I have no opinion about whether this library is a good or bad idea. I donāt like the schemes of suburban developers ā but with all the liquor stores and pot dispensaries everywhere, a library isnāt the worst thing in the world to build. But more importantly, I donāt like the nasty and inappropriate personal tone of this article. I have known Rona Kobell for years and know for a fact that she is an honest, hardworking, talented journalist and author who has never been and would never be any politicianās spokesperson. To imply otherwise, without offering a shred of evidence, is bizarre and disgusting.
You're sharp to pick up on that. Very good point. It's not at all usual. I'm not saying it's never been done anywhere but this is not normally. How libraries are built. Normally the county buys the land or it's donated and then they build a building and then they maintain it. Kathy klausmeier pointed out very correctly that this adds tens of millions of dollars in unanticipated cost potentially to the county in the future. On top of that there's two libraries not very far from that place. Okay one is 5 mi away. The other one is 6 mi away. It's not an area that needs a library. It's a developer that needs something to make his development more attractive to the consumer. The County government should not be in the business of helping one developer over the others. It makes me wonder how much money this developer has donated to the marks and Patoka campaigns.
I havenāt followed Kobellās reporting trajectory at the Banner, but I find it repugnant a developer who will extract from the community would position a library - community good - in this manner.
Arenāt building naming rights good enough for wealthy developers, or is the legacy concept created under the countryās industrialists too old fashioned?
I have no opinion about whether this library is a good or bad idea. I donāt like the schemes of suburban developers ā but with all the liquor stores and pot dispensaries everywhere, a library isnāt the worst thing in the world to build. But more importantly, I donāt like the nasty and inappropriate personal tone of this article. I have known Rona Kobell for years and know for a fact that she is an honest, hardworking, talented journalist and author who has never been and would never be any politicianās spokesperson. To imply otherwise, without offering a shred of evidence, is bizarre and disgusting.
Has this method of financing a library branch been done in the past, either in Baltimore County or elsewhere?
You're sharp to pick up on that. Very good point. It's not at all usual. I'm not saying it's never been done anywhere but this is not normally. How libraries are built. Normally the county buys the land or it's donated and then they build a building and then they maintain it. Kathy klausmeier pointed out very correctly that this adds tens of millions of dollars in unanticipated cost potentially to the county in the future. On top of that there's two libraries not very far from that place. Okay one is 5 mi away. The other one is 6 mi away. It's not an area that needs a library. It's a developer that needs something to make his development more attractive to the consumer. The County government should not be in the business of helping one developer over the others. It makes me wonder how much money this developer has donated to the marks and Patoka campaigns.
I havenāt followed Kobellās reporting trajectory at the Banner, but I find it repugnant a developer who will extract from the community would position a library - community good - in this manner.
Arenāt building naming rights good enough for wealthy developers, or is the legacy concept created under the countryās industrialists too old fashioned?