What's Bugging Ducky?

Once again WIRY Radio "personality" Ducky Drake has blasted the Plattsburgh Public Library during his latest "Is It Just Me?" commentary. (Hear it here.)

Ducky says the library has a "sweet deal," citing how it closed during a bad snowstorm, so bad that the police told people to stay off the roads. Unlike the police and fire departments, there is no reason why PPL had to stay open that day. Ducky was upset that the library staff got a paid for staying home. He rants that the library costs too much money, it's a great financial weight on Plattsburgh City.

Really? How much will the city save if a library employee is forced to drive on bad streets during a major snowstorm and has a serious car accident? How much will the city have to pay out in medical insurance plus the employee's lost time? And why leave the library open when the only ones who will show up will be the staff, not patrons who are too smart not to venture out into blowing snow and uncleared streets and sidewalks. Like they say, if there are more people in the band than the audience, cancel the show.

Another part of the alleged "sweet deal" is PPL had President's Day off. Ducky snarked that the library should have days off for other presidential birthdays like Polk and Coolidge.

At the end of his puerile tirade Ducky gave PPL a warning (actually it was a "Warning, warning, warning," to use his redundant wording): Don't expect the city to bail you out if you ask for more money. Ducky states PPL is facing a deficit in its budget, it will run out of money in the fall. He advised PPL to start raising funds on its own through bake sales, donation canisters, street drives, whatever.

Why such animosity? I contacted via email someone close to Ducky who knows how Ducky thinks, an inside source. Here is the interview:

= = =

LTB: Thanks for the interview.

Mr. B: You're welcome.

LTB: Now you say you're an inside source close to Ducky?

Mr. B: That's right. I'm the bug that crawled up his--

LTB: Hey, this is a family blog. Anyway, why does Ducky hate the library so much, especially the employees?

Mr. B: Simple, he's jealous. He doesn't have a sweet deal job as he thinks the library staff has. He has to work holidays behind a hot microphone, his voice only heard by the ten people who listen to WIRY, eight of them asleep in the nursing home, the other two comatose in intensive care.

LTB: His job isn't that bad. All he has to do is summarized news articles from the Press-Republican newspaper, free news with no hard work, and twice a week bloviate like Rush Limbaugh without the charm.

Mr. B: No argument there. But I'm the bug of jealousy. I only work with a weak susceptible mind. I'm just doing what God intended for me.

LTB: Obviously. I appreciate you taking the time to clarify this issue.