Bid to stop linking library and care cuts (From The Oxford Times)
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Bid to stop linking library and care cuts
9:30am Tuesday 1st November 2011 in News
OXFORDSHIRE County Council will today debate whether library cuts should be linked to reductions being made to social care.
Last month, council leader Keith Mitchell labelled library campaigners “well-heeled worthies” in a letter to The Guardian newspaper. He criticised them for failing to understand that reducing cuts to libraries would mean more cuts for social care.
North Hinksey and Wytham councillor Janet Godden has tabled a motion at a meeting today for the two to stop being associated.
At the council’s budget in February, it was announced £37m would be saved by cutting social care and £2m by closing libraries.
The Lib Dem councillor will say: “The council is unconvinced by arguments that the comparatively small saving required in the libraries budget can only be met by further cuts to adult social care.
“Council asks Cabinet to stop associating savings in libraries budgets with further cuts to adult social care”
The meeting begins at County Hall, New Road, at 10am.
Comments(3)
Paddy Landau
says...
4:34pm Tue 1 Nov 11
The members of the Save Oxfordshire Libraries (SOL) group (representing the threatened libraries) have repeatedly stated that they are happy to work with the OCC to adjust to the required cuts, and that they are not campaigning against the library cuts.
Instead, the OCC has not worked with SOL and has presented an unworkable plan. Indeed, it was the OCC that unilaterally reduced the library cuts from 23% to 10%.
Surely the "Big Society" means that the OCC should work with the public instead of against it?
Tiger1ily
says...
11:16pm Tue 1 Nov 11
The truth is that the library campaign was supported by people right across the political spectrum, of all walks of life. Peter Hitchens took a leading role in it, and so did local teachers, vicars and librarians. I worked with friends who support Labour or the Libdems or the Greens because we all agreed on this issue.
There is no dilemma between libraries and social care because libraries ARE a form of social care.
Pundit says...
11:43am Tue 1 Nov 11