Congress should step in to save library funding

On March 31, the current presidential administration placed all employees at the Institute of Museums and Libraries on administrative leave. The workers were required to turn in any government property. Their e-mail accounts were disabled and they were escorted from the building.

IMLS is an independent agency created in 1996 with bipartisan support. It provides grants to our museums and libraries to help fund staff, fund maintenance and create new programs.

Although our local public libraries are supported primarily through local property and sales taxes, these cuts will impact grant-funded programs that help to provide access to e-books and digital resources and reduce opportunities to create new programs in Marin County.

Our libraries are a vital piece of our community fabric and must continue to receive federal funding in order to serve all patrons with the resources that are vital to making our democracy work.

There are ways everyone can help. EveryLibrary, a nonprofit library advocacy group, offers the opportunity to urge Congress to continue federal funding for libraries on its website at bit.ly/4cemPd0.

Additionally, supporters can join the American Library Association’s call to Congress for protecting library funding at bit.ly/4cf0z2B.

— Sue Ream, San Anselmo

Fairfax needs to put a stop to recall effort

My neighbors in Fairfax want to have a special election to recall Mayor Lisel Blash and Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman — two members of the Town Council who were not up for reelection last November.

As IJ political columnist Dick Spotswood recently pointed out (“Fairfax recall effort is too costly, too much trouble,” March 16), a recall election is really only appropriate when an elected official is found guilty of serious malfeasance. That is not the case here.

Instead, it appears to me that some residents simply have different political views than these two members and they want to completely take over the Town Council. In other words, they appear to want to disenfranchise those voters who do agree with those council members and elected them in a general election.

I am concerned that this is being pitched for a “special election.” Not all elections are equal; not all are truly democratic. In a general election, especially in Marin, Fairfax can get as high as 60% turnout. A special election generally gets half as much; and the people who do turn out are the ones who feel passionate. In this case, that would be the ones who don’t agree with these council members’ positions.

I think they are two hardworking women who do their homework and do the best they can for their town under extreme duress, both from state requirements and angry demands from meeting attendees.

This is a power grab. The people in Fairfax shouldn’t fall for it. I urge my neighbors not to sign the recall petition.

— Wendi Kallins, Forest Knolls

Inappropriate to compare Trump to fascist dictator

In his recently published commentary (“Marin voters would make great protesters against Trump,” March 30), IJ columnist Dick Spotswood appeared to recommend that Marin Democrats obtain parade permits and organize a mass march up San Rafael’s Fourth Street. He suggested this after implying that local protests of decisions by the Trump administration have been scarce, other than the weekly demonstrations of President Donald Trump’s special adviser Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency at the Corte Madera Tesla showroom.

I think Spotswood’s suggestion is irresponsible. He should have made it clear that vandalism against private property is unacceptable, even if it is a Tesla vehicle made by CEO Musk’s company.

Spotswood appears to reason that Californians should protest because the U.S., he says, declared a “cold war” against Canada and Denmark while aligning with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he says acts like a dictator. He also compared Trump to Axis-era Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. I consider that comparison dangerous and inappropriate.

I fully disagree with Spotswood. I think Trump is protecting American interests by trying to negotiate peace in Ukraine.

— Bob Bunnell, Novato