If we had won the five "competitive" races and sent 8 Republicans to City Hall, along with the good-government Democrats, enough votes could make a fiscally responsible mayoral veto stick.

It will take a few years for the Bloomberg-Quinn team to get a grip on city spending, but at least more lawmakers will now be aware of where the Mayor spends the $53 billion budget.

I'm beginning to understand Councilman James Oddo's (R) decision to support Councilwoman Quinn as Speaker. She is for good-government and a reformer. She may be too liberal for the average Republican, but she is showing integrity. She understands a $53 billion budget is not her money to throw around, but our money. The tax-payers.

Now, she may not be one to suggest budget cuts and tax cuts. She'll likely opt for reallocating money to agency spending that makes sense, so that's where electing Republicans comes in. Reform-minded fiscal conservatives need to be elected so we trim the budget, lower taxes so New Yorkers can save more, invest, even spend more and increase revenue, then allow for our elected officials to cut taxes even more. A cycle of an economic boom will follow and we'll see new jobs, investment, available housing and happy people.