A reader argues that overspending is the problem in Annapolis ("Maryland's spending problem," Sept. 29).
This is a constant refrain, but then the inevitable question arises: Exactly what programs should be cut?
Education? Then your kids will attend overcrowded classrooms. Transportation? Then roads will have more potholes and your commute will take longer. State inspectors? Then your food is more likely to be spoiled and your parents will be living in unsupervised retirement communities.
Environmental programs? Then our rivers, streams and the Chesapeake Bay will become more polluted and our air unbreathable. Sanitation? Then our water will be undrinkable. Health care? Then we all pay more to cover rising costs from the overuse of emergency-room care.
The question of what programs to cut invariably ends the conversation. How about exploring how to increase revenues? Then perhaps we can have an intelligent conversation.
Jack Kinstlinger, Towson
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