As a Maine citizen, I understand reductions must be made to the state’s budget at this time because of inherited problems from the previous administration, the national economy of the Bush administration and threatened base closings.

However, I do not wish social-service program reductions.

I do not, thankfully, receive any state social services myself, but I know people who do. Those whom I know are not “working the system” for themselves; they have very serious problems, which I would not want to live with. They do need help.

If Maine’s legislators want to reduce the budgets of state programs, I wish they would look at those programs less essential than social services.

I think state spending for the less-essential programs should have been reduced more than my two state legislators tell me they have been. The programs have only been “tinkered with.”

As a citizen, I have a priority list of less-essential state programs myself, such as cultural programs and walking trails, that should be reduced. I am sure other citizens have their list of programs, and Maine legislators themselves have a more extensive list.

I support the reduction of the less-essential state programs rather than social services to bring the state’s budget into line. And I support restoring those reduced budgets when we enter better times.

Tom Fallon, Rumford

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