“Deep cuts are ahead, for certain” was the headline for the editorial Jan. 26, in reference to the work of the Legislature to resolve the looming state budget crisis. The piece went on to include, “Headhunting alone won’t fill the hole, although it may make frustrated taxpayers feel better.”

I agree.

All programs and expenditures are on the table, including money budgeted for newspaper publication of state rule-making notices. Expenditures for these notices have hovered around a half a million dollars in each of the past few years. My original proposal to move these to the Internet (which would have resulted in savings of nearly that entire amount) died in the late days of June last year in the face of fierce lobbying by newspapers.

Currently, there is a new strategy, reported out by committee, that will leave rule-making notices in the newspapers, but reduce the details included in the printed versions, with the full text of the notices available on the Web and by telephone.

The impact of this change is to reduce the column-inches required per notice and thus reduce the costs to taxpayers. Notices will remain in the newspapers. Anticipated sustainable savings from this strategy are between $200,000 and $300,000 each year. Newspapers, including the Sun Journal, continue to lobby against this change.

Is there some reason that every other expenditure of state government should face belt-tightening except those that result in revenue to the newspapers?

Rep. Terry Hayes, Buckfield