Budget fits -- for now

As the news tells us, Cincinnati City Council came together in the wee small hours Friday morning and finally reached a compromise on the city budget. Just in time for the holidays.

No Scrooges or Grinches in sight. They found money for all the pools, the clinics, the pensions, the rec centers, the arts and 60 new police officers. They even salted a few million away in savings. Everything will be fine. Until 2008. That's when the city will be looking at a $13 million deficit, according to Councilmen Chris Bortz. "The real problem will be in '08," he said.

The city did cut back in many categories, but not as much as City Manager Milton Dohoney had recommended. Council is hoping this year for a combination of savings through efficiencies, some increases in revenue and some more compromise when it gets to '08. It might work. I've talked myself into stretching my budget that way more than once.