Former Premier Dr Ewart Brown pinpointed one of the most vexing problems for politicians when he said that people often say they want change, but rarely want to be the change.Dr Brown was referring to education, where despite a broad consensus in favour of reform, change has been desperately slow, but he could have been referring to any number of issues confronting governments. Premier Paula Cox may now discover this as she puts her Budget through Parliament. Relief at the roll-back in payroll tax to the level of 2009/2010 is likely to be overshadowed by complaints about cuts in various services, especially those concerning grants to charities and the like.Indeed, Ms Cox, not for the only time in the Budget statement, seemed to be putting forward two different ideas. In the speech, she talked about a “new deal” for the public sector, the private sector and philanthropy, in which they would work together to deliver the services that people needed. Where for example, a charity was better suited to providing a service than Government, then Government would get out of the way.So far, so good. But as with British Prime Minister David Cameron’s “Big Society” concept, the idea of delegating responsibility can be difficult when money is short. The real question is whose money the charity is better at handling, its own, raised from the public, or the Government’s, handed out by way of a grant.Reduction in the grants is welcome in one way. Too often, charities and other non-profit organizations have been too quick to look to Government for financial support. And too often, Government was too quick to respond. The massive amounts of money handed over to football and cricket are good examples.It will be argued that the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction, but few would disagree that Bermuda has not received value for money from the huge investments made in the Island’s national sports, while these sports have failed to develop funding sources of their own, a new kind of welfare dependency.That will not stop them from howling, along with many others. Among them , this newspaper has sympathy for those who provide help to the poor, sick and elderly, who face real hardship in the current economic climate. Many others will have to make do with what they have and try to provide their services as they can. Over the next days and weeks, more will come out about the Budget and the real effect of the cuts. Everyone agrees that Government spending should be reined in. Few will agree that their particular area of responsibility or interest should bear the brunt.However, it seems strange that the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation should have its grant cut so severely when it is an engine for job creation and enterprise. Similarly, reductions in spending for marketing international business and tourism is an error, even if Tourism thinks it can increase spending by dispensing with many of the services offered by an advertising agency.Finally, Ms Cox missed an opportunity when she failed to cut her own salaries along with MPs and Ministers. When many people are being asked to make sacrifices, Bermuda’s leaders should have made a symbolic gesture. If they are asking people to change, they need to be the change as well.