Readers respond to Councilwomen Gwen Hauck’s Ridiculous Ridgewood Library Comment
“It is an expensive department, but it’s not near as expensive as the police department and fire department. I would like it to be up there in that same echelon,” Hauck said
Really.
So you want the library budget in the same echelon as a 24/7 365 days a year department budget to include state and federal mandated training and equipment.
The library also benefits from private funding through the Friends of the Library organization and the Library Foundation, Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck said. But, according to Hauck, the library should be shouldered by the village.
“It is an expensive department, but it’s not near as expensive as the police department and fire department. I would like it to be up there in that same echelon,” Hauck said.
Duh? Are you friggin’ kidding me? Earth calling Gwenn, Earth calling Gwenn, come in please Gwenn! Police and fire operate 24/7/365 with specialized equipment and personnel. Including state and federal mandated training ?
Funny isn’t it. Loads of talk from Village Hall about shared services and using the County services when possible but no talk at all about combining municipal libraries and getting rid of some administrative overhead in the process. We could easily combine with HoHoKus, Midland Park, and Glen Rock, could we not?
Noble as libraries have been over the years, it’s hard to justify increasing public funding for Ridgewood’s. Such is the price we pay for past extravagances. As for Mrs. Hauck, she should probably keep her head down and steer clear of any other potential conflicts of interest at the taxpayers’ expense. In advance of the predictable counterpoint – I’ll concede that her advocating for another of her personal crusades is “legal” but it just continues to look bad.
Any of these name look familiar?
Library Board of Trustees
John Johansen
President
Elisa R. Legg
Vice-President
Arlene Sarappo
Secretary
Gail Campbell
Treasurer
James Mazzo
John Saraceno
Jayne Schroeder
Gwenn Hauck
Village Council
Paul Aronsohn
Mayor
Linda Diorio
Superintendent’s Delegate
Dr. Daniel Fishbein
Superintendent of Schools
2013 – 2014 Directors
Betsy Giordano, President
Shoshana Feiner, Vice-President/Sec
Stephen Petrick, Treasurer
Marie Bicks
Tony Damiano
Catherine Donnelly
Kathleen M. Entwistle
Janet Fricke
Kathleen Gatens
Paul Goldberg
Jeffrey Karpf
Helen Kim
Cara Murray
Anne Ramsey
Rahul Sharma
Melanie Stern
Associate Directors
Glenn F. Jorgensen, Founding President
Harlen Coben
Dan Cummings
Elia Desruisseaux
Thomas Dougherty
Josh Grunat
Jacque Harlow
Gwenn Hauck ****
Phyllis Heilborn
Teresa Hutchins
Michele Lenhard
William J. Meakem
Barbara Moreira
Ellen Quinn
Joan Popkin
Deborah Primiano
Albert Pucciarelli *****
Fred Strype
Well if your house is on Fire don’t call 911 call the Library. They will rent you a DVD on how to put it out..
Technology is evolving at such a rate that we will eventually no longer have libraries in the physical books and brick and mortar sense that we know of them today. This probably sounds unthinkable, and I hear the arguments that libraries do a lot more than loan books, but it will simply come down to a continual lessening of library usage and economics. The only reason they will remain operational as long as they will is due to political resistance and a misguided hankering for community spirit.
Funny, no talk about shared service when it comes to our Library or consolation for that fact.
Since when was volunteering and civic duty a bad thing for someone serving on our Council ? These are the type of people we want on the Council. Amazing slime job by blowhards on this blog, wow. What does the paid fire department have to do with the library #1 ?
Don’t worry they will get their increase. We will have a wonderful Library we just can’t get there with all the pothole, leaves and Christmas trees in the way.
It is difficult to set aside your private interests when spending public funds. Wait till she votes on Valley.
#4 is correct. I’m sure she reword her statement if given the opportunity but the keyboard pussies on this blog never miss an opportunity to pile on.
perhaps you should go back to counting quarters
She embaresses herself and the well- intended volunteer she seeks to support. She shows disrespect for law enforcement and public safety. Police and fire are municipal basics. Amazing how a sitting public official is so mis-informed…after almost three years.
#4 – There is a big difference between volunteering and knowing how to manage or even understand a municipal budget. Mrs. Hauck is a long time community volunteer that brings a passion for the Library as she is a long time volunteer there. Unfortunately however, comments like this one shine a bright light on her lack of experience in making difficult budget decisions. Community volunteers are a wonderful asset yet the act of volunteering itself does not qualify one to sit on the Council.
Mr. Albano’s profile is very similar to Mrs. Hauck’s. He is a long time volunteer with a passion for a single organization but not much municipal experience beyond that. Please consider that on May 13.
Oh my yet another blunder from Mrs Hauck.