As Iowa State braces itself for the second round of budget cuts this year, our local state representative and senator are stepping up to the plate for us.

In a letter to the editor appearing in today’s Daily, state Senator Johnie Hammond and state Representative Jane Greimann, both representatives of the Ames and ISU communities, have proposed some alternatives to Gov. Tom Vilsack’s proposed budget deappropriation of $108 million to state agencies, including the regent institutions.

Deappropriation means the state is taking away money given to state agencies during budget allocations for this year. In other words, any funding change will affect the state this year. Hammond and Greimann’s letter gave reasons why they think Gov. Vilsack’s proposal isn’t the best option for Iowa.

They provide a list of three alternatives to the current proposal, including recommendations such as a smaller across-the-board cut for state agencies, a new sunset tax and tapping into Iowa’s economic emergency fund.

The governor’s final proposal will be voted on by the state legislature in January.

We hope that Gov. Vilsack and Iowa’s other state legislators will examine and consider these alternatives. While Hammond and Greiman’s list of remedies does not leave Iowa’s regent schools unscathed by the budget cuts, it does cushion their fiscal fall and preserve some of the money the state of Iowa gave its universities last spring.

By proposing these budget cut alternatives, Hammond and Greiman are fulfilling their roles as our state representatives – working in the ISU community’s best interest.

Ames voters, many of them ISU students and faculty, voted for their representatives so they can be well represented during tough times not unlike what we’re experiencing now.

Instead of just standing on their political soapbox and shouting out about the injustices of another budget reduction after last spring’s cuts, Hammond and Greiman have studied the situation and come up with some plausible solutions, alternatives to those proposed by fellow Democrat Gov. Tom Vilsack.

Politicians always want to look good in the eyes of their constituents. But sometimes all that takes is a soapbox, a route Hammond and Greiman could have taken easily.

By doing their research and looking at the facts, trying to find solutions that will best benefit Iowa State, Hammond and Greiman are being the responsible, rational politicians we need representing us in the statehouse.

They are presenting solutions to the problem, not just complaining about it.

They are also going against the Democratic governor in their party, a gutsy move for any party politician in any state in any situation.

We’re glad to see our elected representatives fighting on our behalf, doing what’s necessary to ensure our concerns are being heard and our interests are being addressed.

After all, that’s their job.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Zach Calef, Omar Tesdell