In his post today, Fort Boise takes exception to the close-minded view that at least one representative -- Coeur d'Alene's Rep. Kathy Sims -- has toward libraries:

SFGate picked up local AP reporter Kimberlee Kruesi's report on the doings of our legislature's Urban Renewal Agency Interim Committee. Betsy Russell covered the committee in detail, on her Eye on Boise blog yesterday. The unfortunate pull quote out of Betsy's concluding post, from Rep. Robert Anderst, R-Nampa:

“I’m comfortable with the way we’ve defined it right now. I don’t think anybody’s going to talk me into the idea that libraries are a great economic development tool. ... But I’m happy to continue to have the conversation as we go through the draft.”

Perhaps not insisting on how closed-minded you are might be useful? Coeur d'Alene's Rep. Kathy Sims (R, of course) agrees:

“I think everyone who has a computer has a library, and I know I’m working on mine every day.”

It turns out that just last week, when my internet connection to that "library" I access from my home computer was broken, and I used our local branch and the main library downtown, I was struck by the fact that most of the patrons were using computers or the like, most of which were part of the library's infrastructure. More here.

Question: Do you see anything wrong with urban renewal money being used to build libraries?

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