Our state representative thinks libraries should rely on wealthy patrons like Andrew Carnegie for their funding. He fears raising the gas tax because it might be diverted to libraries. But he has nothing against libraries, he says.
The surprising comments came in an interview with the Pocahontas Record-Democrat published this week. Shaw had been asked about the possibility of increasing the gasoline tax due to the poor condition of many Iowa roads, and bridges.
Shaw expressed opposition to hiking the gas tax, fearing it may be diverted to other causes. To explain his fear, Shaw said gambling money was supposed to go to infrastructure, but "It was spent on libraries."
"We've got to get back to identifying what our needs are, and what our wants are," Shaw said to the Record-Democrat. "For libraries, I've got two words: Andrew Carnegie."
The Andrew Carnegie Foundation indeed financed the construction of the original library in Laurens, shown above. Such grants have not been awarded for 93 years. Other grants remain available, including the Gates Foundation grants which help libraries connect to the internet.
Closer to home the Pocahontas County Foundation granted money just this week to local libraries. This is indeed gambling money awarded to the county by the legislature. Again the money is going mostly to computer purchases. These grants are only a small part of the library budgets. Similar grants were given to Laurens and Pocahontas police departments for computers.
It would appear to be impossible for gasoline tax money to be spent on anything but the road system, because a 1942 amendment to the Iowa Constitution restricts money collected for the Road Use Trust Fund.
Shaw appears to say libraries are not really needed. If you want a good local library, ask some tycoon to fund it for you. Maybe that will work for the road system, too.
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