Back in their 2016 Budget the Ball Liberal Government tried to shut down 54 libraries and pulled back when they realized how important libraries were to the citizens (taxpayers) of this province.
A study paid for with our tax dollars costing $1,000,000 dollars was awarded to Ernst and Young and to this day I don’t know if any of their recommendations have been implemented as it seemed the minister of Education for the day, Dale Kirby didn’t make a comment of the recommendations of the report.
Fast forward to April 1, 2019, I bought in a new book which cost me $32.95 to donate to the library, instead of being given a tax receipt for $32.95, I was told by the administrative staff that the policy for tax receipts had changed and now I would be receiving a tax receipt of $10. A DVD for which I paid $24.95 and would have received a receipt for that amount would now see the library send me a $2 receipt.
The staff had been given no warning that this was going to be implemented and off course it is them which will bear the brunt of dissatisfaction from library patrons not the Minister of Education Al Hawkins, or his staff safely hidden away in the Confederation Building.
The full donation agreement can be found at the front desk of any library in the province.
My concern is why weren’t we given an advance notification that this policy was to be implemented? Don’t the powers (oxymoron) realize that this policy will substantially decrease the number of new books that will be donated to the library. Most people won't bother and will give the books/dvds to thrift stores or sell on line.
How much money is this policy saving the Newfoundland and Labrador government, enough to pay for another study to decide if this is the way to proceed? Why was this new policy implemented?
Why do we not hear from Ball Liberal government when they make bad decisions but they are all over the place when they have a new firetruck to give to a community?
Is it too much to ask that someone will respond to this letter and explain why this new policy took place on April Fools Day?
Anna Penney,
St. John's
RELATED
