Escondido Neighbors United An alliance of engaged residents working for the benefit of rural, urban, and natural communities in the Escondido Area.

August 11, 2017 Mayor Sam Abed and City Council 201 N. Broadway Escondido, CA Via Email RE: Request to Council to OPPOSE outsourcing library services Dear Mayor and City Council: Escondido Neighbors United (ENU) strongly urges you to follow the unanimous recommendation of your Library Trustees and oppose outsourcing of our library services. Outsourcing would further undermine public confidence in you as guardians and leaders of our city and would fully undermine any possibility of a new library for which many of you have stated your support. The Council should be mindful of significant unintended consequences of such a misguided move. There is no need to outsource our valued public employees or our library services. Privatization of public services like libraries usually occurs when a government is in such serious financial condition that it is a choice of either outsource or close. Escondido is not in that situation. Further, the current library runs below the amount of funds allocated to it and requires a small fraction of the city’s entire budget. A public library that is well-run and accountable to the public is an appropriate use of tax dollars. Government is different than business. The fundamental criteria of service or ‘success’ is significantly different. A business seeks to make a profit. A government should seek to serve the community it represents. Unlike businesses, government should expect to have areas that do not ‘turn a profit’ or fully fund themselves. That is why we pay taxes. In Escondido, we want our taxes to go toward a quality library, fully transparent to the public, and all funds stay in the region—all of which we have now. If you contract with LS&S, none of these things will be true. LS&S has made a weak proposal and is not a good fit for our community. The LS&S proposal and, as a result, the ‘cost-benefit’ analysis are lacking in specificity and data. They merely offer some generic statements and propose a monthly lump sum without any indication of where those public funds will be appropriated. For example, how much for staffing? At what rate? What mix of skilled professional and trainees will be employed? How are funds that are not spent in a month or on library materials used? Are they returned to the city? Or, kept by the corporation?

Escondido Neighbors United

[email protected]

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The only detail is that the library will be open for 60 hours a week. But, how will it be staffed and by whom? What will happen to programs? Will programs and current presenters be contractually obligated to remain the same? How could we increase or add programs? Related to the contract, what protection do we have against raising charges? What is the contract term? How can we get out of it? Are there guarantees of service, qualified employees? And last, but most importantly, how much of our public tax dollars will be paid for their profits? Without knowing these and other details, there is no way to know if this proposal is worth the cost or, even, what we are receiving for our money. Cost-benefit analysis fails to analyze benefits, alternatives, or unintended consequences. The ‘cost-benefit analysis’ isn’t one. If it can be called anything it is merely a ‘cost-effectiveness analysis’, looking only at proposed direct costs. The benefits of the current library are nowhere to be found. As just one example, the costs of loss of public library volunteers (valued as 14 FTE per year) and public donations must be assessed. The loss of highly skilled, long-term librarians, in both the short and long term, is a reduction in quality that is not analyzed. Further, it does not evaluate other options, such as joining the County Library system. If the goal was being open 60 hours, the current library directors have already indicated they will meet that goal without outsourcing. Last, it does not evaluate the loss of community support for any future effort to build a new library. This should be of major concern to you. Escondido should learn from others experiences. Many communities and former employees have railed at LS&S for a wide variety of reasons. Former Ashland, Oregon Mayor Cathy Shaw stated, "Thirty cents of every dollar goes to the profits of the corporation that wants to get as much out of the county and taxpayers as possible." A budget committee member Edwin Budge said, "There are 9,000 communities that say they wouldn't touch LS&S with a 10-foot pole."1 One website, the Glass Door, has many relevant posts from former LS&S workers. “Toxic company culture”, “Stay far away”, and “Poor leadership, horrible pay” are a few standouts— these should be warnings to you. All users are stakeholders. ENU’s members include both members living in the city and in the Escondido ‘sphere of influence’. Both are important tax-payers and stakeholders in the community. Residents in the city’s sphere-of-influence also use the library, donate to its operation, pay sales taxes in Escondido, support businesses in Escondido, and are impacted by the decisions of the city council. Their positions should also be considered.

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http://www.mailtribune.com/news/20160512/jackson-county-library-contractor-takes-heat

Escondido Neighbors United

[email protected]

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Libraries build communities. A library is more than a department or ‘expense’. It is an investment, in people and in a community. It is part of what makes a city either great or in decline. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions reminds us, "An important role of the public library is providing a focus for cultural and artistic development in the community and helping to shape and support the cultural identity of the community." A private corporation based in another state cannot do this. One last question, what does Escondido stand for? Your answer is key to the kind of city we will become. Please vote no on any outsourcing for our last, remaining library. Thank you for your consideration, Sincerely, Doreen Reagle Jean Gilchrist Ron Forster Cecille Ghandhi Beverly Kilman Elizabeth White Laura Hunter Ernie Alvarez Tina Iki Heidi Paul Kate Orf The Brown Family Cc. Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, District 3

Escondido Neighbors United

[email protected]

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