I must admit that I appreciate the forthright approach taken recently by Gov. Mark Dayton when he expressed his dismay over the “devastating cuts” that could be placed upon the poorest Minnesotans. The process of balancing the current budget deficit will not be easy, especially when aggressive political posturing is in play. The prophet Isaiah told us to share our food with the hungry, open our homes to the homeless and give clothes to those who have nothing to wear.

No one wants their turf cut, which is certainly apparent in the recent string of news coverage on the first round of proposed cuts at the Legislature. Yet, if every special interest group and level of government argues that their funding is “off the table,” there will be no choices left except for cuts to the voiceless. At some point in this process, every pledge and level of government must put their turf up for comparison to the predicted devastating cuts to the poor and other core safety-net programs.

We cannot cling to the past, but must look to the future to find a better way to provide for the delivery of core services and not necessarily services that have been provided historically.

Matt Benda

Albert Lea