If they were really about shared sacrifice:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/08/ ... aland.html
I'm sure the gov't workers can afford a cut:
http://alfin2100.blogspot.com/2010/08/i ... erica.html
Considering the alternatives, it's the mildly painful now or the massive pain shortly when the whole thing collapses. This is what happens when you favor patronage and cronyism over economic growth.