It�s d�j� vu all over again.

Just three months into the new fiscal year, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is ordering a hiring freeze and asking all agency heads to figure out how they can cut spending by $500 million this year and 1.5 billion next year because of the looming budget gap.

The mayor wants those proposals by October 18th � just two weeks from Tuesday. Councilman Lewis Fidler is concerned.

�You know, we�re not going to be able to cut and slash and create jobs that way in the city. We can�t tax our way out of this either. Mike Bloomberg asked for a third term because of his acknowledged business acumen, we need to see it now. We need to see some of that creativity,� Fidler said, adding �we�ve already cut to the bone.�

The hiring freeze, however, will not apply to public health and safety positions.

Fidler said there has to be an alternative solution.

�I�m sure there�s some waste and there�s some re-prioritization we can do, but I think we�ve reached a point where we are going to be cutting into essential services and the safety net,� he said.

�Quite frankly, we need to put our heads together and do something different. Just cutting spending or just raising taxes are not going to be a sufficient answer,� said Fidler.

(Source: 1010WINS)