Columbia Center for Oral History Portal > Oral history interview with Alair Townsend [electronic resource], 1992
Creator: | Townsend, Alair | Project: | Edward I. Koch Administration Oral History Project. (see all project interviews) | Phys. Desc. : | sound file: digital preservation master, WAV files (96 kHz, 24 bit) | Location: | Columbia Center for Oral History | Full CLIO record >> |
Biographical NoteFormer NYC Budget Director and Deputy Mayor.
Scope and ContentsBackground: childhood, former work in Washington, D.C.; appointment as budget director: description of work routine, environment, staff; reflections on significance of being a woman in a predominantly male Koch staff: perception by business world, support from women; use of media in achieving support for budget policies; budget: process and efficiency of implementation, differences between federal and New York City budget systems, issue of rent control, communication with public, negotiations with heads of agencies, surplus; appointment as deputy mayor of finance and economic development, contrast with position of budget director; issues in economic development: energy usage, housing, retention of major corporations; differences between New York and Washington government and politics; personal recollections of Edward I. Koch: management style, media presence, effect on staff and public, difficulty of third term, lack of enthusiasm.
SubjectsAccess ConditionsCopyright by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, 1992.
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