In budget-cutting season, politics can be brutal. In Somerville, the pain is particularly severe because we rely more on diminishing state aid than almost any other city or town in Massachusetts. And, with a long tradition of supporting organized labor, we don't like to see the jobs of our neighbors on the chopping block. But Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has to close an $8.1 million budget gap and some job cuts are going to be neccessary. He presented a lean budget to aldermen and this week the city announced 10 layoffs.

With eight vacant positions eliminated and 49 janitors jobs possibly outsourced, we're up to almost 70 city employees let go.

The sad thing is, it is unavoidable. Politics be darned though, these moves may be unpopular with special interest labor groups but they are neccessary.

In fact, we'd like to see more budget trimming from the city. Schools are often a sacred cow but we all know administrative waste exists in the system.

Curtatone has built up a lot of political capital in six years as mayor. In one of the toughest budget crisis in decades, now is the time to make unpopular but essential spending cuts.