Mr. White said the report underscored the policy choice that Mayor Bloomberg made last year when confronting back-to-back multibillion-dollar budget gaps: he opted to raise taxes, breaking a campaign pledge, instead of simply slashing services.

"To simply slash and burn and dismantle all systems and safety nets without anything in their place is immoral," Mr. Wallis said.

"You cannot simply slash hours of prime-time programming," said a media executive who spoke on condition of anonymity.

I realize that a robber could simply slash my nylon bags, but most hotel room thievery is petty opportunism, performed on the fly.

He did not address whether he simply slashed Tucker's original gross - which doesn't have to bear any resemblance to the contractual payment filed with the commission - and held so much promotional leverage that Tucker wouldn't bolt.

One day, to express his concern about the appearance of Philip Johnson's ballet theater, Saarinen took a palette knife to a clay model of the building and simply slashed off the projecting stage house.

The lesson ought to be clear: advanced countries cannot simply slash their way to prosperity and fiscal balance regardless of the overall level of demand.

While in the Ultraverse, Reaper was actually able to injure Juggernaut by simply slashing him with his upgraded scythe.

Rather than argue or accept his last statement, the admiral simply slashed her epee to the side in salute, said, "On guard," and took up the classic position.

A more determined thief will simply slash the pack- or take it away.