Think about cutting departments that overlap one another, cut down on management, what about cutting back on the free programs.  Your looking at the age old solution to balancing a budget, hasn't worked in the past, why would it work now.  I bet you there are perks that our elected officials have that could be cut, the government has become an "old boys" club (women included now), they are clinking on to the past, change is not what they want, clean house, get fresh ideas.  What about term limits, brings in new ideas, nothing wrong with that.  You have not done your job in balancing the budget, simple solutions are not the answer, go back to the drawing board and start again.