Your editorial in the Friday, May 11, edition of The Enterprise, “Punitive treatment of nonprofit agencies” is a point well taken, and in my opinion, warrants more attention. It is an indication of the change of direction in fiscal policies by the county commissioners. Rather than considering the merit of the individual requests, a blanket decision was made by our Republican majority to deny everybody. Simple, easy and less work, but not necessarily right.

As I recall, back in the late 1990s, we had a Democratic president. The economy was fine, and budget projections were that we could eliminate the deficit in 10 to 15 years, if we continued on the same path. In 2000, we elected a Republican president. By the year 2008, our economy was a shambles and the deficit out of sight.

In St. Mary’s County, in 2010 we ended with a budget surplus. We have now become a Republican county and in the latest election, elected a majority Republican governing body. I see this change in fiscal policy as an omen of things to come. We are now being driven by the Republican reverse Robin Hood approach to fiscal management.

The phrase “share the wealth” is nowhere to be found in the Republican philosophy. I hope I am not alone in foreseeing hard times ahead, unless a more attentive and more generous approach is used in our fiscal policies. Otherwise, how long will it take to destroy our good fortune?

William C. Watts, Leonardtown