Honorable Mayor, Assembly Members and Staff, I thank you all for your time spent to represent the people that live here. I applaud your effort to establish and maintain a balanced budget. If the Haines Borough Government needs to spend less money, I ask that all government spending be cut evenly.
Please do not cut spending in a discriminatory manner. If one part of the Government is to be reduced due to lack of money, the entire Government should be reduced at the same rate.
I ask the Assembly to consider very carefully what is essential and what is not. Who will make the essential decision?
Our police department just hired another officer. Where are the cuts to this department? Our police department is an antique from the days of the State of Alaska hemorrhaging money and the Haines Borough taking it. A balanced budget serves us all.
Paul Nelson