The budget shortfall is frightening, but even more frightening is the governor’s proposed budget that is balanced on the backs of the poor, the marginalized, the victims and the children.

I have worked for the Abused Women’s Advocacy Project for 20 years, and I know what such drastic cuts would mean for the safety and well-being of women and children who have been abused.

Last year AWAP served 8,000 clients. The governor’s proposal would cut the budget by 25 percent. Which 2,000 clients would not be able to have a safe place to stay temporarily, or get help and support with putting their lives back together?

Surely there are more creative ways to deal with this serious problem, such as increasing the sales tax by a penny, or increasing the lodging tax or permit costs.

I would be more than willing to pay an increased sales tax if services to Maine’s most vulnerable people would not be severely cut.

Rosemary Word, Lewiston