Are truly staggering budget cuts ahead?

By 11 a.m. on Wednesday of the coming week, I - like each of the other four college deans - will submit prioritized potential cuts to the FY '10 - '11 (next year's) college budget in the range of $2 million.  $2 million constitutes about 17% of the total College of Health budget, including both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Coast campuses; to call the impact of losing $2 million "staggering" grossly understates the case. 

"Prioritizing" possible cuts of this magnitude amounts to a Sophie's Choice - which of my children do I "choose" to sacrifice?  Despite the availability of various criteria to employ in the decision-making process, there is, quite simply, no acceptable formula for this, no rational justification for the unspeakable act of destroying programs vital to the health services system of the state and region..