These critics say the future of the District depends heavily on his ability to to eliminate jobs, cut services and make other hard fiscal decisions.

Obviously, the President cannot submit a fiscal 1997 budget until we have fiscal 1996 final decisions.

It should be clear by now that the annual exercise in brinksmanship serves only those who benefit from hasty fiscal decisions.

The federal government's cash-based budget process is largely a short-term plan focusing on the short- to medium-term cash implications of government obligations and fiscal decisions.

They allow the government to take its time making difficult fiscal decisions.

In this case, it will be important to have access to reliable data to avoid erroneous fiscal decisions.

When you have a limited amount of money, $68 million or whatever it is, it comes down to a fiscal decision.

The Congress thus faces some tough political, economic, fiscal and cultural decisions in order to go ahead with the referendum bill.

But the "very significant" fiscal decisions, such as the fiscal mandate and public sector pay, were not discussed in advance.

Finally, and perhaps most challenging, the country would be well served by a better process for making fiscal decisions.