Mr. Editor,
I am writing to clarify a point regarding the Petersburgh budget as reported in last week’s Eastwick Press. The 10% cut in contractual services that was reported was actually on top of the cuts already made in previous budget workshops. For instance, the budget for the Seniors was actually dropped 40% from $4,230 to $2,500.
We Seniors are willing to tighten our belts for a year. This financial crisis was primarily caused by the damage from the May storms, and, keeping it in perspective, it could have been worse. Folks elsewhere have lost their homes, incomes or lives from natural disasters. So we are proud to suck it up and do our part.
We also stand behind our youth who took an even larger cut (from $7,665 to $3,000). We will support them wherever we can if their parents take on the task of fundraising, and we urge others in the community to do the same.
Mary Lou Walters,
President Petersburgh Sunshine Seniors