Library Board: An Attention-Grabbing Election
In the race for East Bonner County Library trustee candidates, we have two incumbents and two challengers. Normally, this would not be an attention-grabbing race, but this year is different.
We’ve just gone through more than a year of pandemic-related shutdowns and restrictions. Among the most draconic, no-exceptions-allowed were those of this library district. Completely depriving the public of access to a public building – supported by our property taxes – for many weeks, and relentlessly enforcing a mask mandate that is still in full force after some 15 months is something not even the Governor saw fit to do anywhere in Idaho.
Stories abound of people who depended on the library for physical access and were denied. Some questioned the rules and had their library cards cancelled. This is the definition of “tyrannical”, and the source of the tyranny is the current library board, two of whom are running for re-election. They unanimously voted to put these restrictions in place and keep them there.
For many months they have been aware of the upheaval their restrictions have caused, but complaints fell on deaf ears. Now, while campaigning, they “are looking into the data” to see if a change might be warranted. It’s a decision they could have made months ago by reading the local paper.
I am voting for the two challengers, Kathy Rose and Jalon Peters, who have given us straight answers about what they see as proper library management and representation for us citizens.
Chris Anderson
Sagle
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