Dennis was a Tea Party Republican, and in a lot of issues he was pretty repugnant. The only thing he and I agreed on was that corruption was one of the most important issues facing the city. Unfortunately he disagreed with me on how to go about it, favoring a slash n' burn mantra while preaching about the common good of the regular citizens. Perhaps he was right, for certain parts of the city. Dennis represented the area next to the Heights, another pretty affluent area. Maybe there, where the average income started in the high five figures and rocketed up into the six figures quickly, and children could play in the streets or the playgrounds all the time without their parents worrying themselves sick, maybe those people were more honest.
I'd grown up on the other side of town however, where the average man had a criminal's boot on his neck and an exploitative boss's fist up his ass. I came from where getting home safely at night meant being meaner than an alley cat, and where the Golden Rule was modified into "fuck them before they fuck you."
Then again, perhaps Dennis wasn't as high and mighty as he seemed. After all, he was taking sides against me on this Union issue, and if there was one thing Republicans were supposed to agree with me on, it was being anti-Union. Roberta and Jack, the other two votes I had besides Shawn Northrup's, were both Republicans.
But Dennis was trying to at least be civil. "Thanks, Dennis. Hey, you got a minute?"
"Sure," he said, coming in and closing the door behind him. "If you're going to try and get me to change my vote tonight, you're wasting your breath though.”
"No, I figured that much," I said as he took a seat. I shivered, and wished I had been wearing my thermal tops. It was true, the City Council offices were cold as all hell, and being the junior most, I got the crappiest office. I reminded myself to get two electric space heaters, one for me and one for Gwen, before one of us got frostbite. "I just wanted to ask you, if you don't mind, why? I mean, you of all people should be as anti-Union as they get. Yet you're opposing me on this. Come to think of it, since I won the election you've been against me. I swear Dennis, if I say the sky is blue, you're going to oppose me until the sun sets and you can declare the sky is red. What's up?"
Dennis shrugged, and thought about it. "Want the truth?"
"Why not? I doubt I could do much with it anyway if you’re offering it to me." I leaned back in my office chair, waiting for Dennis to speak. Finally he chuckled, as if he made an internal decision.
"Pretty simple really. Joe's going to be gone at the end of his term. This city, well, it's ran pretty blue for the past generation or so. Most bigger cities are. I intend to change that. I plan on tossing my hat into the ring come election time."
"Then why not side with me?" I countered. "Being seen as pro-Union can't be winning you any favors in the party primary. Hell, the State Repubs have got to be sweating your ass about it even."
Dennis nodded. "They are. But, I have it very well planned out. You see, my appeal will pick up the Republicans without a problem. Roberta and Jack, they're happy where they are, they don't want the big chair. I'm sure I can win the primary even if someone else throws their name in. But, come election time, I'm going to be facing a Democrat, one that has traditionally counted on Union votes. They've put more than one Dem in office around here for quite a few decades. But, the Dems have a big problem right now. They've got no superstar to replace Joe. Shawn's got troubles of his own, and Maxine's never going to win enough of the Heights vote to carry the city. That leaves you, maybe."
I think I play poker pretty well, and my face was impassive. "So?"
"So, you're an independent that might get the Dem nomination if you go that way, but can easily get onto the main ballot just as you are. You have the sort of appeal that will take some of my Heights voters, especially with your association with MJT and Tabby Williams. Pro-business, but at the same time you've come from The Playground, so you're going to get a big chunk of their votes and the Filmore votes as well. My best chance is to not only position myself to counter you, but to make sure that all those Union voters out there know that you were the guy who fucked them, while I was the guy sticking up for them."
"Even though they're as corrupt as anything you rail against?"
Dennis nodded. “Sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do."
I shook my head. "I understand. All right Dennis, thanks for the honesty. I'll see you tonight. In the meantime, I have to have a meeting with Mayor Joe."
* * *
In the end, the vote on the measure itself was anti-climatic. While there was some debate, the fact was everyone had their positions set well in stone beforehand. Francine Berkowitz even made an appearance at the meeting, giving us an impassioned plea for a good fifteen minutes before sitting down and glaring at me. If looks could kill, I'd have been dead and buried before we even had the vote.