Response from Congressman Tom Tancredo to Denver Mayor Hickenlooper letter on Spanish language Denver Public Libraries

Below is Congressman Tom Tancredo's Response to Denver Mayor Hickenlooper's letter of June 22, 2005.

"There is less here than meets the eye," says Tancredo.

The Mayor's reply to Question # 1:

The Mayor does not answer the question directly, but instead answers a different question. He does not deny that huge sections of seven branch libraries - ranging over 60% in one case --are being converted to Spanish language holdings.

Saying that 20% of Denver residents speak Spanish at home implies that these residents speak ONLY Spanish and are demanding Spanish language materials, but this has never been demonstrated. Nor has there ever been an independent survey of library patrons to justify this vast expansion of Spanish language holdings at the expense of English language materials.

The Mayor's reply to Question # 2:

Again, the Mayor does not answer the question. Instead, he says the "City Council has been informed of the Library's exploration of a variety of service styles." He says one of those "styles being explored," the "Language and Learning Model," will help Spanish-speaking people learn English. Yes, that model includes that activity. But what is not explained is how increasing the Spanish language holdings and throwing out English language materials helps people learn English easier or faster.

What the Mayor does not say is something he possibly has not yet been told by City Librarian Rick Ashton, that the Language and Learning Center "service style" is not being "examined" as one of many models, it is already being implemented in seven branches. DPL is already advertising on its web page for bilingual volunteer instructors for those branches.

The Mayor's reply to Question # 3:

I accept the Mayor's assurance that there is no planned library district, despite the fact that City Librarian Ashton has been pushing for this for at least two years. The Mayor does not volunteer any information about the mill levy planned for the next city ballot or the larger $15 million levy requested by Ashton for November 2006 general election ballot.

The Mayor's reply to Question # 4:

I am happy to see the Mayor's denial that a Spanish-language-only library is part of the plan for library expansion. However, the Mayor may be misinformed when he says that discussions with "community interests" about the planned West Denver branch are "quite preliminary." There is a general understanding among library staff that City Librarian Ashton has made commitments to the Latino Legacy Project which go beyond the creation of a purely historical collection of literature, documents, books and manuscripts.

The Mayor's reply to Question # 5:

The Mayor's answer does not respond to the well known fact that huge quantities of English language books and materials are being discarded daily to make room for Spanish language materials. He does not acknowledge that there has been no survey of bilingual patrons to show a desire for additional Spanish language materials at the expense of English language materials. One recent "usage survey" of periodicals was "cooked" by library management to show a higher interest in Spanish language magazines from Mexico. Again, the undisputed fact is that no credible, independent survey of library patrons has ever been done to justify the costly expansion of Spanish language materials now underway -- at the expense of English language holdings.

The Mayor's reply to Question # 6:

I applaud the Mayor for his rejection of the library district plan proposed by City Librarian Ashton. Yet the Mayor's answer does not volunteer any new information about planned mill levy's for the library. The plan endorsed by the Task Force on Future Library Funding will increase the library's budget by over 25%. Denver voters have not yet been told of these planned property tax increases.

The Mayor's reply to Question # 7:

It will be news to the library staff that the Ciruli poll results can be found on the DPL web site hidden in the appendices of the Task Force on Future Library Funding. The results have never been discussed with rank and file library employees.

The Mayor's reply to Question # 8:

The Mayor does not acknowledge that the focus groups conducted by Corona Research with public monies were very obviously designed to promote public support for the "new service models" favored by Mr Ashton. The full Corona Research focus group report is indeed available on the DPL web site. However, I wonder if the Mayor has read that report. The findings clearly show that current library patrons do not favor a change to the new "models" being promoted by library management. The majority of the participants in the focus groups were not enthusiastic about the "Language and Learning Center" model that emphasizes Spanish language services at the expense of traditional library services. Why are we asking random "voters" these questions instead of current library patrons?

The Mayor's reply to Question # 9:

This question was posed by me incorrectly, and the Mayor is correct in saying that no such announcement has been made about all raises by library staff being tied to bilingual proficiency. It is PROMOTIONS, not all raises, that will depend on employees being bilingual in Spanish at these branches.

The Mayor's reply to Question # 10:

The Mayor is again misinformed by City Librarian Ashton. It is a fact that a Mexican Driver's License is all that is needed to get a library card. Despite the policy requiring some document showing a local address, in practice, library staff are not requiring that. When someone uses a Mexican driver's license, their library card is mailed to whatever address they give. Having received the card in the mail at that address is considered adequate proof of residency. Other foreign nationals must show a passport to get a library card.

The Mayor's reply to Question # 11:

Again, the Mayor is misinformed. Books are still being trashed and discarded in secret, despite exposure of this practice in August of 2003 by the Denver weekly, WESTWORD.

The Mayor's Reply to Question # 12:

The Mayor's answer basically admits that the DPL does not care whether participants in its workshops are legal residents or illegal aliens and DPL will take no steps to bar illegal aliens from accessing its services.