pinkdome.com: Converting Libraries to Prisons: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

[Guest guest]

http://www.pinkdome.com/ (Pink Dome: The Texas Capitol building is pink)

 

Converting Libraries to Prisons: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

 

The Texas Legislature will most likely cut funding to about 680

libraries this session. Librarians rallied on the steps of the Capitol

a couple of weeks ago, but you probably didn't see it or read about

it. I had a hard time finding any coverage. Texas currently ranks 46th

in the nation on library funding.

 

What we do rank high on is prison population. Depending on where you

read it (and you should ask Grits For Breakfast for the actual fact),

Texas prisons are between 95 and 99 percent capacity.

 

So, instead of having these big old buildings all over the place

filled with books and periodicals, converting them to prisons is an

obvious answer. These spaces could relieve the pressure on the Texas

Prison System with minimal effort and expense to the state.

 

In addition, the long term and recurring cost savings of cutting

public libraries completely from the state budget would offset initial

conversion costs of these facilities and realize a cost savings within

a few short years

 

Damn, we are so smart. It's not even 9 a.m. and we've solved two state

problems. Who gives a shit about books anyway? We like putting people

in the pokey. We're kinda confident we'll see a lot of the folks we

are used to seeeing in the Pink Dome today we'll be seeing behind bars

pretty soon.