League of Woman Voters Candidate Forum Conjurs up ghosts Ghosts of Halloweens Past.

 And a few firsts like the first Forum in recent memory to to be held at Prime Time. In the past  the Our Forum had to compete with rush hour traffic and the dinner hour.  Apparently  someone at one told the league that our senior residents  were usually ready for bed at six pm and the information stuck.
Another first was the length of an hour and a half. Usually we get just an hour. An other new wrinkle was  the addition  a of the Literature table where attendees could pick up  brochures  or puff  pieces  the candidates write about them selves. Attendees were invited to take home with them. It is not known  if anyone did.
The Crypt however was blown wide open on the first question of the evening of the  evening which was the  did any of the candidates see a rapprochement with The Township Library in the foreseeable future. The answer was no in no uncertain terms.
 the Baldwin Library has been a good fit for the City all agreed  providing  usage information when requested and making it clear to both Cities that  library belongs to the City of Birmingham and therefore upgrades and what not are the responsibility of the owners not the  contract  communities  who use it as  more or less renters.
Almost a decade before it was the township who wished to raise its rates  through  the stratosphere to cover their equally high remodel costs and would not provide sage information to justify such an increase.
What is little known is that City Commission paid the Township  library dues for the residents when they were in the bounds of reason. The money came from the General Fund And the City could not afford to pay what the Township Library was asking. So the City went dark and stayed that way for  a couple of years. 
Knowing how much the residents  liked the library money was even set aside in case  The Township Library come to its senses.
Enter the Troy library and the Ghosts of City Managers past. The City Manager' Duties include gate keeping, and keeping the Ghosts out.  But there are exceptions to every rule and the man from the  Troy Library was one of of such. The Troy Library would sell annual Library privileges to residents  our City for a mere $100 a household.
If every household wanted one the cost would be $15000. Cheap But it good better. Despite the City'offer to pay the hundred dollar fee there were few takers.  The highest estimates  were
less than 200 and easy to monitor when the City dispensed checks   to the small numbers who requested refund checks which prompted  the question couldn't those who wanted to use the Township  Library go there and pay the costs associated with such members  and receive the benefits of said.That is how it works in America right ?
 Maybe but not exactly. So two  residents of our CITY went to court to determine the exact boundaries of not exactly. The case went all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court it was ruled that  people had the right to visit the library, and use the library  on the premises. The Court also ruled that  it would not  force  libraries to loan books or sell it's services.
A Spit decision. When you are in a public Library In Michigan  you are entitled to be there by rights articulated   by Michigan  Supreme Court  in  a case taken there by Bloomfield Hills Residents Mr.Goldstein and  was represented fellow Bloomfield Resident,  Attorney Robert Toohey. Ther efforts   provide   you with the half you can use but not the part you can not.  If you want to change that in Michigan I suppose you start with the State's Supreme Court. In our City  we  have found  what works and is affordable and that is priceless.