To the editor:

Why would Gov. Brownback and Mike O’Neal and radical right-wing Republicans force through a budget bill that calls for a huge deficit by 2017? Their theory may be that leaving more money for the rich will stimulate job growth and general prosperity, but this has been thoroughly disproved. Why would they continue down this dead-end path?

I believe we saw their intent here at home with the plan to close our SRS office. They didn’t want to close the office, they assured us; there just wasn’t enough money in the budget — the budget they created.

That was small potatoes compared with the cuts needed with the new budget. The cuts again will be made with the excuse that there just isn’t enough money to go around. Again state hospital staffs will be decimated, funds for general health and mental health will be cut, services to the unemployed, the elderly and the disabled will be slashed. School funding will be cut again.

The governor simply wants less government, regardless of the effects. You get a sense of his commitment to the less fortunate when he cuts taxes for the wealthy and increases taxes for people with low and middle income. He commented that the basic needs of homeless people are being met (yes, he did say that) while he handed out some hamburgers at our homeless shelter. He is out of touch with those who do need help.

Government should be for all the people. Remember this at election time!