I have a 2004 Chevrolet. It is not luxurious. It is not sexy. But it is perfectly functional. Now supposing I could get a bigger, fancier car paid for by others?
Which brings us to the Brookfield Library. This is somebody’s vanity project masquerading as a public benefit. What would benefit me and my family more would be fiscal sanity. Since becoming a taxpayer in Brookfield in 2003, my property taxes have nearly doubled.
Now we are being asked to willingly subsidize a new library when the one we have is perfectly acceptable for all possible needs and requests. And it would require the permanent closure of a public street.
What galls me are the baseless platitudes that accompany this money grab. To wit: How a new library is essential for the reputation of Brookfield. How we have outgrown the current space.
The quality of a village is not predicated on the square footage of the library. And make no mistake, every taxpayer in Brookfield will be paying for the whims of a minority who are heavy users of the library.
The proposed monstrosity is completely out of place in Brookfield, a village filled with decent, hard-working people who aren’t bedazzled by the trappings of luxury; who neither need nor require opulent public spaces.
I never have had a problem with the library as currently constructed and I never will.
I encourage all voters to vote no on the new Brookfield library and yes to common sense and fiscal responsibility.
Matt Corradino
Brookfield
