Then came the budget crunch, and literacy became a luxury.

"When you have a budget crunch, everything gets squeezed," he said.

His position is not expected to be filled due to the city's budget crunch.

"Recognizing the budget crunch, all of us have to share in that pain," he said.

The Legislature, faced with a budget crunch, has done nothing.

Other side effects of the budget crunch are being felt throughout the region.

With local and state governments experiencing a budget crunch, public support has been cut.

The states are already cutting welfare to meet the budget crunch.

The city's budget crunch is killing the Brooklyn library system.

Last year, the cost per barrel went up by $38, creating a serious budget crunch.