Letter to Denver Mayor Hickenlooper from Congressman Tom Tancredo on Spanish language Denver Public LibrariesJune 21, 2005
The Hon. John Hickenlooper Dear Mayor Hickenlooper: Several Denver residents who are affiliated with the Denver Public Library have come to me with concerns about changes underway in the Library. I hope their concerns are misplaced, and I hope you can show me they are misplaced. I will put these concerns in the form of several questions. Each question is based on information from employees and patrons of the library. Unfortunately, these Denver citizens choose to remain anonymous because they fear for their jobs. My questions are: 1. Is the Denver Public Library implementing a plan to convert very large sections of several branch libraries – ranging from 10% to 62% of book and periodical holdings -- to Spanish language holdings? 2. Has the Denver City Council ever debated and approved a plan to convert one or more existing library branches to “Language and Learning Centers” with predominantly Spanish language books, magazines and materials? 3. Does the proposed new mill levy for a new library district include funds for a new branch library that will be designated a “Language and Learning Center” with Spanish language materials only? 4. Has the Spanish-language-only concept for branch libraries ever been discussed or evaluated by the Library Commission or the City Council as a factor promoting social fragmentation, cultural balkanization, and ethnic separatism? 5. What is the basis for believing that current bilingual Latino patrons prefer that current English language materials be converted to Spanish-only holdings? 6. Since the proposed new library district is coterminous with the City of Denver, what purpose can be served besides a disguised tax increase and diminished accountability to the Mayor and the City Council? 7. Will the results of the public opinion polls conducted on these issues with public monies by Ciruli Associates be made public? 8. Have the Focus Groups run by Corona Research been designed and conducted to obtain results that support the conversion plan? Have the unvarnished results of the Focus Groups (not sanitized summaries) ever been shared with the Library Commission and the public? 9. Has the library’s management announced that only library employees bilingual in Spanish – not Vietnamese, German, Korean or other languages - will be eligible for raises? If so, is this not contrary to civil service rules and blatantly discriminatory on its face? 10. Is a Mexican Driver’s License now accepted in city libraries as valid ID for use of library facilities and services? Are driver’s licenses from other nations also accepted? 11. Are English language books being thrown out in the trash to make room for Spanish language materials? Why are books being thrown into the trash instead of being given to schools, non-profit organizations, or saved for the book sales? Has the Library Commission approved this practice? 12. Is DPL assisting “undocumented” (illegal) aliens in purchasing homes through sponsorship of workshops for undocumented aliens in cooperation with the Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation? Does DPL make any distinction between legal and illegal residents in providing its taxpayer-funded services? Mr. Mayor, I sincerely hope that you can provide answers to these questions that will lay these concerns to rest. Thank you for your attention to these questions. Sincerely,
Tom Tancredo
cc: Members of the Denver Library Commission
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