There's simply not enough money to pay all the state's public employees what they may rightfully be receiving now.

Anyone who's been watching the contentious battles over state budgeting in the past few weeks could easily come to the same conclusion. The latest projection from the Council on Revenues continued its downward trend. Even with the anticipation of federal stimulus funds, there's not enough help from Uncle Sam to knit the ever-widening fiscal hole shut.

Inevitably, some kind of spending reduction must come from the state's biggest expense: labor costs. Union membership has got to be part of that shared sacrifice.

Both the executive and legislative branches have worked to eliminate vacant positions to free up some funds, but that's not enough. The state House has pushed further by recommending some layoffs.

But adding to the lengthening rolls of the newly jobless is not the best course to take. The last thing the economy needs is more employee uncertainty about paying household bills. These are people who otherwise might be feeling secure enough in their jobs to spend a little more, giving retailers a boost.

The greater good — economic stability for all Hawai'i — would be served by more people having jobs that may pay a little less than by more people standing in the unemployment line.

The state administration has made contract offers to the major labor unions; details were not released, but Gov. Linda Lingle has said she is asking for cuts to pay and benefits, cuts that would expire at the end of two years, restoring union members to today's status quo.

Lingle maintains that the state has shared its recent surpluses with workers in the form of raises in recent years, and that it's now only fair for the unions to give back when their employers — the taxpayers — need relief from any further burden.

She's right. While the unions should insist on cuts that do the least harm to those at the lower end of the pay scale, and that extend to nonunion workers as well, public employees should not expect to avert loss during such a severe global recession.

The public is having to learn to live within its diminishing means. So should the employees hired to do the public's business, paid on the taxpayer's dime.