Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding funding for libraries. I always appreciate it when constituents contact me with their concerns. Letters and e-mails such as yours help me accurately determine what issues are important to the residents of District 60.

I wholeheartedly agree that cutting funding for public libraries by 50% is shocking, and I am not a supporter of this type of cut. The fact that cuts this deep are even being discussed shows you how bad our economy is right now. Ohio is faced with the deepest and most widespread deficit in several decades and this has forced legislators to make some very hard decisions. Our libraries are a great tool in education and essential for many people in the community. Instead of cutting funds to the many important programs in Ohio it is important that we increase revenues and end the tax cuts made in 2005 by the Taft administration in order to close the gap. I have always been a strong supporter of our public libraries and I will do my best to advocate for them during this trying time.

Thank you again for your time spent in contacting my office. If you have any additional thoughts regarding possible legislation in Ohio, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Bob Hagan
RFH, lnk District 60