Front page news in both The Herald Journal and the Deseret News, on Jan. 13, contained articles on Utah States budget woes. Legislative subcommittees have been at work to come up with proposals for the governor and the Legislature to refine in the upcoming 45 day Legislative session. The deeper I read in each article, the deeper my feelings of unfair, unfair, became. They estimate that as much as a 15 percent increase in funds will be needed to meet the estimated budget needs for the coming year. They suggest that perhaps 3,000 state-funded jobs will need to be cut. I fear that the jobs that will be cut will be the people who need their jobs the most.

Then there are funding cuts for state programs. Some of the ones suggested are deep cuts for the funding for the deaf and the blind and autistic children, closing the doors to 30 of the 142 patients at the state mental hospital and reducing the services to as many as 40,000 Utahns who are mentally ill. Fourteen thousand drug offenders would no longer get treatment. A $4.5 million cut would be in a program that provides meals and home care for the elderly Utahns who are needy and can't take care of themselves. Cuts are suggested for law enforcement, courts, education at some levels, anti-tobacco campaigns.

I know that many who read this will ask, is there an alternative? I think so.

First, I think the governor should tell the computer experts in the state's employ to program a 15 percent cut in all salaries, programs and any other state-funded entities. It should start with the governor, and I don't know if he accepts a salary or not, then the Legislature and then all other state-funded entities, from the top to the bottom. Those at the top can easily stand it, and those at the bottom will be much better off than to have lost their jobs completely. All programs will have funding equal to that of the year 2007 spending. Even education, which has had very favorable treatment in recent years and is admissibly essential, could be asked to help. The administrators, tenured professors, coaches, even teachers could be asked to give 15 percent so that personnel and programs at the lower rungs of the ladder would not be done away with. No jobs would be lost and all could work and contribute to overcome the problems our society is facing today.

This might even work for the auto industry and others that are looking for a handout.

Someone needs to set an example to government and industry soon. It could be the state of Utah, if compassion and fairness are the driving force.
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