Finance Minister (ET) Bob Richards has to achieve the impossible today.He has to stabilise the debt, he has to find money for a robust social package, he has to find ways of helping businesses survive, he has limited ways of finding new revenue and the One Bermuda Alliance has promised not to cut the civil service.This newspaper believes that projections will show that finances are also in a much worse shape at the end of the financial year than predicted, leaving an even bigger back hole.So what must or what will Mr Richards do?He needs to cut the civil service wage bill, whether through a shorter working week or a wage cut. Talks which began last year with the unions seem to have stalled, but they must be resurrected and the unions must act responsibly.He must keep payroll tax concessions — without them many businesses will simply go to the wall.He will also probably have to raise the debt ceiling in order to fund the things the Government has inherited and expenses they have not been able to immediately reduce. This newspaper believes that the Government will then cap the debt ceiling.Above all, in this newspaper’s opinion, there must be support for a community and social package. It is to be hoped that the Ministry of Community and Cultural Development gets a boost to its budget.Financial hardship is the breeding ground of discontent. There must be a safety net that stops that discontent from turning into something more menacing and money directed at the community and spent wisely will be one of the biggest investments Mr Richards can make.So over to you Mr Richards. The whole Island will be watching to see if you really can perform magic.* What do you think? E-mail acting Editor Jeremy Deacon, jdeacon@royalgazette.bm