during a depression.
Lindsey Oliva	Cahill	Taking away educational resources for our children...what do you think is going to become of our future?
Shelley Wyant	Cahill	Please do not cut the funding for our library, the heart of our community
Deborah Askue	Cahill	The library system has been crucial for our whole family
Kathi Frank	Cahill	I use my library in Stone Ridge on a weekly basis, I use inter library loans quite a bit also. Please help to fund libraries for all.
Nina Shengold	Cahill	The free public library is one of the best ideas this country ever had. Keep our libraries funded!
Catherine Elliott	Cahill	As my income has been cut and my taxes rise, I have been forced to cut luxuries such as the Internet. I have started to access the library again for the first time since I was a child.
Elaine M. Laflamme	Cahill	The library in my hometown played an integral part in shaping me into the adult I am today. That institution allowed me to dream, roam the world and find answers to questions ranging from silly to sublime. Give our kids the same opportunity.
Hadley Ordway	Cahill	We need our public libraries they are a big positive for the community. The library provides resources for people who would not have access to certain books and computers. The local public libraries also have activities for the community.
Susan Kahl	Cahill	We need our libraries. They are crucial to the community.
Kaete Brittin Shaw	Cahill	Our library provides a multitude of opportunities and services for all ages from preschool to the elderly. Without it there would be a huge hole in the heart of our community.
Kristin Flynn	Cahill	I use our Stone Ridge, NY library every week. It is right in the heart of town and used every day by children, young adults, adults and seniors. It is a vital resource in our community. I am a teacher and often go to the public library for source material to use in my classes at the local community college.
Leslie Pereira	Cahill	Public libraries are the heart of our local communities. They are essential in helping all citizens have equal access to educational resources from books to journals to the internet. If we are to have a rich society we must protect and preserve avenues of access for all citizens!!!
Gerald Lindo jr	Cahill	My library is an essential part of this community &the staff is most proficient. To cut funding would hinder the less fortunate & deny them educational opportunities, not provided on weekends & after school.
James Hoover	Cahill	The library systems such as MHLS are so important to small libraries and the communities they serve.
Zachary Spalding	Cahill	Some of my best memories growing up were my mother taking me to the Library. I just hope that the libraries will still be around and have the same great services for my new born son.
John A Giralico	Cahill	More than ever, with these difficult times, libraries offer so much to people and are such an integral part of the community.
Raymond Smith	Cahill	They should not do such a thing!!
Jordan Parker	Cahill	I respectfully ask the Legislature not to cut funding for Libraries. They are a priceless treasure and resource in every community. Any funding that goes to them brings back a Windfall in benefits to each community in the form of education, culture, and the arts. I would like my tax dollars to support these activities gotten by use of the libraries. Thank you for your consideration. Jordan Parker High Falls, NY
Caroline Snyder	Cahill	I think the Library IS an essential part of our community!
Tonia Champ-Doran	Cahill	Economic boon or bust -- a visit to your local library leaves one feeling richer...
Linda Tantillo	Cahill	As the economy weakens, the value and use of libraries increases, both to help people find jobs and other resources and to help them save money.
Laurie Shedrick	Cahill	Please consider the added burden that libraries shoulder during difficult economic times and not cut the budget for library services.
Sandra E. Bartlett	Cahill	I see more and more people using the library as a place to find books, movies, information, and community. Especially in this time of economic crisis, the last thing that should be cut is funding for libraries.
Michelle Higgins	Cahill	I use the library every week as does my 12 year old, more than the internet or any other source of information. Budget cuts to libraries are unnecessary and aimed at organizations that do not have the lobbyists to fight back. I am appalled at the actions of Governor Paterson, for whom I have such high regard.
Allen D. Ross, AIA, NCARB	Cahill	The public library system is one of the greatest achievements of our society, serving all equally, and adding value and integrity to our communities. I fully support the library system and oppose any funding cuts. Supporting the library system is at the top of my list of important issues for my elected representatives to address. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding my position.
Denise Orzo	Cahill	The library is a fantastic amenity for all people and helps to bridge the gap of education caused by economic privilege. All people should have access to information for learning and bettering oneself as well as for the leisure that can be enjoyed by the resources of the library system. When I enter the library, I feel the limits of possibility shed. My monetary income is irrelevant at the library. Public funds should be generously allocated to insure the citizens of our country have exposure to opportunity the library system provides. Please do not cut funding to the library. Thank You.
Louis Roper	Cahill	Cuts to libraries, medical care, and education are counter-productive.
Jay Scott Morgan	Cahill	Our libraries are our greatest resource for the smallest cost per taxpayer; to cut funding is to diminish opportunities for those who have the fewest personal means at their disposal, such as computers, the internet, money for books, magazines, newspapers. A truly self-defeating proposal.
Tara Dupont	Cahill	Libraries are important to the community. Please do everything you can to avoid cutting necessary funding to our libraries. Thank you
Philip Gurrieri	Cahill	Sometimes I feel that our taxes should go into an escrow fund held up until our county sues the state & then the state must sue the federal government.......... Today we find our government responsible to the corporation & the corporation responsible to the PUBLIC: Elliot Spitzer, where are you; we truly need you as Federal Attorney General! We are in the midst of a corporate coupe! The non-funding of Libraries is akin to book burning!
Christine Wolcott	Cahill	Please keep funding for local libraries. Our library system is superb, one of the best in the country, and many thousands of people benefit greatly from its services. DO NOT CUT FUNDING FOR LIBRARIES WHEN THERE ARE MANY OTHER LESS IMPORTANT SERVICES THAT COULD BE REDUCED/ELIMINATED.
Debbie Fuoco	Cahill	The Ulster County Library and staff have been a huge help and resource during my job search due to the downsizing of the major corporation I previously worked for.
Renee Brotman	Cahill	The importance of our library cannot be underestimated. The library must be considered vital, just after the police and fire departments
Franklin W. Desser	Cahill	ADD MONIES TO LIBRARIES NOT CUT !!!
Michelle Spark	Cahill	Our small town library provides unparalleled services for the community. Please do not cut $$ to the Library Systems.
Douglas Gerrity	Cahill	Cut state spending in the Albany not in the community.
Roberta Forest	Cahill	Public library access is especially important in this time of shrinking economic resources.
Kimberly Whelan	Cahill	Please do not cut anymore aide to educational items. Our children are our future and schools, libraries and sports are vital to their overall growth.
Cathrine Shiga-Gattullo	Cahill	The library is a vital part of our community.
Matthew Gattullo	Cahill	We need the libraries for literacy, kid’s activities and almost limitless informational resources.
George Gattullo	Cahill	Libraries serve as the town centers of today, a safe gathering place for older adults, teens, and stay-at-home moms.
Gary Hittmeyer	Cahill	Libraries are important!
Louise Pedrick	Cahill	Our libraries are treasures not to be discarded by the wayside. Education is so important and we need our community room events at the libraries more now than before. Please do not tax or cut funds for our much needed libraries. Thank you.
Michael Drummond	Cahill	This petition states that the proposed cut reduces funding to 1993 levels. Adjusting for inflation, the cut leaves less than half of that funding level.
Anne A. Davis	Cahill	Libraries are a significant community resource, available to all. Please continue your support.
Mary Ann Shepard	Cahill	Save our Libraries!
NAME	ASSEMBLYPERSON	COMMENTS
Jean Ehnebuske	Galef	Please support fair funding for libraries so they can maintain the vital services your constituents rely on.
P. Donald Haney	Galef	Our libraries are becoming the "whipping boys" for all of the budget problems. Please do something to help us.
Carolyn	Galef	We LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the library, especially in these tough financial times. It is so good to feel great about something our tax dollars fund!!! More libraries, less beauracracies!
Maureen McGrath	Galef	Libraries are more in demand than ever! Our programs at the Butterfield Library are filling to capacity and the library is packed everyday with circulation going through the roof! We need to offer these services especially in the current environment!
Susan Kotzur	Galef	Our library is being used by parents and their young children, senior persons and every age in the middle. A cut in library services of this magnitude at this time of financial upheaval would be a disservice to all the patrons. Thank you
Roseann Kelly	Galef	Please give great consideration to keeping our library budget line uncut.......libraries need to be funded even more in time such as these......
Julie Sills	Galef	At this time of financial difficulty, people need access to our public libraries now more than ever.
Paula Sims	Galef	I love my library, and make donations. When I was unemployed and my son was a toddler, I depended on my library for the abundance of books and videos to enrich his preschool education. Libraries are also green- they recycle their products over and over and over! They are good for the earth.
NAME	ASSEMBLYPERSON	COMMENTS
Kathy Turan	Gordon	Our Library is a wonderful and very important resource for this community. We need to give them more resources NOT LESS!
Sylvain Nagler	Gordon	In a time of such national crisis, our public libraries stand out as a beacon for residents who need the kind of information that libraries are expert in providing. Please allow them to prosper and serve their communities. Sylvain Nagler
Claudine Serazio-West	Gordon	A Library is a very important part of any community. Now is not the time to cut the many services offered to children and adults by libraries in NYS. There is real wasteful spending out there-find that, and allow the library to continue to benefit our local families.
John Cooley	Gordon	I use the Mid Hudson Library System all the time for books and audiotapes. Please do not cut back on these vital services.
Cynthia Czarnecki	Gordon	Public Libraries are the only resource for all. Now is not the time to limit vital information resources.
John Grover	Gordon	The Kinderhook Library is one of the finest and most useful institutions in our community. And, the services that the Mid-Hudson Library System provides makes the local libraries much more effective. Cutting library funding is incredibly foolish.
Julie Kabat	Gordon	As a frequent user of the library and a trustee of the North Chatham Free Library, I see on a daily basis how positive the role of the library is in educating and serving the public, building community, and fostering a sense of citizenship as well as a lifelong love of reading and books.
Bob Elmendorf	Gordon	The unemployed need this resource, our children need it, our retirees need it.
Janice Eisen	Gordon	Libraries are an essential resource for families, children, elderly and anyone seeking information. The worse the economy is, the more we need education and information.
Chris DeRoller	Gordon	Democracy functions well only with an informed public. Libraries are instrumental in providing objective information and resources to make this happen. I want my tax money going to libraries - not to campaign literature.
Pamela Phillips-Malcolm	Gordon	Our democracy has been eviscerated by corporate greed and lobbyists. Public libraries are one of the few vestiges of democracy in this county and are needed more now than ever -- please do not allow them to be penalized by our social and economic failures
Mark Hamrick	Gordon	At this time when educating the future generation is utmost in importance, we should cut somewhere else. Libraries should be better funded!
NAME	ASSEMBLYPERSON	COMMENTS
Janie Greenwald	Lopez	Funding the library is funding our future.
Douglas G Berg	Lopez	Everyone understands all too well the need for belt tightening, but targeting our libraries seems counterproductive. Please use your voice to shift the proposals to more forward thinking. Respectfully, Douglas G. Berg, Greenville
Katie Cokinos	Lopez	In times of economic downturn - a community needs its public library more than ever. Please think again about the cuts you are considering.
LEIGH ANN WAGOR	Lopez	Please do not close especially the smaller libraries because that is the only way some people can have access to the internet or books.
Stephanie Bassler	Lopez	Libraries are reporting increased use of all kinds of library-based services. Now is NOT the time to cut funding for this vital community resource.
Amanda Wolfson	Lopez	We love our library! It is the center of our community.
Dennis A. Murphy	Lopez	The Public Library is an invaluable resource for the community and should not be short changed.
Erica Freudenberger	Lopez	At a time when library use is skyrocketing due to the economic downturn, it is counterproductive to cut library funding.
Pamela Marks	Lopez	My family uses the library every week. As the economy is making it hard to purchase books we are using the library much more. I have a family of Lopez people and we all love to read .Please do not cut funding.
Kay Abraham	Lopez	Now more than ever libraries serve the population that is hardest pressed in the economic turndown.
June Bain	Lopez	Libraries are struggling but it will take more than shortages of money to make us quit. Do not cut the budget.
Janie Greenwald	Lopez	The library system is one of the building blocks of democracy. It is the ONLY institution that helps to level the playing field for all.
Jayne Cosh	Lopez	This is so not fair! I'm only 12 but I love to read and can't always afford books! My library means a lot to me.
Sheila Brady	Lopez	Please, take the time to recognize the importance of the library to the citizens in each of the communities you represent. It is one way to insure access to books and resources to all age levels.
Robert Auger	Lopez	People who do not have any money need libraries. Also those people who do not have computers.
Adam Davis	Lopez	Help our libraries, please.
Brian Millard	Lopez	In difficult financial times, our libraries provide valuable resources to our communities which would otherwise be unavailable. This particularly hurts the poor, the working class, children, job-seekers, and those who self -educate. Now is a time to invest in our libraries, not to impoverish our communities. Our libraries do so much with so little, but how much could they do for all of us with just a little bit MORE (instead of less) .
Laura Sodders	Lopez	The library is an integral part of my life as a resource, in print, multimedia and online. Its cost, shared with the local community, is repaid many times over with the services provided by the librarians. They are truly dedicated to their jobs and their communities.
NAME	ASSEMBLYPERSON	COMMENTS
Nathaniel Smith	Miller	Libraries level the playing field across socioeconomic fault lines. They are indispensable for an informed citizenry.
Gabe Roy	Miller	I clearly understand the enormous stress on NYS due to the huge deficits. Libraries may seem non-critical, but in reality, they provide a very cost effective resource for folks who need to relax, learn, and improve their lives. Thank you.
Karl Loatman	Miller	NYS Tax Dept. saves Millions at the expense of local libraries telling everyone to get their forms off of computers at their public libraries. They got some nerve to shift the burden onto us! Karl Loatman, Trustee, LaGrange Association Library, Poughkeepsie, NY
Paul M. Lenci	Miller	Libraries are more important to people than ever in the current crisis. To cut funding would be tantamount to turning our backs on people when they need us the most. Please work hard to maintain all library funding.
Matt Pfisterer	Miller	Please restore funding to NYS libraries. We take them for granted in prosperous economic times but we need them now more than ever.
Allison Withers	Miller	Cuts in library funding will have a profound effect on my life. The library keeps me connected in myriad ways.
Virginia Marcus	Miller	Libraries are a vital part of any community, and are more important than ever in these tough economic times. Please consider other options before reducing library funding.
Elizabeth Devine	Miller	It is more important now than ever-- please do not vote for this HUGE Library cut.
Frances Macek	Miller	Please do not support the cut in library funding
Alison Abbruzzese	Miller	It is absolutely shameful that this can happen at a time where the economic downfall is hitting people who depend on the library for research, reading materials, and educational materials that are otherwise not part of a household budget these days. Why not try cutting your staff back or maybe use your personal car to get around rather than using taxpayers money for the car and the gas and possible the chauffeur.
Sue Osterhoudt	Miller	Please support our libraries and library system. In tough economic times their use soars. Thank you, Sue Osterhoudt
	Miller	The library is essential for an educated and informed public. Cut the budgets of the politically correct, but NON-EFFECTIVE, depts.
Susan Birchman	Miller	In this economy, I cannot even think of buying books or magazines. Please do not cut library funding and take away the one thing that gives me solace in these crazy times- my public library.
Audrey Willis	Miller	Please do your best to lessen these destructive cuts, in a time when "free" services are needed by the people of the state. Thank you for your consideration of this.
Dorrie Hillery	Miller	When times are hard it is downright foolish and stupid to cut funding for education and libraries. We will end up with a disadvantaged, unequipped work force and in deeper problems with less of a way out. Why not tax the most wealthy? Why not raise taxes on cigarettes and liquor? Why punish the elderly, the youth, and the literate?
Robert Ulrich	Miller	Please do all you can to keep the Mid-Hudson Library System intact! They are doing a great job and need all the support we can provide. Regards, Bob Ulrich
Amanda McAlpin	Miller	The library system in NY is a model of beneficial spending, providing positive alternatives to so much that is negative and readily available should libraries materials become less accessible. As a parent, I understand how important it is to provide public access to libraries for children as a balance for what the media and etc. has to offer. Reducing library funding seems like a step backwards for our society. Please reconsider this plan.
Thomas Tait III	Miller	I have been a card carrying member of the library since I was a child...We need to keep them going for generations to come...
Leslie Colburn	Miller	I could never afford to keep myself in books! I have used the library since I was 12 years old and this is an invaluable service they provide! Please don't take a penny away!
Lillian Moerschell	Miller	Although I have a computer, many people do not and need the library to use computers. I often borrow books.
Evelyn Barosin	Miller	Newspapers are closing. Many people do not have computers as a source for information. TV and radio selects what is considered news. or lacks the information required.
PAMELA WOLVEN	Miller	Libraries have already been cut and over the years waited for the increases that were approved. We have already been working with less and giving more and more. In these times libraries need to be there to serve the public. How would that young student have been able to contact the President without the library???
Grace Haack	Miller	Please do not cut our library aid! Libraries are there for the people!
Judy Lee	Miller	I have been a librarian for over 30 years and oppose any more cuts to the Library budget. Libraries are more important than ever in this economic downturn and should have more funding -not less.
Maria Lozada	Miller	An $18M cut in Library aid is unfair. So much is being eliminated in our lives - what are bureaucrats thinking?
Andrew Tokash	Miller	Libraries are a free resource to everyone in the community. Books provide education and entertainment. Libraries also provide free computer time. Do no cut funding!
Mary Anne Deik	Miller	Please keep libraries strong and growing and serving our communities!
William J. Joel	Miller	Libraries are a valued resource to our communities, now more than ever given the state of our fiscal affairs. Please help to re-instate funding to our libraries.
Cynthia Snyder	Miller	The more difficult the economy becomes, the greater the need for library services. People hit hardest by the downturn are the ones who will need it the most. This is not the time to cut expenditures by cutting the library budget.
Sabrina Tarantino	Miller	The library is too valuable a community resource to lose and that is just what would happen if the libraries had to start charging due to a cut back.
Charles Cappillino	Miller	Being a new member of the library system, I would hate to see this community goal mine destroyed.
Erica Taylor	Miller	I love the Mid-Hudson Library system. It is one of our greatest resources and I would hate to see the Library diminished in any way. Instead I think they deserve more funding for all the great programs and resources they provide.
Neal Tanner	Miller	The NYS Library system DOES NOT need a budget cut. They provide excellent services on a minimal enough budget as it is. If their budget is cut, it will simply force yet another local increase in property taxes, to maintain their services.
Andrea Rich	Miller	The value of the library system is incalculable
John C Eisenhuth	Miller	Make the Governor promise to trim the State Budget and not the Library Budget.
NAME	ASSEMBLYPERSON	COMMENTS
Lena Smolon	Molinaro	Libraries are not a luxury.
Carol Gilbert Sacks	Molinaro	Good public libraries, like good public schools, are the foundation of democracy, because anyone can use them and learn and grow regardless of age, sex, nationality, socio-economic status, religion or anything else. Now more than ever, when so many people have so few resources, libraries must be supported fully.
Ann Baldwin	Molinaro	The Roe Jan Library is used significantly by disadvantaged people. They use the computers and research books much more than other people. To decrease the funding, would make it more difficult for these persons to look for jobs, find training programs and funding sources.
Lori Mozny	Molinaro	Keep the libraries...They are a great place to go with my kids and learn all kinds of new and interesting stuff. If something should happen to the libraries, where are the kids going to go?
Mary Bowen	Molinaro	Small town are dependent on help to keep them open, they offer several services for our community such as a senior citizens day and storytelling for our children. I have borrowed thousands of books from my library and I would be lost without as I am an avid reader.
Carol Phillips Ewin	Molinaro	As an employee of a library, I can attest to increased usage during these difficult times. Our libraries are more important than ever for job seekers, families, and regular patrons. We understand the critical economic situation, but we have not had any increased funding since 1993 and cannot withstand any decrease without curbing our current hours, staff, programming and lending practices. Please hear our voice!
Maureen Mullaney	Molinaro	Cutting the library funding is counterproductive and would have a tremendous negative impact on our community. Before any cuts are made, I urge you to carefully consider the harsh ramifications of your decision, and I strongly recommend you visit our library on any given day at any given time. You will find the majority of our community members utilize, and even depend upon, the library daily. At these difficult economic times, PLEASE do not cut funding to a library that provides programs and resources to those of us who otherwise could not afford them.
Charlotte Shutts	Molinaro	We need lots of money for our new library!!Roeliff Jansen Community Library
Judith Papo	Molinaro	The libraries are vital to the health of our communities. Please keep their funding steady so they can continue to function at their current levels. Our library is more than just a loaning facility--it is a home for continuing education for all ages and a social center as well.
Rosemarie Holsopple	Molinaro	The money for our Libraries are greatly needed. Libraries are not just for books anymore. We are important to the public!
Heather Dennis	Molinaro	I love our library. It would not be possible for my children to access so much information if it were not for this free service. We use the library for DVDs, books, and music constantly! Please do not limit this as we not only use it for education, but also as a tool to save money in this tumbling economy.
Merribeth Advocate	Molinaro	Library Systems help individuals and communities save money by facilitating resource sharing. Flat funding doesn't take into account the growing demand for these cost saving services.
Arlene Christensen	Molinaro	Libraries need funding now!! Please reinstate the $18 million dollar cut in library aid.
Sara Schepis	Molinaro	Libraries support communities!
Joan Kay	Molinaro	Libraries are needed now more than ever before! They are a source of valuable information for everyone from school children doing reports to consumers evaluating products to the unemployed looking for jobs. They provide entertainment for everyone from toddlers attending story times to adults participating in book discussion groups. There are no other places within our communities that provide so much to all at such little cost per capita.
Marguerite Hill	Molinaro	In these hard times, taxpayers need some relief. It seems everything around us is being cut and we have to make up the difference either monetary or giving up something.
Dacie Kershaw	Molinaro	The most important thing we need in times of financial crisis is our library.
Kevin Lippert	Molinaro	The Kinderhook Library is an extraordinary blessing to our community, the essential cultural nexus, and an important piece of architecture, I hope you will be able to preserve its place, collection, and services even in these difficult budgetary times.
Heidi Wolfe	Molinaro	Our family regularly uses our library and its online services. Please do not cut their budget!!
Laurie Duncan	Molinaro	What would the world be without libraries?
Nancy N. Rogers	Molinaro	Our library is busier each day. People are looking for job information, books, CDs and DVDs. Many cannot spend what they formerly did on entertainment or educational materials. Please do not cut our budgets again.
Kathleen Montross	Molinaro	Public libraries are the foundation of a democracy, providing the opportunity for all citizens to access books, newspapers, magazines and the Internet. Usage has increased during this difficult financial period, so it is unconscionable to consider cutting funding to the library now. I trust that I will see my state legislators effectively oppose the proposed cut to library funding.
Brenda Adams	Molinaro	In these times the demand for library services is greater than ever; tax documents, free internet service for job searches, literacy programs, books, DVDs, and other materials and programs. Please restore the proposed budget cuts.
Elizabeth Scigliano	Molinaro	During a recession, library budgets must be increased not decreased. There has been a tremendous increase in circulation and in library use during the past year, and it will only increase. Please support the libraries we need so badly at this time.
Celia Bland	Molinaro	As the economy falls, we need libraries more often and for more basic services. Go to the local libraries and they are full of patrons, educating themselves in one way or another. Please find the money to keep them open and providing these necessary services.
	Molinaro	The Red Hook Library, to me, every time I use it, strikes me as a valuable use of Taxpayer money---especially the marvelous inter-library circulation system. How about cutting the top-heavy administration at our schools, or the overlapping layers of village, town, county, state departments of ...
William A. Meier	Molinaro	In tough economic times money must be spent, not cut, in highly specific areas. This is one of them.
Pauline Herr	Molinaro	Both public and school libraries are imperative to the health and education of our communities.
Brian Slocum	Molinaro	At a time when many people are strapped financially, outlets like libraries and parks are essential for the well being of the citizens both rich and poor. Please consider this in your decision making, Thank You
Andrew Makebish	Molinaro	I use the library all the time for my students. It is an amazing place and its inter-library loan system is outstanding. It is a place that is for the benefit and use of all and it is a sad reflection on our society if we neglect such a valuable institution.
Timothy Tulloch	Molinaro	Libraries operate on a shoestring now. Maintain current funding levels please!
Patricia Schlecht	Molinaro	It is not the time to cut free public services that are tailored to all citizens and age groups!
NAME	ASSEMBLYPERSON	COMMENTS
Dennis Davis	Skartados	Libraries are information tools. There must be other things we can live without besides reducing funding for the Mid Hudson Library System.
Sheila Caraway	Skartados	The Library is my place to go and explore new things. I bring my kids and inspire them to enjoy a life of reading as well.
Isabel Quinones	Skartados	You should not do that. We love the libraries. We go there a lot.
Judith Oberheim	Skartados	Do Not cut funding to libraries. If you must make cuts.....start with State Employees Salaries and Benefits; just as the Profit World does!
Joan Scimeca	Skartados	It is extremely important not to cut spending on libraries.