FYI: Mayor Bloomberg unveiled his budget plan in a speech this morning, offering New Yorkers a touch of what he called “realism” about what will have to happen to close the budget gap. Bloomberg acknowledged it is unlikely the city will get much of the aid from the state that he has asked for, and turned up the heat on labor to accept stiffer work requirements if the city is to avoid layoffs as a result. As he has done repeatedly in recent days, the mayor dismissed the sort of “one-shot” budget boosters Governor Pataki is expected to formally offer the city tomorrow (totaling around $750 million) in favor of recurring revenue sources such as a new commuter tax. The Center for an Urban Future, City Limits’ sister think tank, echoed Bloomberg’s call for recurring revenue with an analysis that showed New York City has lost a disproportionate number of jobs in the year following 9/11 when compared to six surrounding counties, where the number of jobs actually grew or held steady. [1/28/03]