The Nazarenes Are Coming! The Nazarenes Are Coming!
By raincoasterHuh: If this were in the Bible Belt, you’d think people would welcome it as good news!
Unfortunately, they are coming for your library privileges.
Seven year old Dominick Philip took part in a promotional photo session for the local newspaper, promoting the Nazareth Library, where he is known to be something of a regular. Sadly, it turns out that Dominick is an illegal alien intellect, hailing from nearby Tatamy, presumably home of wisdom-thieving Inkbacks who come over the county line in the dark of night, seeking to steal the 2 weeks of My Friend Flicka and The Hardy Boys which should rightfully belong only to those of Nazarene residency and status. When the heinous rights-theft was discovered, his library card was naturally revoked!
A library employee checked Dominick’s address after seeing his photo in the paper, then called and left a message on the family’s answering machine with the news, Melissa Philip says.
“As a parent, it just makes you upset,” she says, noting that it’s outrageous someone took time to research her son. “It’s a little over the top.”
July 1st, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Sorry. No sympathy. People live outside cities for a reason: to avoid the taxes. No taxes, no services. (That’s not the only reason, but it is a major one I heard cited a lot when I lived in Memphis and asked people why they commuted so far for work. The awful mayor was another.)
If you don’t pay taxes in the district, you may pay a fee for the library card. I have seen signs posted at the checkout of almost every library I have used: non-resident fee, $X. People who lie about their address to get the card are stealing from the taxpayers, i.e., me.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:31 pm
PS Jesus did say, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.”
July 1st, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Ah, but what would Caesar do if somebody did promotional photo work for him?
As it happens, the library does not understand the value of GOOD PR, but they do understand the value of BAD PR; they’ve given him his privileges till the end of this year.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:15 pm
OK. I read the complete story. The library made the error in this case (they mistakenly issued a card with a sticker for the Nazareth branch); there was no lying about addresses or attempt to get out of paying non-resident fees.
There really wasn’t promotional photo work — the kid happened to be at the library on the day that the newspaper showed up.
That’s fine for the library to make an exception for the kid for the sake of PR, but I really don’t have a problem with them rescinding his card, either. His township does not support the library. They’ve made a decision not to pay and the result of that decision is their residents don’t get to check out books.