Criticism of the Board of Trustees for the Saskatoon Public Library

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Saskatoon should shelve costly plan for new downtown library," The StarPhoenix, Jan. 30, 2024, URL: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letter-saskatoon-should-shelve-costly-plan-for-new-downtown-library

Ashu M. G. Solo, "New Downtown Library Not Needed," Agenda of Saskatoon Public Library Board of Trustees for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Apr. 24, 2024, p. 7, URL:  https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/isl/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-24-Board-Agenda-Pkg-PUBLIC.pdf

Ashu M. G. Solo, "New downtown Saskatoon library a foolish waste of tax dollars," The StarPhoenix, June 11, 2024, URL:  https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letters-new-downtown-saskatoon-library-a-foolish-waste-of-tax-dollars

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Cut salaries of Saskatoon library managers," The StarPhoenix, July 13, 2024, URL:  https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letters-college-wrong-to-discipline-doctor-for-anti-abortion-advice

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Library, arena, auditorium, potholes, snow removal, deicing, and campaign finance reform," Public Agenda:  Governance and Priorities Committee for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Aug. 14, 2024, pp. 81-82, URL:  https://pub-saskatoon.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=222893

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Library board lacks legitimacy to tax, build," The StarPhoenix, Aug. 15, 2024, URL:  https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letters-sask-nuclear-plan-intended-to-delay-move-from-fossil-fuels

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Saskatoon Public Library, executive salaries, and reform of The Public Libraries Act, 1996," Public Agenda:  Governance and Priorities Committee, City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Sept. 11, 2024, URL: https://pub-saskatoon.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=224158

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Constructive Criticism of the Board of Trustees for the Saskatoon Public Library," Agenda:  Saskatoon Public Library Board Meeting, City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Sept. 18, 2024, pp. 154-155, URL: https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/isl/uploads/2024/09/2024-09-18-Board-Agenda-Pkg-PUBLIC.pdf

Ashu M. G. Solo, "The Public Libraries Act, 1996 needs to be reformed," Agenda:  Saskatoon Public Library Board Meeting, City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Sept. 18, 2024, p. 156, URL: https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/isl/uploads/2024/09/2024-09-18-Board-Agenda-Pkg-PUBLIC.pdf

Reprint

Ashu M. G. Solo, "New Downtown Library Not Needed," Agenda of Saskatoon Public Library Board of Trustees for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., June 19, 2024, p. 13, URL: https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/isl/uploads/2024/06/2024-06-19-Board-Agenda-Pkg-PUBLIC.pdf

Letters by Ashu M. G. Solo in Agendas for Saskatoon City Council, Saskatoon Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee, and Saskatoon Public Library Board of Trustees

Below are my letters included in City of Saskatoon (municipal government) agendas:

 

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Constructive Criticism of the Board of Trustees for the Saskatoon Public Library," Agenda:  Saskatoon Public Library Board Meeting, City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Sept. 18, 2024, pp. 154-155, URL: https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/isl/uploads/2024/09/2024-09-18-Board-Agenda-Pkg-PUBLIC.pdf

Ashu M. G. Solo, "The Public Libraries Act, 1996 needs to be reformed," Agenda:  Saskatoon Public Library Board Meeting, City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Sept. 18, 2024, p. 156, URL: https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/isl/uploads/2024/09/2024-09-18-Board-Agenda-Pkg-PUBLIC.pdf

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Saskatoon Public Library, executive salaries, and reform of The Public Libraries Act, 1996," Public Agenda:  Governance and Priorities Committee, City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Sept. 11, 2024, 2 pages, URL: https://pub-saskatoon.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=224158

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Library, arena, auditorium, potholes, snow removal, deicing, and campaign finance reform," Public Agenda: Governance and Priorities Committee for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Aug. 14, 2024, pp. 81-82, URL: https://pub-saskatoon.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=222893

Ashu M. G. Solo, "New Downtown Library Not Needed," Agenda of Saskatoon Public Library Board of Trustees for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Apr. 24, 2024, p. 7, URL: https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/isl/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-24-Board-Agenda-Pkg-PUBLIC.pdf

Ashu M. G. Solo, letter on renaming John A. Macdonald Road, Additional Agenda Items:  Regular Business Meeting of City Council, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, June 28, 2021, p. 21.

URL:  https://pub-saskatoon.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=139519

Ashu M. G. Solo, letter on removing "his worship" wording for mayor from web form, Additional Agenda Items:  Regular Business Meeting of City Council, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, June 28, 2021, p. 20.

URL:  https://pub-saskatoon.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=139519

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Civil Rights Complaint against City of Saskatoon (Saskatoon Transit Services) for Christmas Messages on Programmable Bus Signs," Agenda of City Council, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Apr. 8, 2013, agenda item B5, pp. 418-426.

URL:  https://www.saskatoon.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-council/minutes/2013/fa_council_080413.pdf

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Summary of My Presentation about Christmas Greetings on Buses to CD&RR Committee," Agenda of Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Feb. 14, 2013, 3 pages.

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Christmas Messages on Saskatoon Transit Buses," Agenda of Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Feb. 14, 2013, 10 pages.

Ashu M. G. Solo, "City of Saskatoon Wasting Taxpayer Money on Tote Bags," Agenda of City Council, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Jan. 7, 2013, agenda item C37, pp. 312-313.

URL:  https://www.saskatoon.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-council/minutes/2013/fa_council_070113.pdf

Reprints

Ashu M. G. Solo, "New Downtown Library Not Needed," Agenda of Saskatoon Public Library Board of Trustees for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, June 19, 2024, p. 13, URL: https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/isl/uploads/2024/06/2024-06-19-Board-Agenda-Pkg-PUBLIC.pdf

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Budget of Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee," Agenda of Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, Jan. 10, 2013, 2 pages.

Saskatoon Public Library, Executive Salaries, and Reform of The Public Libraries Act, 1996

From: Ashu M. G. Solo
Sent: Sunday, September 8, 2024 4:42 AM
To: charlie.clark@saskatoon.ca; darren.hill@saskatoon.ca; hilary.gough@saskatoon.ca; troy.davies@saskatoon.ca; randy.donauer@saskatoon.ca; cynthia.block@saskatoon.ca; mairin.loewen@saskatoon.ca; sarina.gersher@saskatoon.ca; bev.dubois@saskatoon.ca; zach.jeffries@saskatoon.ca; david.kirton@saskatoon.ca; mayors.office@saskatoon.ca
Subject: Saskatoon Public Library, executive salaries, and reform of The Public Libraries Act, 1996

The following letter is in your agenda. It’s imperative that you read this and the letters at the links below:

Saskatoon City Council:

Below is an email message that I sent to Saskatchewan MLAs on how The Public Libraries Act, 1996 needs to be reformed so that only municipal councils, not library boards, can get new libraries built. See this new letter to the editor that I wrote for further information:

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Library board lacks legitimacy to tax, build," The StarPhoenix, Aug. 15, 2024, URL:
https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letters-sask-nuclear-plan-intended-to-delay-move-from-fossil-fuels

As a condition of imposing library taxes requested by the Board of Trustees of the Saskatoon Public Library, you should better review how the board plans to spend this money and demand that the board decrease the exorbitant salaries of library executives. See this letter to the editor that I wrote for further information:

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Cut salaries of Saskatoon library managers," The StarPhoenix, July 13, 2024, URL: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letters-college-wrong-to-discipline-doctor-for-anti-abortion-advice

Sincerely,

Ashu M. G. Solo


August 25, 2024

Subject: The Public Libraries Act, 1996 needs to be reformed

MLAs for Saskatchewan:

The Public Libraries Act, 1996 should be reformed so that only municipal councils, not library boards, have the authority to get new libraries built. See this letter to the editor I wrote:

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Library board lacks legitimacy to tax, build," The StarPhoenix, Aug. 15, 2024, URL: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letters-sask-nuclear-plan-intended-to-delay-move-from-fossil-fuels

The library board in Saskatoon is recklessly and foolishly having a new downtown library built when the existing downtown library is excellent. See these letters I wrote for further information:

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Saskatoon should shelve costly plan for new downtown library," The StarPhoenix, Jan. 30, 2024, URL: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letter-saskatoon-should-shelve-costly-plan-for-new-downtown-library

Ashu M. G. Solo, "New Downtown Library Not Needed," Agenda of Saskatoon Public Library Board of Trustees for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Apr. 24, 2024, p. 7, URL: https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/isl/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-24-Board-Agenda-Pkg-PUBLIC.pdf

Ashu M. G. Solo, "New downtown Saskatoon library a foolish waste of tax dollars," The StarPhoenix, June 11, 2024, URL: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letters-new-downtown-saskatoon-library-a-foolish-waste-of-tax-dollars

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Cut salaries of Saskatoon library managers," The StarPhoenix, July 13, 2024, URL: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letters-college-wrong-to-discipline-doctor-for-anti-abortion-advice

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Library, arena, auditorium, potholes, snow removal, deicing, and campaign finance reform," Public Agenda: Governance and Priorities Committee for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Aug. 14, 2024, pp. 81-82, URL: https://pub-saskatoon.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=222893

Sincerely,

Ashu M. G. Solo

Library, Arena, Auditorium, Potholes, Snow Removal, Deicing, and Campaign Finance Reform

From: Ashu M. G. Solo
Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2024 12:20 AM
To: 'charlie.clark@saskatoon.ca' <charlie.clark@saskatoon.ca>; 'darren.hill@saskatoon.ca' <darren.hill@saskatoon.ca>; 'hilary.gough@saskatoon.ca' <hilary.gough@saskatoon.ca>; 'david.kirton@saskatoon.ca' <david.kirton@saskatoon.ca>; 'troy.davies@saskatoon.ca' <troy.davies@saskatoon.ca>; 'randy.donauer@saskatoon.ca' <randy.donauer@saskatoon.ca>; 'cynthia.block@saskatoon.ca' <cynthia.block@saskatoon.ca>; 'mairin.loewen@saskatoon.ca' <mairin.loewen@saskatoon.ca>; 'sarina.gersher@saskatoon.ca' <sarina.gersher@saskatoon.ca>; 'bev.dubois@saskatoon.ca' <bev.dubois@saskatoon.ca>; 'zach.jeffries@saskatoon.ca' <zach.jeffries@saskatoon.ca>; 'mayors.office@saskatoon.ca' <mayors.office@saskatoon.ca>
Subject: Library, arena, auditorium, potholes, snow removal, deicing, and campaign finance reform

The following letter is in your agenda. It’s imperative that you read this and the letters at the links below:

Saskatoon City Council:

Because of the decision of Saskatoon City Council to loan $67.5 million to the Saskatoon Public Library, I want to draw your attention to these letters I wrote:

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Saskatoon should shelve costly plan for new downtown library," The StarPhoenix, Jan. 30, 2024, URL: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letter-saskatoon-should-shelve-costly-plan-for-new-downtown-library

Ashu M. G. Solo, "New Downtown Library Not Needed," Agenda of Saskatoon Public Library Board of Trustees for the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon, Sask., Apr. 24, 2024, p. 7, URL: https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/isl/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-24-Board-Agenda-Pkg-PUBLIC.pdf

Ashu M. G. Solo, "New downtown Saskatoon library a foolish waste of tax dollars," The StarPhoenix, June 11, 2024, URL: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letters-new-downtown-saskatoon-library-a-foolish-waste-of-tax-dollars

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Cut salaries of Saskatoon library managers," The StarPhoenix, July 13, 2024, URL: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letters-college-wrong-to-discipline-doctor-for-anti-abortion-advice

Replacing the excellent downtown library with a new downtown library is costing people a lot of money in library taxes, driving up housing costs, making it harder for people to afford housing, increasing homelessness, doing a lot of environmental damage due to building materials needed for construction of a new library, keeping unionized library staff from getting salaries that keep up with inflation, etc. Many homeowners will be paying over $350/year in library taxes for decades to fund the construction of the new downtown library. The streets of Saskatoon are full of homeless people. 95% of unionized library staff recently voted in favor of job action.

Most people believe that the City of Saskatoon has its priorities all wrong. Instead of the City of Saskatoon spending money on a new downtown library, more money should be allocated for pothole repair, snow removal, and deicing. I know someone whose car tires were ruined three times due to potholes in Saskatoon. I know someone who couldn’t get his car off his street for days two times in the past few years because of inadequate snow removal. One of his neighbors ended up paying for a private company to clear the street. This problem wouldn’t have occurred if the City of Saskatoon had been doing snow removal on an ongoing basis instead of waiting until after large snowfalls.

Saskatoon doesn’t need a new arena or new auditorium. The existing arena and auditorium are fine and can be renovated if required. Building a new arena and auditorium in downtown Saskatoon will cause a colossal amount of environmental damage due to the building materials used. Also, building a new arena will cause a parking nightmare. It’s already hard enough to find parking in downtown Saskatoon.

City council candidates should stop taking campaign contributions from construction contractors so these donations don’t influence their spending decisions. There needs to be campaign finance reform to limit individual contributions and prevent companies from donating to candidates.
 
Sincerely,

Ashu M. G. Solo

Letter on New Downtown Library

This letter was sent to the Board of Trustees of the Saskatoon Public Library on April 1, 2024:

April 1, 2024

Board of Trustees for Saskatoon Public Library:

Saskatoon doesn't need a new downtown library.  I want to draw your attention to this letter to the editor I wrote for The StarPhoenix on how libraries will become obsolete:

Ashu M. G. Solo, "Saskatoon should shelve costly plan for new downtown library," The StarPhoenix, Jan. 30, 2024, URL: https://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/letters/letter-saskatoon-should-shelve-costly-plan-for-new-downtown-library

The online library I refer to in this letter to the editor is called Epic and is available at https://www.getepic.com/. 

The existing downtown library already has a theatre, a meeting room, an art gallery, a computer classroom, a local history room, a kids' section, a kids' story room, an arts and crafts lab, a young adult section, computers, photocopiers, a writer in residence, outreach workers, a section for newspapers and magazines, and a section for movies, documentaries, music, audiobooks, and videogames.  That's all Saskatoon needs in a downtown library.  

The downtown library doesn’t need a kitchen, recording studios, and labs for post-production, 3D printing, graphic design, etc.  These are services that private businesses should offer.

If more computers are needed for public usage, the computer classroom can be opened to the public when it isn’t being used for courses.

A lot of families don't want to use the current downtown library because of alcohol and illegal drug consumption there.  I was talking to a security guard at the existing downtown library who said that people are drinking alcohol in the library and smoking marijuana in the washrooms including the washroom in the kids' section.  Are you going to constantly have a security guard in each washroom?  Recreational substance consumption will continue in the new downtown library so a lot of families won't want to use it too.  

Some other libraries have seed libraries.  Saskatoon Public Library should have a seed library too.  This doesn’t require a new building.  It requires a box to store the seeds.

Because the City of Saskatoon keeps building new facilities like a new police station, new art gallery, and now a new library, property taxes are way too high now and there isn’t enough funding for quickly fixing potholes, snow removal, and deicing. 

There’s a lot of public anger about your decision to build a new downtown library.  The will of the public should be respected for an issue like whether to build a new facility.

Sincerely,

Ashu M. G. Solo