October 22, 2013
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
Re:
Presentation of Petition: Save New York City Libraries From Bloomberg Developer Destruction
Dear Mayor Bloomberg:
We present you herewith today a printout of more than 15,000 online signatures affixed to our Citizens Defending Libraries petition: Save New York City Libraries From Bloomberg Developer Destruction, started by Carolyn McIntyre in February.
Our printout from mid-day Sunday has more than 15,000 online signatures affixed to it but the petition has many more signatures than that. No sooner was the petition with these more than 15,000 signatures printed than new signatures which keep coming were added. Do we stop our work with the formal presentation of these signatures today? No. Our campaign continues, and while these are more than 15,000 signatures of individuals with email addresses who signed, many people today still do not have or use email addresses and cannot digitally sign this petition. We have collected even more petition signatures total; if all are counted, more than 16,000.
This petition to halt the sale, shrinkage and deliberate underfunding of New York City libraries at a time of city growth and increasing use of those libraries is principally addressed to you, but it is not addressed to you exclusively. Though we know that you are soon leaving office concluding your third term we know that we will have work to do presenting this petition to those you leave behind and those who will come after you, including library trustees you have appointed, influenced and encouraged, with your encouragement extending to your, we think improper, use and provision of New York City taxpayer dollars. Our job is not over until such individuals and everyone else understand that the destruction you have undertaken must cease, that this course of action, this mindset that is hostile to our temples of democracy, learning and self education must cease.
You, Mr. Bloomberg, could reverse course and communicate the need to pursue the objectives of Citizens Defending Libraries before you leave. We ask you to do so, but we will do what you do not. We will keep sending the message and we look forward to working with those who replace you and your administration to bring about a far superior state of affairs where our libraries are honored, properly treated and expanded and a new era of hope will prevail.
Citizens Defending Libraries
Carolyn E. McIntyre &
Michael D. D. White
CC: All other recipients to which the petition is addressed
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Visuals and Video of the Presentation event are here:
PHOTO GALLERY: October 22, 2013 Delivery of Petition To Mayor Bloomberg at City Hall.
