In the current economy, every city seems to be at a turning point for its political adversaries in order to help secure what’s considered an ideal municipal future.
That’s what makes the debate of the proposed library school combination downtown so frustrating. It’s a battle between competing interests, not the public’s interest.
The underhanded plan to rebuild downtown San Diego’s aging library needs some drastic changes in order to truly benefit city residents.
Last week, the city council voted to spend $500,000 on new bids for the out-of-date 2005 estimate of $185 million. More money shouldn’t be spent looking for new contractors, but instead the plan needs to be re-evaluated.
The most vocal critic of the library is City Councilman Carl DeMaio, who published a memorandum on Oct. 19 claiming the city can save $63 million in the general fund during the next five years by shelving the library project.
According to DeMaio, if the city redirects funding earmarked by the Centre City Development Corporation for the library it can begin to pay off Petco Park and the Convention Center. Mayor Jerry Sanders and City Chief Operating Officer Jay Gladstone have ridiculed DeMaio’s opposition to the civic project for its questionable legal parameters through public statements and public memorandums.
DeMaio is wrong. The city shouldn’t redirect funds to pay off the ballpark. The project should be completely redesigned, not eliminated. Thankfully, when the council voted it didn’t listen to DeMaio, but this means that the recent vote needs to be amended.
A new central library is necessary for downtown San Diego. In order to best use the money earmarked for the project, which won’t affect the city general fund, San Diego should instead invest in a library that represents the future of learning.
To think that a new central library is a total waste of taxpayer money, as DeMaio appears to think, is impractical. Municipal cornerstones such as libraries foster more than reading. Libraries help to eradicate illiteracy and create jobs and the collective cohesiveness this city needs.
Currently, a school of questionable value is associated with the library’s planned construction. The top two floors of the library, where a planned charter high school will be built, should be dropped to prevent the under-the-radar local government actions.
The truth is, the only way the library project was able to get the proper funding and support was to unite with the San Diego Unified School District, according to a June story by the Voice of San Diego. Last year’s $2.1 billion school bond measure, Proposition S, was a successful effort to funnel money for a charter school.
The troubling parts are the two reasons a much-needed elementary school was shelved. The first is the state law requiring elementary schools to be on the first and second floors of buildings. Also the Field Act, a state law regarding safety during earthquakes in school buildings, is exempted to independently run charter schools.
The manipulative means by which the school district and city fit the school in the library’s design is troubling. San Diego should drop the school, return the bond funds and put forth a more modest library focusing on digital content and branch libraries instead.
The city council needs to stop the bidding war and revote on the project, not pour money into the manipulative plan that currently exists. That way some of the absurd political posturing that has ensued during the last few years can end.
It’s a matter of finding the best way to use the millions of dollars set aside for a central library for the sake of everyone.
A new central library would bring benefits to the city by fostering literacy, gathering information and encouraging education for everybody. However, bringing about an important cultural cornerstone for the city should not be created with deception.
The time is now to re-evaluate the library project so the fighting can stop and the right thing can be done for San Diego residents.

8212;John P. Gamboa is a journalism senior.

8212;This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to opinion@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Include your full name, major and year in school.