Some pain to share

By The Gazette Editorial Board

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Cutting $75,000 out of a $1.5 million allocation may not seem like much. It's 5 percent - the cut members of the U.S. House decided to absorb for their office budgets.

Nonetheless, the reduction is a reminder that, for the public, our representatives' actions speak louder than words. If House members are serious about getting the federal budget and national debt under control, they must be willing to take a financial hit, too.

And while our economy appears to be in modest recovery mode, many private and public-sector employees, business owners and managers are still managing their household and workplace budgets with cuts often larger than 5 percent. These are not easy times for many of us.

Managing expenses in Washington, D.C., isn't easy either. It's one of the most expensive places to live in this country. And the bulk of congressional office budgets goes for staff salaries.

Some worry that the 5 percent cut will hurt communication with constituents if, for example, newsletter mailings or travel to see constituents are reduced. But some of those mailings strike us more as campaign tools than useful information. Travel choices can be refined. Communication technology can fill some gaps.

Some financial stress is not bad. It can stir creativity and more efficiencies. So why hasn't the Senate decided to share in the pain?