This gets worse. On Sept. 9, management informed us they were slashing 2 or 3 newsroom jobs, among cuts to other departments. What do you cut when you’re down to bone? State Capitol coverage? A schools reporter? City Hall? Web editors? Our one and only photographer? The deadline to apply for a voluntary severance package is Monday. That’s less than a 2-week window to figure out if my career is over — there’s not a lot of safe landing spots in this industry. And if we long-timers don’t leave, expect lay-offs to follow. We’ve got a good team of dedicated newsies at a determined paper that wants to get it right. But management needs to bolster this newsroom and the communities we cover, not tie our hands and send us packing. Contract negotiations resume Wednesday at 1 West Water St. Expect sparks!