On a long ago budget day, a procedural quirk
put a simple regional ward councillor
in a position to freeze the police budget.
Ward councillors don’t obstruct police budgets
because, as we all learned as kids,
the police(man) is our friend
does important and dangerous work
protects and keep us safe and
for all of this deserves to be well paid.
These are things that ward councillors,
even simple ones, should understand.
But since the common sense drumbeat
set the revolution in motion
we have come to know that the best government
is
to have practically no government at all
and respect for hard earned taxpayer’s
dollars
is the order of the day.
Others are compelled to run their ship
tightly
while the law and order liner sails unimpeded
through the calm waters of political
indifference.
On that budget day, the simple ward
councillor
Having, for a time, ascended
to the lofty heights of budget committee
member
advanced what was (by his own humble
admission)
a particularly persuasive presentation
convincing the one colleague who needed
convincing
that police spending should be apprehended
and
it was a great day for local democracy
or at least it seemed that way.
But the votes aren’t counted
until the politicians raise their hands
and when they did
the police got their money, as they always
do.
No media or public witnessed the sad event
though
police brass made time in otherwise busy days
to behold the councillor’s misbegotten
manoeuvre.
Following his 15 minutes of small town fame
our councillor drove his car like an
undertaker.
Even now, my lane changes are by-the-book
perfect
and inviolable police budgets escalate still.
This piece was originally published in the Dream, the Glory and
the Strife edited by Raymond Fenech, Hidden Brook Press, 2018.
