SUNNYDALE, JULY, 2001

THE TOWN COUNCIL

Mayor Ridley, having won her first real election since the special election of Late Spring 1999, now moved to solidify the current town power structure.

"Best talk is, the Slayer is only going through the motions. Her little clique is carrying her, sometimes literally. Her lack of efforts means the tax base is eroding, and quickly."

Harold Talvin, Deputy Council Chair and a vampire, nodded.

"Its the kids. They all want to live in the graveyards, party all night. I mean, I was not going to let this one little setback close down my dry-cleaning monopoly. Damn The Slayer! Usually, you can count on her to clean out the driftwood."

Mel Johnson, Council Chair til the end of that month, shrugged.

"Well, they aren't budding Angeluses, that's for certain. And in my experience, a large bunch of stupid vampires will start to hang around the real demons. Ever see that old cartoon where the little dog hangs around the big one, jumping and yelping til he gets batted away? The demons are going to get bugged, and that means infrastructure damage the likes of which Dick Wilkins only talked about."

Ran Hajar, head of zoning, made the suggestion.

"Look. Harold's people are selective about who they take, and discreet. Their converts never get found in alleyways, etc. So let's just reduce the multiplier. Let's put together a bill to have all bodies of suspicious death--those that aren't autopsied, that is-- staked with miniature sharpened sticks. Protects the tax base, decreases the raids at the blood bank, supplements the Slayer's efforts, keeps the demons from getting antsy. Its a win-win."

With no objections heard, the side-meeting adjourned and the bill was raised in full council.

Two hours later, Mayor Ridley emerged, disgusted.

"It was bad enough when the concrete lobby kept us from buying road-material mixed with shredded tires and glass. But this?"

Hajar shook his head.

"Next time I hear George Carlin going off on politicians, I'm sending him a check! We are scum."

Johnson removed his tag.

"I'm resigning, as of now. If we can't even get a common sense bill like this passed, forget it."

Ridley pointed at the departing Councillor who had led the successful effort to defeat the staking bill.

"You! Why did you oppose such a simple and basic and needed bill as this? This is Sunnydale, butthead!"

The gaunt man turned around.

"Business. What you were proposing would have led to a prohibitive increase in our capital outlay, sending our prices sky-high, driving our potential clients to like businesses in other municipalities."

Talvin shuddered as the man walked away.

"Ya know? Undertakers just creep me out."