Please.

quick rant. my husband reads from a current article about all the cuts governor patrick is about to make...about 1,000 state jobs: gone. then, it details further all the social service agencies that will be slashed and hacked at, in attempt to "fix the budget"...

The article states:

"The reductions will be spread across almost all sectors of state government, biting deeply into state university campuses and community colleges, the state's health insurance programs, and dozens of social service programs - from assistance for at-risk teens to services for the mentally ill and the elderly." - Boston.com

I just don't understand why THESE groups are the ones that get to be considered "non-essential"...At risk and poor teens who NEED community colleges get overlooked. Mentally ill are no longer advocated for, or supported- HOMELESSNESS? Hello? Even the blind are getting crapped on. It's just insane. My husband works for another "non essential" youth program which will undoubtedly face devastating cuts. It makes me wonder how they think that these programs which parents and children alike all contribute to "saving their lives" become the first to go...Don't they see the connections between removing support for HUMAN programs, and the inevitable SOCIAL consequences? The crime, the drug use, the homelessness, the illiteracy...on and on. These things WILL happen if we let PEOPLE down.

Tony pointed out, being in this profession that they are one of the only sectors without union representation. Oh right. Oh yah, but...Duh. Of course they don't have an organized union to work on their behalf, because they are TOO busy out HELPING others who are in DIRE need of help. They don't worry about themselves, which makes them true servants to others. But then the government faced with the task of chopping budgets sees them as defenseless unlike all the other sectors so heavily guarded by their unions and chops at them, first. So so sad.

I just needed to rant. Because I have a husband working in a field that I also hold a degree in, and hope to get back into very soon and I just feel as though it's SAD how little people respect those that do SELFLESS work. And do it with passion and care. And love. How many people LOVE what they do? Lots of those people in cubicles with jobs nice and safe right now, do NOT love what they do. They are all working for the weekend, so to speak, but not us. We love this work. The line between job, and other life, blur because it's just LIKE THAT. It's all good. We are whole for the choices we make professionally.

That is always threatened, in our culture. We must fight back. We must fight with the same love and compassion as we work. Always.