Sunday, October 25, 2009

Political Corruption

I'm talking about political corruption and graft. I'm talking about greedy people behaving badly, taking advantage of lots and lots of people who trusted them to be fair and honest.

We were wrong, folks. We should never have been so trusting.

What's going to happen now?

Honestly, I had nothing to do with it.

Sure, no sooner had I received my degree and could call myself a "real" librarian than the library world collapsed in on itself. Rockford Public Library announced that it would cut staff and hours by 25 to 30 % before 2010. Other libraries began slashing jobs and/or hours, mandating furloughs, and closing branch locations.

Believe me, it wasn't my fault.


I had absolutely nothing to do with the collapse of America's economy. Oh, sure, I did vote for some of those bozos who allowed it to happen, but I trusted in my elected officials to regulate financial markets and pevent unconscionable risk-taking by bankers and investment gurus. I trusted them.

And I was wrong.

I've never been wrong before. Yeah, I thought I was once, but it was only a mistake.

Wrong is wrong is wrong.

I'm beating myself up for allowing this to happen. I was so busy with school and having my attention diverted with wars and terrorist attacks and other such trivialities that I neglected to watch what was happening with the money: who was gettin rich by doing what.

That was not only a mistake, it was wrong.

I wasn't alone. No one else was watching what the thieves were doing, either. No one, that is, except the thieves and their cronies.

Because we weren't watching, my colleagues and I were blindsided when libraries began closing and/or curtailing services and/or laying off people.

And, when we were told by Rockford Public Library adminitrators that 30 staff would be cut before the end of the year, we were shocked, traumatized, and left with few viable options.