City plans to close libraries all day on Mondays; aldermen infuriated (Chicago, USA)

Chicago Public libraries will close all day Mondays - instead of Monday and Friday mornings as promised - stunning and infuriating aldermen who thought they had an agreement with Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "That's not what was proposed or voted on. It's completely contrary. We need to sit down quickly and get back to the original agreement, which was keep those libraries open" every day, said Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd), who led the charge against the library cuts. The mayor's plan to reduce library hours and impose draconian job cuts that would impact library services at all hours fast emerged as the most controversial element of the mayor's 2012 budget. Aldermen from across the city decried the mayor's decision to reduce corporate fund support for libraries by $10 million - even as the city continues to build new libraries on top of the 59 constructed under former Mayor Richard M. Daley