To The Governor

I often say that it is not enough to vote and certainly not enough to simply complain. I believe that we all need to write to our representatives - often! - even though we know that our appeals will often fall on deaf ears. Today again, I emailed Arnold.

Dear Mr. Schwarzenegger,

1)I understand that California is in crises and that we all must do our part. However, you CAN NOT balance the budget on the backs of the State workers. We have been cut 3 times already while taxes, licenses, fees and other costs of living keep going up. We ARE doing our part! Not all of us can afford to work for $1 / year. We work hard and we are struggling. We cannot keep taking cuts. We do NOT have 20% discretionary income.

We need to balance the budget, but face it, we cannot fix decades of mess in one year. Go for a good 5 year plan. Too many cuts too fast will break us.

2)Beware of false economies. Slashing programs that will come back at double, triple and more the cost is not fiscally sound. For instance,if we close our parks - either we pay to protect them while they stop bringing in any revenue OR we leave them to criminals and vandals to endanger citizens and destroy irreplaceable resources. The cost, even in the short term, is likely to outweigh any savings. In the long term, these closures will be disastrous. That is not taking into consideration the fiscal impact on surrounding communities from loss of tourists or the emotional/educational impact on the people and guests of California.

3)My friend, a prison guard's wife, tells me that they keep getting the pay cuts, but they have not been allowed to use their furlough days. That is just wrong.

I know you have an incredibly difficult task, but please reconsider these damaging measures.