In these hard economic times many cities and towns across the country are forced to make budget cuts. These cuts are made to reduce the debt, and balance the deficit owed. A majority of these cuts are made to nonessential programs such as extracurricular sports and music programs. But some of the cuts made are to very essential things such as city workers wages or even city workers jobs. Cutting a sport or art program is bad enough, but cutting wages or firing workers is much more serious. Cuts such as those may threaten the livelihood of the affected people. Here in my hometown of Woonsocket Rhode Island, the bad economy has really taken a toll on all of the residents. Many people can barely afford to pay their rent and are forced to live with extended family or even worse, on the streets. One of the most recent cuts the city has decided to make is to revoke the pensions of retired city workers like firefighters and policemen. This cut did not affect me personally but my grandfather was affected. My grandfather was a fire captain in Woonsocket for over 40 years. He worked at the fire station and also part time at a club in Woonsocket as a bartender, just to make sure the bills were paid and there was food on the table for his family. He worked 40 long, hard years to be able to retire and get his pension. He is now handicapped and has horrible arthritis and other ailments because of on the job injuries. When the pensions were cut he was crushed because he felt he worked hard all his life in vain. He is not struggling to pay his current mortgage or bills at all, because he had set aside enough money before retirement, but many people that are retired were counting on their pension to pay their bills or manage various expenses. Now some of them may have to go back to work.


These pensions were cut after very little thought or effort . This is simply not fair to all of these people. We have programs like theatre and art that can be cut without damaging the livelihood of anyone. Now I’m not saying people won’ t be affected by these cuts, and I would not want a school sport or art program cut, but I would not be as affected as someone losing their house because they can’t pay their bills would be. I personally think the pensions of the current city workers should be renegotiated. Their pension will not be need for quite some time, and that will temporarily solve the pension problem. Another resolution to the debt problems would be to cut the free lunch programs. Some schools even offer breakfast programs. I think all of these meal programs should be cut. If you think about it that would save a substantial amount of money each month, also decreasing the debt. I think if we start cutting all the little nonessential programs and keep to a strict budget we will get our city back on track, and ultimately get the pensions back to the deserving people that worked their whole lives to earn them.