Today's proposal reflects budget changes that the governor says are necessary to maintain the state's fiscal health.

Medicare spending, tax bills and other budget changes will knock at least $600 billion more off the surplus.

Yesterday, officials in both the Council and the administration expressed satisfaction with the budget changes.

Speaker Silver said the problems wrought by the budget change were never anticipated.

In his district, he said, budget changes are made by committees made up of principals, parents and teachers.

This is partly because the President's economists expect the deficit would narrow next year to $127 billion even without budget changes.

The budget changes came two months after Israel had approved its current two-year budget.

Has the Council put any arrangements in place in order to prepare for a possible budget change?

Democrats who are expected to run for Mayor had a different view of the Mayor's budget changes.

The president's decision ended his earlier talk of a director who could merely recommend budget changes.