... to the point where Republicans began to openly admire him. Koch let it be known that he admired Reagan but felt less sanguine when the president slashed spending by just under $700 billion in his first budget. Koch proposed a $2 billion capital budget that would mark the beginning of a ten-year reconstruction...

... the president slashed spending by just under $700 billion in his first budget. Koch proposed a $2 billion capital budget that would mark the beginning of a ten-year reconstruction program. Meanwhile, dance commentators looked back on the year as one of regeneration. But the talk of rebirth was countered...