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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2017.05.10 - 22915MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #17122 BY: Commissioners David Woodward, District #19; Marcia Gershenson, District #13; Helaine Zack, District #18; Janet Jackson, District #21; Gary McGillivray, District #20; Nancy Quarles, District #17; David Bowman, District #10 IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — OPPOSING PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP'S PROPOSED ELIMINATION OF FUNDING PROVIDED TO THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: WHEREAS Oakland County libraries are a vital and essential public resource that provide equal access to educational and recreational material and enrich the lives of all Oakland County residents; and WHEREAS the President's proposed 2018 budget outlining major cuts and the complete elimination of programs supporting library services will have a devastating impact on millions of Americans; and WHEREAS the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) provides critically important funding for our nation's libraries, especially those libraries for the visually and physically impaired; and WHEREAS the IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and approximately 35,000 museums of all disciplines, including aquariums, botanic gardens, children's museums, history, science and technology centers and zoos; and WHEREAS the IMLS provides vital resources that contribute significantly to Americans' economic development, education, health, and well-being whether by facilitating family learning and catalyzing community change or stimulating economic development through job training skills development; and WHEREAS in 2016, the IMLS received appropriations totaling $230 million, which accounts for almost 0.006 percent of the $4 trillion that the Congressional Budget Office projects that the federal government will spend in 2017 and 2018; and WHEREAS the IMLS has more than $214 million of their $230 million FY 2016 enacted budget which targets museums and libraries directly via their grant programs; and WHEREAS total elimination of LSTA funding from the IMLS as proposed in the President's 2018 budget would have a catastrophic impact on library services across Michigan; and WHEREAS the loss of federal funds would also create a loss of incentive for state appropriations, as the federal allocation depends upon a maintenance of effort in state appropriations; and WHEREAS according to the Michigan Department of Education, each year the Library of Michigan receives approximately $4.3 million of LSTA funds from the IMLS; and WHEREAS the American Library Association (ALA) President Julie Todaro's statement describes the range of services the LSTA funds.. ."The range of services provided to millions of Americans through LSTA grants is matched only by the creativity of the libraries that receive them: veterans transitioning to civilian life, small businesses seeking to expand their business online, summer reading programs, resources for blind and hearing impaired patrons, resume writing and job skills workshops and computer coding courses to teach youth 21st century job skills"; and WHEREAS the Rochester Hills Public Library houses such a service for the blind and hearing impaired, the Oakland Talking Book Service; and WHEREAS the Oakland Talking Book Service (OTBS) is a free service which loans talking books and magazines, large print books, Braille and talking book players to eligible Oakland County residents of all ages; and WHEREAS based upon the State Aid Report from the OTBS, $41,073 of 2016 State funding was awarded to the OTBS for continued services to the visually and physically impaired residents of Oakland County; and WHEREAS the Oakland County Board of Commissioners does not support the president's posturing through his budget proposals to deliver on his promise to "drain the swamp", eliminating vital resources to the American people that constitute not even 1% of the budget is the wrong message to send. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners recognize that the public services and programs provided by libraries and staff in Oakland County cannot be sustained without the funding support of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby opposes the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services funding as proposed by President Donald J. Trump's 2018 America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again Budget Proposal. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Oakland County Board of Commissioners calls upon the President of the United States to fully fund the Institute of Museum and Library Services, both immediately and in the future. Commissioner Marc Gershenson District #13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds is requested to forward copies of this adopted resolution to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Michigan congressional delegation, the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Governor of the State of Michigan, the State Senate Majority and Minority leaders, the State House Speaker and Minority leader, the State Superintendent of the Michigan Department of Education, the State Librarian at the Library of Michigan, the members of the Oakland County delegation to the Michigan Legislature, the Michigan Association of Counties, the Superintendent of Oakland Intermediate School District and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners' legislative lobbyists. Chairperson, I move the adoption of,the foregoing Resolution. Districr#1 9 21.1Z14.4-1_6i iitat. Commissioner laine Zack District #18 Commissioner av' Bowman District #1 0 Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Resolution #17122 May 10, 2017 The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no objections.