My rejected November statement of concern contained a petition with nearly 200 signatures/numbers of patrons asking for placement of The Epoch Times and The American Rifleman, on the main shelf. Board contempt towards the public was displayed in Pres. Gaffney’s comment that some of the signatures were even gathered in the Walmart parking lot.

The once proud Marshalltown Carnegie Public Library, has been highjacked and transformed into a copy of agenda driven libraries throughout the US. It succeeded with a rogue administration, bent on defrauding the public and its million-dollar annual budget.

One result is scuttling honest offers of timely, pertinent and popular material, insisting on an unrealistic cash outlay. It then refuses to accept the same offer a short time later when insistence on a cash outlay will be met.

Director Rosenblum ignored State Libraries recommendation to provide accurate data to the board so informed board decisions will result. The board then failed to scrutinize and accepted the directors’ unbalanced inaccurate review of the materials. The city council failed to scrutinize the very board they are charged with appointing. Indeed, city councilman Ladehoff yelled at fellow patron/citizens in a board meeting for the crime of refusing to accept a board decision based on flawed data mentioned above.

The director chastised a patron for the crime of contacting board members and belittled the patron in public record based on age, volunteer status and place of residence. All while the board is advised by State to seek input from patrons and refrain from writing punitive or retaliatory policy. The highjack continues with mayor Greer’s instruction to MPL staff not to communicate with “our problem patron” because persistent civil protest is deemed harassment while remaining silent about deplorable actions mentioned above. With due respect Greer, I don’t want you or anyone else telling me I have free speech rights as long as I use the media you select. Rights to free speech in this Republic were enshrined a long time ago with help from my ancestors.

Unfortunately, some patrons support this.

The administration’s blatantly hypocritical stance and antics have tarnished its reputation, exposed twice, in 12 newspapers and a TV interview.

MPL is doing its best to prevent patron/board contact. I will continue to ask board members Gaffney, Lyons, Bennet, Morrison, Beek, Lindholm and Hall to remain after meetings or any other convenient time, to seek “middle ground” (Gaffney).