Why should my tax dollars pay for your special interest group to have free meetups? How would we distribute access to this newly created resource equitably?
I don't disagree with the concept, but it gets hairy in the particulars. The problem is that of course we rarely ever get to vote on issues such as "should we build a community meeting space?" so we never really get to understand how the electorate truly feels.
> Why should my tax dollars pay for your special interest group to have free meetups?
Because they'll also pay for your special interest group meetup. If you don't have a special interest group, a low friction meeting place available makes you more likely to start one. Public space allows for a municipality to build a community.
Because it's not just this but a bunch of random groups? My local library has events in meeting rooms for ESL speakers to practice English, baby book reading clubs, board game meetups, study sessions, sessions to help people with tech problems, immunisation, and of course .... book clubs.
The rule is simple: you running a non-commercial event? You can use the space for free. Commercial component? Pay an hourly rate that comes out to ~$5 per person or so. There are some restrictions on events based on space but it's an obviously good thing in the same way a public park or water fountains are.
I don't disagree with the concept, but it gets hairy in the particulars. The problem is that of course we rarely ever get to vote on issues such as "should we build a community meeting space?" so we never really get to understand how the electorate truly feels.