Dear Editor:
The recent attacks on the library’s Community Awareness Series are nothing new in terms of attempts to undermine, discredit or eliminate a people’s program. The CAS was born out of the desire to provide the impoverished inner city population with a culture/education platform able to inspire and elevate their goals and aspiration, while providing for a free quality of life environment for the whole family experience.
Firstly, organizing a successful campaign (1977) to rescue Miller Branch from a slated demolition due to years of deliberate neglect. The CAS 24-years of history is of struggle and accomplishments and is well documented and recognized through numerous awards and citations.
Why was CAS recently targeted for elimination during the past two-three years? One reason is because we, along with the rank and file union leadership and membership were opposed to the privatization of the Jersey City Public Library. The Schundler controlled library Board (rubber stamp) under the manipulation of Greg Corrado, Board president/member, attempted to bring Library Systems & Services, Inc. (LSSI) into the library operations illegally. This was met by a court challenge in which Judge D’Italia ordered LSSI out of the library. In retaliation Greg Corrado and Mayor Schundler brought LSSI back into the library as consultants (backdoor tactics) and gave them full reign to run the library on a day-to-day basis. The CAS was opposed to this, and an ongoing battle pursued until recently the new library Board of Trustees voted to terminate their services (long overdue.)
In terms of Anderson’s report, there are two, cut from the same cloth of deception and lies. Dave Anderson approximately three years ago was brought in from California to conduct open house forums/meetings at the various branches (JCPL). This was a contrived strategy to set the initial stage of privatization. The CAS, union and community representatives saw right through this hoax. Dave Anderson was paid for conducting this report and to release the report findings. The report was never released. Under prompting from Corrado, the Board of Trustees, the majority, decided to deep six it. Why was this report not released? What was the total cost of conducting these so-called open house forums? And, what did Dave Anderson receive monetarily? Secondly, the Anderson report (Arthur Anderson) can easily be called the LSSI (Fran Ware), Greg Corrado and Al Cameron report. This report was supposed to set the stage for a rationale to eliminate LSSI adversaries namely CAS, the Assistant Director positions. This Anderson report was to be released during the election campaign. With the understanding that if Tom DeGise won, the new DeGise administration and the Greg Corrado controlled board could utilize the report as justification for eliminating those on the hit list. The Arthur Anderson Representatives of deception spent 90 percent of their time in the library conferring with Al Cameron, LSSI and other pro-LSSI forces conjuring up this fabrication. This is exactly why you have a very distorted and “dubious value” report (i.e. JJ Editorial).
Thirdly, fact, CAS is accountable on all levels. CAS has organized several thousand programs and projects over the past 24 years with a very good relationship with the community. Fiscal accountability for CAS goes through the same channels and process for payment as other departments of the JCPL probably with even more scrutiny. All CAS expenditures are recorded and logged into the financial data bank of the library’s business office in detail. Of course this could have been provided to Arthur Anderson Co., our adversaries gave only distorted general figures, deliberately.
Fourthly, in terms of Barbara Williams, a consultant with CAS for 21 plus years, is without a doubt a dedicated and committed worker. Everyone with CAS, or is a part of programs, knows the valuable role that she has played in CAS development. As far as income it varies from year to year; when stretched over 21 years, the average income has been approximately $8,000; of course, this detail was left out of the bogus Anderson/Corrado/Cameron/LSSI report. In addition, it is a legal and legitimate work relationship, and of course that was omitted by the report.
The bottom line is that the library is in better shape today. The morale of the workers are higher than it has been in many years because the old order of dictatorship has been toppled and CAS has played a major role in this change for the better. So it is no surprise to us that the leftovers of a losing regime will try and get off a few parting shots. It will not work! CAS is devoted to the community and will continue to provide programming that is positive, family oriented, multi-cultural and educational for inspiration and community enrichment.
In closing, I would like to publicly thank the new library Board of the Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham administration for beginning to correct some of the injustices of the past administration.
Daoud-David Williams
CAS Director (JCPL)
Jersey City