"I don't want to hear people come whining to me next year if half the people on [Finance Committee] have never seen a budget statement before," he said.

Driskell, who voted against the bill, said she hopes someone else can come up with a better solution--though she praised Letalien and Orr for taking their best shot.

"They were definitely headed in the right direction," Driskell said. "We clearly have a problem."

Driskell said she was happy that virtually all the other amendments passed, an outcome that she and others predicted last week.

In other business last night, the council passed bills urging the administration to take action on sexual violence and environmental preservation.

Orr sponsored a bill calling on the administration to increase the possible penalties for sexual assaults other than rape and attempted rape.

But the council voted to amend the bill to remove calls for lawyers to be allowed in Administrative Board hearings and to end Ad Board gag orders. Feeling the bill had lost much of its meaning, Orr withdrew his sponsorship.

The amended bill passed easily.