Background: 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.