Boone County voters shellacked the Daniel Boone Regional Library board’s tax proposal to build two new branches, one in Ashland and one in the northern Columbia suburbs. It lost by almost three to one. In some northern Boone County areas, 90 percent of voters said no. Even affluent southwest Columbia, where civic projects usually do well, defeated the library expansion two to one. It lost in every precinct and only came close in Ashland, where the most immediate benefit would have occurred. The defeat was puzzling in light of the simultaneous success of the Columbia school bond issue, which extended the life of a tax.

I am trying to understand the margin of defeat. I do not agree that the defeat can be attributed to generalized opposition to all taxes or to a lack of appreciation of libraries in our community. The adoption of the school tax by huge majorities in exactly the same precincts that were trouncing the library tax puts the first theory to rest. I believe most Boone Countians think as I do, that we have an outstanding library and that good libraries are good for property values. Why then, did it lose so badly?

The defeat might be attributable to causes specific to the presentation of the issue and to timing. The campaign was terrible. The library board asked for a substantial hike in taxes. The effort to explain the need was just not equal to the task. A campaign of this magnitude is a serious undertaking. It requires specific planning and substantial hustle to make sure all bases are covered.

Library proponents were surprised when the Hallsville Chamber of Commerce came out against it. The fact that they had not already touched that base speaks volumes about the lack of precision in the campaign. Rather than being an opponent, the Hallsville chamber should have been a core supporter. If there was an issue with the placement of the north branch, the board should have known about it and dealt with it.

Voters in Ashland did not support the proposal even though Ashland had the most to gain. To pass the proposal, we should have heard countywide pleas for support coming from Ashland.

Some proponents told me people "did not understand the proposal." That is undoubtedly true, but it is the proponents’ job to make sure they understand it. The fault lies not with the hearer of the message but with the speaker.

The tax amount was fairly large. Twenty-one cents per $100 assessed value is a big lug, increasing the burden on the proponents.

One last factor deserves consideration. To what extent was the board faced with voter dissatisfaction over the 1999 campaign to "renovate" the main library? I was shocked to have been told we were getting a renovation and then seeing the old building virtually demolished and rebuilt. I admit the new building is wonderful. I like it and use it, but I do feel that to some degree voters were snookered. Some people (one of whom lives in the same house with me) think I am an old crank about this and ought to just get over it. I am over it, but I wonder whether it was a factor in the opposition.

Despite my crankiness, I voted "yes." My support springs from two sources. One, I am a card-carrying member of the reliable "yes" voters on such civic projects. That is because almost every tax increase in my 35 years in Boone County has had the effect of raising the value of my real estate more than the cost of the tax to me. They have also substantially improved the quality of life in our community. The latter factor has subjective value in different degrees to each of us. It also has an objective value in that it makes Columbia a desirable place to locate and hence makes a better market for all that we do. Two, our library is perhaps the very best of its kind anywhere. I would be surprised if anybody can show me a community of our size with a better one.

None of my theories explains the astonishing margin of defeat. Maybe you can help both the library board and me understand it better. Let’s take this discussion to the Tribune’s blog, which you can reach on the Web by going to: blogs.columbiatribune.com/politics. You can share your opinion and also have the inexpressible joy of correcting my errors on this or other subjects.

I look forward to hearing from you.

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