To the editor:

In response to your editorial last week (Groupthinks enemy, May 6, 2010), its a shame that the (Democratic) majority on the City Council could not see fit to produce a combined city and school budget that was not larger than last years already bloated level. 

Reinstating merit pay raises that virtually all employees get was unnecessary. The alternatives were furloughs and eliminating jobs, but the Council only managed to cut 10 jobs. 

Equally frustrating was the decision to increase funding for the schools by 2 percent with the Council refusing to recognize that the School Board had refused to make any real cuts instead restoring all planned cuts after receiving a windfall of extra funds from Richmond.

Tom Slayton
Alexandria