State spending was the major topic of discussion Monday during a Middle Peninsula League of Voters-sponsored forum featuring Del. Harvey B. Morgan (R-Middlesex). The forum, held at First Presbyterian Church, Gloucester, drew over a dozen people who were not only interested in economic issues, but also transportation, environmental and other issues impacting the Middle Peninsula and beyond.

Morgan said the state’s recent budget is the size of the 2006 budget. "And that’s not necessarily bad," he said. "I think this recession, as hard as it is, can be therapeutic. It forces us to sharpen our pencils, tighten our belts."

He talked about how this recession, in many ways, is worse that the Great Depression for many citizens. Morgan said that during the Depression, this area’s economy was more rural, yielding many small farms, which allowed people to be more self-sufficient.

At that time, he said there was no community service board or food stamps, and many other safety nets available today were unheard of then. Now, Morgan said the population is so dependent upon electricity that if the power were to go out, it would leave people paralyzed.

"For many people, if some safety net were not there, it would be devastating," he said.