To the editor:

Isn’t it amazing that certain Council members want the citizens of Suffolk to tell them where cuts should be made in order for the City to live within a budget? Isn’t this one of the main reasons that they were elected to do in the first place?

Anyone in office during these times should be there only if they can cope with the fiscal challenges that face our communities. Tax-and-spend has not been one of their mandates. Cuts can be made in every department if serious-minded administrators are doing their jobs properly.

Schools, like every other area controlled by the government, have plenty of fat. There are too many feel-good programs and positions, too many assistants, and too many bus routes. If all of these areas have truly been cut to the bone, then it may be time to start looking at some extracurricular programs, and if it’s too painful to cut them, maybe the parents of the students should start paying for them as an extra charge. Not only would this have a beneficial effect on the budget, it might help focus our students to concentrate more on scholastic matters.

The city of Suffolk and its school system need to start living within their means, rather than giving double-digit pay increases and building new offices and recreational centers during such challenging economic times.

Buddy Wilkins

Suffolk