New York lawmakers vow to fight for billions in federal aid for city's recovery

By SARA KUGLER
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK – New York's governor sought $54 billion in federal aid and the mayor ordered most departments to cut spending by 15 percent as the city tackles the economic fallout from last month's terrorist attacks.

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani predicted Tuesday that the city will lose 100,000 jobs and $1 billion in revenue this budget year.

The state's congressional delegation vowed to fight for the federal money requested Tuesday by Gov. George Pataki, but Sen. Charles Schumer acknowledged that securing the full amount would be a "very heavy lift."

"We will do everything humanly possible to get as much of this as we can," said Schumer, D-N.Y.

At the still-smoking scene of the destruction Wednesday morning, dogs were brought in at least twice, apparently to determine whether human remains had been uncovered. Work stopped briefly at those spots but quickly resumed.

At least one body was brought out Tuesday night, draped in a flag and saluted by a line of firefighters.

Pataki and Giuliani said New York is well-positioned to recover from damage inflicted when terrorists crashed two airliners into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, leaving lower Manhattan a graveyard for thousands.

"People who bet against New York have always lost," Pataki said at a news conference. "We're going to come through this."

The mayor spared only the police and fire departments and the school system from the double-digit budget cuts. Those departments face a 2.5 percent cutback. A citywide hiring freeze went into effect after the attacks, he said.

Giuliani said the $1 billion estimate included lost taxes from hotels, restaurants and retail sales, which lost up to 70 percent of their business in the weeks immediately after the attack. Christyne Lategano Nicholas, who heads the city's tourism agency, told the Daily News editorial board that the city lost at least $237 million in hotel, restaurant and Broadway revenue from out-of-towners.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., expressed confidence on that Congress would come through with the $54 billion.

"I know my Senate colleagues understand its importance to not only New York, but the entire nation," she said.

White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said President Bush was "committed to helping New York recover from the attack."

The number of people reported missing from the trade center attacks remained at 4,815 Tuesday. There have been 422 confirmed deaths, including 370 victims who have been identified.

As crews at the trade center site hunt for human remains and remove truckloads of twisted steel, many pedestrians still wear surgical masks, concerned about the acrid air spreading from the smoldering rubble.

James Large, 47, an iron worker from Pittsburgh who has been at the site for three weeks, said he wears a mask all the time.

"The air quality is very bad," he said. "I'm very worried. There's definitely lots of asbestos, different sorts of fiberglass and concrete dust."

Government officials say the air is safe to breathe, despite the lingering smell.

"I know subjectively it looks bad, and there's odor, and there will be until the fire subsides and the cleanup is done," said John Henshaw, administrator of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

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