The Knight Life by Keith Knight for September 03, 2011

As the parents of two children in a local public elementary school we, like so many others, learned long ago that the “Dog Days” of August bring with them the opportunity to subsidize the education-funding portion of our quarterly state income tax payments and the not-inconsiderable portion of our county property taxes dedicated, at least nominally, to the same purpose. It would seem that with all of those funds, the school district we are in would be awash with money, which makes us all the more confused as to why, each year, they ask for a “contribution” of $10-$15 per student to help defray the costs of … school supplies. That is in addition, not in lieu, of the school supply list per child that, annually, exceeds the entire amount we spent on similar things in college and graduate school.

Of course, what can you expect from a county where the county library director sees our public libraries as nothing more than “library service stations”? Minneapolis Star Tribune, on-line, September 1, 2011: [Washington County, Minnesota] Library director Pat Conley said Sunday and Monday hours would be eliminated at all county libraries next year. … If cities don’t like the closings, said Conley, they are free to open their own libraries. For example, Marine on St. Croix is planning to operate a small library staffed by volunteers, next to their new county library kiosk. “Library service stations, I call them,” Conley said.

Library service stations? School supplies paid for 4x? What the hell happened to people? (For those inclined to respond, by all means feel free to do so, but my question is rhetorical.) Keef – as usual, you are right on the money (pun weak, but intentional).