You Get What You Pay For
NPR reports: Massachusetts Town Locks Doors on Public Library.
After the voters in Hamden, Massachusetts refused to raise their property taxes to cover costs, the town has slashed services and closed the local library. The library had remained open during two world wars and the Depression, but it was unable to survive the current tax structure.
As the Federal government has transferred costs to the states, the states have transferred costs down to the local governments. If the local governments are unable to fund the costs of the programs, the programs have to be cut. As many programs are funded by matching funds, these cuts are often much larger than they appear on the local budget.
