Tightening Our Belts While Broadening Our Appeal

[Bill Michtom <michtom@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>]

> October 23 - 24 ACRL WA/OR Joint Conference: Tightening Our Belts > While Broadening Our Appeal
- from the PNLA Web site's events listings
Ms. Oberst:

Though I don't know if this conference title was your idea, you are the
contact person, so I am directing this missive to you.

I am appalled by this title. We are encouraging the spread of the Big
Lie being so successfully perpetrated on the public: that there is no
money available for government spending or social programs. This is just
not true. There is more and more money being drained from the many and
shifted to the hands of the very few. 

Librarians should not be a part of this mythology. By using this title,
we are endorsing it rather than fighting it at every turn.

As a resident of Portland, I find this especially insulting, as we have
recently had our library hours cut in half by the perpetrators - and the
believers - of this lie.

Let's stop giving people the rope to hang ourselves and create
conferences that speak truth to power.

Thanks for listening.

Bill
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Bill Michtom                         email:  michtom@alexia.lis.uiuc
1110 SW Clay, #34                    home:   503 916-4102
Portland, OR  97201                  fax:    503 916-4590
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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin
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