Gov. Baldacci has said he wants to spread the pain of a budget shortfall around. The latest
group to feel the pain is state workers, who will have 24 furlough days (no work, no pay)
over the next two years. The state workers also will have to pay a portion of their health
insurance premiums. Is this fair? Should the governor instead be targeting high-paid
bureaucrats? Should he be eliminating entire departments? Or is this a reasonable
solution, saving state jobs while also saving some money? Or is it time to bite the bullet
and raise the sales tax by 1 percent for six months or a year?