Letter Writers Argue Against Cuts

Keep sending those letters!

From The 4/16 Times Argus:

                Our economy is the lowest it has been in 10 years and Gov. Douglas thinks that cutting 660 jobs is the solution. Must I remind you who has been in office for the majority of this time? It seems to me that he is responsible for a lot of the problem and he is only causing more by putting more burdens on the people that he is cutting. Now these people will be unemployed, collecting unemployment, medical expenses and food stamps. Making more work for the few people that he did not cut. Now they will be doing the job of two people.
                Gov. Douglas refuses to give up his $52 a day allowance for meals, five days a week. That is half of my pay for the day before tax is taken out.
                There have been a lot of "Special Interest" groups and "Studies" being done. We don’t need a study to know that if my pay is cut and my insurance costs go up with no cost of living (which is a joke) or raises for at least the next two years, I will lose my house. There is no question about it. Then not only do we have more unemployed people struggling, but people who are fortunate enough to keep their job may still end up the same way. It will just take longer. We don’t need job cuts. We need the government to cut spending, clean their house first. Why are the legislators good enough for a 5-8 percent COLA when the state employees are only worth 1.8percent with an increase on their insurance premiums. The state is giving us crumbs and taking a whole loaf for them. The people of Vermont need to remind the people on State Street that we are the ones that put them in office. We are the ones that they are supposed to be protecting. We should not be fighting with the state. We should be working together for the good of everyone in this beautiful state. Not just the ones who have the power to destroy our lives with one single vote. We the people of Vermont vote no cuts to state employees.

Caren Davis

From The 4/16 Burlington Free Press:

                I don’t understand Gov. Douglas’ proposed cut of meat inspectors when that cut doesn’t yield much of a reduction against their responsibility. The governor is the chief executive charged with maintaining the health and welfare of his constituents, and it seems this cut is not a productive use of that responsibility when considering how much danger it puts Vermonters in.
                It seems that a number of the cuts being proposed are positions paid, in part or fully, by the federal government and have little or no bearing on improving the state budget. Perhaps if Gov. Douglas would cease in "distracting" the issue and look within the executive branch for some of his cuts.
                Many of our departments and agencies have folks whose jobs include public relations for the governor and his agenda, thus allowing for campaigning before the actual election season commences. I don’t know what the dollar amounts leads to, perhaps not yet $1 million, but the effect produces far more than that number shows.
                Lets bring integrity and respect to the governor’s office.