In a meeting with City Council yesterday, Mayor Tom Murphy alternately apologized for lousy communication skills and tore his critics to shreds.

It was a classic illustration of the state of city government these days, and possible grist for future historians studying the combative three-term mayor and the 2004 city budget crisis.

Murphy pleaded for state reform of the city's taxes, while suggesting that his state critics resign. He attended the 90-minute session to foster communication with council, then spent much of the time assailing council members' comments.

There was an awkward group-therapy aura to the meeting that was heightened when council members challenged Murphy on his handling of the budget.

Councilman Luke Ravenstahl said personality conflicts between Murphy and some state legislators were blocking tax reform efforts. He asked if Murphy would "sacrifice himself for the good of the city" and resign if that guaranteed budget help.

Murphy, who recently said he is putting his "political neck on the chopping block" to secure budget reform, answered that he would resign if his critics did so, too.

"I would suggest that maybe those few legislators who have chosen to make it a personality issue, that we would stand together and they would make a sacrifice of their political careers with me -- to say, for the betterment of this region, we'll all resign. If that would happen, I'd be happy to do it," Murphy said.

Councilmen Alan Hertzberg, Jim Motznik, Gene Ricciardi and others repeatedly cautioned Murphy against attacks on state lawmakers, saying they make it tougher to get city tax reform approved. It didn't work. State legislators have to be pressured, Murphy said, because only they can provide the city with the solutions it needs, including changes to business taxes and commuter taxes that the city cannot impose itself.

Murphy said people who cite personality conflicts as an impediment to tax reform are putting up a smokescreen to cover the fact that some legislators do not want to vote on budget changes.

"That is under the control of the Legislature. They might want to say it is not their responsibility. It is their responsibility. We have no power locally -- council doesn't, I don't -- to change this tax structure," he said.

"This is not pretty. This is a bitter, difficult time in this city's history," he said moments later. "I'm not interested in hearing that legislators don't like me, simply because I'm asking them to make a difficult decision."

Yesterday's meeting was called in the wake of a decision by Murphy's office to freeze $7.7 million in funding for community groups, without telling council, so the money could be used next year for street paving, housing demolition, and police and firefighting vehicles. Murphy backed down and released the funding Tuesday after a council revolt, and then agreed to Councilman William Peduto's suggestion that he meet with council yesterday to clear the air.

Murphy apologized for the administration's handling of the matter, saying, "I don't disagree that we haven't been the best at communication." When Peduto pressed him further, saying some community groups think he plays "favorites" on neighborhood revitalization projects, Murphy flipped.

"You can question me about communication skills. You can question me about my ability to work well with people. Don't ever question my integrity," he said angrily. "Don't EVER question my integrity."

Other times Murphy didn't have to raise his voice to get his point across. Twice, after Motznik and Ricciardi criticized his budget handling, Murphy said the city could gain $1.5 million if it eliminated the water rate subsidy the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority pays for city customers of Pennsylvania American Water.

What Murphy didn't have to say is many of the city's 28,000 Penn American customers, who would face larger water bills without the subsidy, live in Motznik's and Ricciardi's council districts.

Later Murphy shot down a Ricciardi idea -- also proposed by state Republicans -- to raise money by selling land and other assets the city and its agencies own.

Asset sales are only a short-term solution that won't fix the city's underlying budget structure, Murphy said.

"If you put up false solutions or one-time solutions, you just give people cover who don't want to make difficult decisions," Murphy said, again talking about state legislators.

"Every time there's an idea or a proposal on the table, you constantly, instead of working with people, you constantly shoot back and challenge people," Ricciardi responded. "That's why you have some difficulty in Harrisburg."

Murphy ended the communication-building session soon after.

"Gene, I will send you the water authority legislation this afternoon," the mayor said.