Houston Mayor Annise Parker was forced to cut $75 million from next year’s budget, but she's also demanding city departments track down some of the $921 million the city is owed.
That figure includes $300 million in traffic fines, but also an amazing $11.2 in library fines.
Houston libraries were cut $3.3 million in next year's budget; so much money they had to lay off 20 percent of their neighborhood library staff. Just collecting a third of the outstanding fines would have made that unnecessary.
What's worse is most of the big bills are for stuff that was never returned and now can't be replaced.
The city says it's getting tough with people who owe the city money, but just how tough can a library get?
Sure, they cut off borrowing privileges once your bill gets to $25, but for the worst offenders it probably wouldn't matter. Most of the top 10 library delinquents walked with dozens of books or movies in just a few days before the library could cut them off.
Two guys who owe $2,200 apiece in library fines listed their addresses as drug treatment centers for the homeless, and they're not there anymore. They both have spent time in the Harris County Jail since they racked up their fines. In fact, five of the worst library delinquents have jail records -- only one for a library-related charge, he allegedly took a laptop and never returned it.
Another of the top 10 is dead.
The bottom line is none of them are likely to pay up, despite orders from Mayor Parker to get tough and get the cash.
I stop by that library several times a month. It's fun to know you were once one of those kids always hanging around the entrance. :)
ReplyDelete