Culver’s 10 percent cut a simplistic approach

I am very disappointed our governor mandated all of our state agencies to reduce their budgets by

10 percent. This is a simplistic solution to a complex problem. This is a cop-out to avoid making the hard decisions that come with setting priorities. He has assumed all the agencies are equal in importance and all have things they can do without. This is a false assumption.

The Highway Patrol is to cut its funding by 10 percent. The primary causes of highway accidents and deaths are speed and liquor. Are we to assume that with fewer troopers on the road, fewer drivers will speed or drive drunk? Not likely.

What happens to the right to a speedy trial with 10 percent cuts in the judiciary?

A study of history will tell what our forefathers thought was important. First, they hired or elected a sheriff and a judge to enforce the laws so they could live in peace. Then they provided clean water and a sewer system so their community would be healthy. Next came fire protection, followed by schools. Our youth are our future. Fewer teachers not fairly paid means Iowa will lose teachers to those states where workloads are reasonable and salaries better.

These are basic needs. All else is secondary. We need and deserve better leadership than what we are getting.

George R. Dane

Iowa City