March 8, 2001

Mailing address: Stephen Pape 204 Cripple Creek Glenn Heights, TX 75154

Email: Speak to me.

Scroll down on this page to Read the continuation of "Council Heights- Part 4"

Link to Fictional Council Heights-Part 1

Council Heights - Part Four.

The following article is uh uh...fictional. It is meant to be funny because everyone knows that the stuff depicted would not really occur in any town in which sane people reside. It is intended to be humerous and it is recommended that anyone without the capacity to enjoy humor not read the article. Any similarity between characters within the article to people you know is solely a coincidence. However, if anyone feels that the actions depicted are too close to being truthful (and with a few minor changes could be exactly as something has happened), all that person needs to do is email me describing what really happened and I will be happy to change my fictional story to not reflect the real life event so closely. I reserve the right to print the real life event in the non fictional portion of this web site so be careful what you send me.

Part Four.

Harriet Busybody waved as she walked down Main Street and spied her friend Sarah Hampsteader. Harriet was a little surprised and maybe even a little miffed that her long time acquaintance apparently had not even noticed her (nor had she heard her screams "Stop….. Wait!) Boy, she must be in lala-land thought Harriet. Sarah was handing out some type of paper to everyone she met on the street. Harriet thought it was strange to see her friend with a four legged creature that looked like one of those little yappie yappie type dogs. Did Sarah have a new pet? But no matter how much Harriet screamed for her friend to wait, she just could not catch up with Sarah and the dog.

Sarah and the dog had ducked into the Council Height's Municipal Store and Harriet knew that it was impossible to find someone in there with all the piles of boxes and things. (It was kind of a messy place, unlike the stores that were run by the greedy corporate money grubbing retail machines.) So Harriet (who was accustomed to having nice chats when she saw her friends) shrugged and went on her way. She wondered what was wrong with Sarah and mumbled to herself "She was probably just in a big hurry and did not have time to talk".

But Harriet felt deep down that something terrible might be wrong. But what could be going on with her friend Sarah? Could it be that Harriet's name had been placed on the LIST. Harriet knew she was probably the most loyal of Super Councilman's followers. How could her name have been placed on the LIST. But why else would people all over town, (people that used to look up, to wave and smile) no longer even acknowledge her as she passed. Harriet had often participated in the drill and she knew that someone had made a terrible mistake. It was at this point that Harriet cried "Super Councilman, Super Councilman, I need you!" But to her dismay, nothing happened. Harriet was now in deep distress……

The Council Heights Municipal Store was one of the most innovative Economic Development Plans that Super Councilman had ever conceived. Unlike with the Council Heights Development, Building, and Control Company, the State had not bothered to fight this Plan. The State had long decided that it would be best to leave Super Councilman alone as long as no one in Council Heights complained. Besides, the ballot box would be the best place for Council Heights Citizens to make their will known if there was a problem. Each of the Plans that Super Councilman instigated had worked to some degree, but this one had really taken wing. It all had started near the end of the last administration (which had been controlled by one of the corporate structured money grubbing machines). Super Councilman had convinced the Council to fire the City's Economic Development Director and he had been working on a plan to take his place uh uh… find a replacement.

Back then, some representatives of one of those greedy mega grocery stores, (no need to tell you who controlled them), had approached the Council Heights City Council and asked for a 25% abatement for the first few years of operation. The City would receive 75% of the tax revenue to spend on anything they wanted and the mega store was to invest their abated 25% in improvements for their mega grocery store owned property. It became apparent that the non sophisticated Council was leaning toward granting the abatement when one of the former elected officials, (who fortunately was no longer there), had stated "To me, having 75% of something is better than having 100% of nothing."

At that point, Super Councilman had become irate and started screaming insults and ranting at both his ill informed colleague as well as at the greedy mega store representatives. He hadn't even taken time to pause before his tirade, (as was usually expected of Super Heroes). "We will not use our tax money to help line your pockets!", he had screamed. "You are not welcome in Council Heights unless you agree to abide by my uh uh… our rules." (He had paused at that point, like Super Heroes do when they are allowing slower people to reflect on their previous statements.) He then shouted, "You Corporate structured money grubbing machines always want to come to small towns like Council Heights and control control control. That is all you want. Control and uh uh… Money. Money Money Money. Yea, Control and Money. We'll, we don't need you because we don't want you to be vested. If you are vested then we can't change the rules. We need to be able to change the rules don't we." Super Councilman looked around at the other members of the Council and a majority shook their heads in agreement.

It was at this point that Super Councilman saw the chance to spring his secret plan on the receptive Council. He cleared his throat, lowered his voice (like all Super Heroes do when they are going to speak) and said "ladies and gentlemen of the Council, and all you uh uh…citizens in the audience. As you know, there are evil people out there that do not have uh uh … your best interest at heart. They, unlike me, would take your money out of Council Heights and not pay their fair share to do business here. They will not agree to unconditionally adhere to our current rules as well as all future amendments of the rules. Therefore, this very day I will be starting the Council Heights Municipal Store of which I will be the President, CEO, CFO and all of them things. We will need tax money to operate and everything will be just fine. All I need is your unconditional support because those greedy corporate structured money grubbing retail machines will certainly fight my uh uh… our just and right cause."

So, that is how the now splendid idea had come to light and Council Heights was spared the trouble of being controlled by the fingers of a Greedy Corporate Mega Grocery Store. Also, the Council can, and frequently does, change the rules. Things are truly going well in Council Heights.

One of the greatest advantages of having a City run Grocery Store is that, with tax support, it does not have to make money to stay in business. Also, the Council is not forced into allowing residential growth to support the greedy corporate stores. Free enterprise shopping in Council Heights would have only opened the door for outsiders to control the City. The last thing Council Heights needed was someone else to exercise power and control. That was reserved for Super Councilman. Council Heights was the talk of the County as many other nearby cities watched and were stunned and amazed at the actions taken by the Council Heights Council.

So, Super Councilman, using his superior influence, had convinced the Council Heights Council to end the retail monopoly of greedy businessmen (and women) that other cities faced by creating the tax payer supported Council Heights Municipal Store. It was located in one of the many abandoned retail shopping centers near the center of Council Heights. Sure the City operated retail store seldom had fresh fruits and vegetables but at least the proceeds were being routed to a very worthy cause. Everyone that shopped at the Council Heights Municipal Store was pleased when they learned that any profits, when they occurred, were used to provide compensation for Council Heights Greatest Volunteer- Super Councilman. After all, even Super Heroes have to feed their families. Sure tax money usually had to be used to help cover the operating expense of the store but as Super Councilman always said, "That is why you uh uh…we all pay taxes."

It really was a small sacrifice for Harriet to purchase all of her family's food at the Council Heights Municipal Store. Sure the food might be a little stale but considering the alternative, Harriet would not shop anywhere else. With Super Councilman's Municipal Store Plan, every single dollar of profit stayed right here in Council Heights. Gone were the days when Council Height's Citizens had to allow their hard earned money to be funneled into the pockets of one of those greedy corporate structured money grubbing retail machines that had once plagued Council Heights.

(Now going forward but not all the way to the point that this story (part 4) had started. Let's say, shortly after the start of part 3.) There had been a secret meeting of the Council Height's Council immediately following the last posted Council Meeting. (The one that everyone thought had lasted only ten minutes.) Super Councilman had asked the rest of the Council to "hang around" because he needed to talk to them about a few things after everyone else left. The trouble maker Councilman left immediately after the meeting and Sarah and Harriet, while much more talkative, had soon strolled out as well. No one, not even Sarah or Harriet suspected that the ten minute Council Meeting was to continue far beyond the officially recorded meeting time. (Meetings following meetings was not at all uncommon because, like Super Councilman always said, "… it was much more efficient to have private discussions among the elected officials without the uh uh… citizens interference.")

Besides, the Council knew that many of their decisions would have been misunderstood if they had occurred during a public meeting. It was much neater to take care of the Council Height's Official Council Business with only the loving Council Members present because it was them and them alone that could bring Council Heights through the terrible economic woes that the City now faced. Sure the neighboring Cities were not suffering with the absorbent increases in taxes and the loss of City services but these other cities were still living the lie of believing the corporations and mega retailers actually cared about the citizens. Sure these other cities had un-vandalized parks, libraries (with unbroken ceramic toilets), good roads, quality fire and police services, but each of them had sold out to the corporate moguls and were now "polluted" as Super Councilman put it. Council Heights had none of these things but the Council Heights Council still had the ability to change the rules and like Super Councilman always said, "If I uh uh… we can change the rules, we still have control and that's what counts."

After everyone had left that night, except for the Council, Super Councilman had cleared his throat and lowered his voice, (as all Super Heroes do when they are about to speak), and began his speech. "I am very saddened to inform each of you tonight that someone that we all thought was one of us has not been forthright and honest about their past. This person gives off the appearance of being a plain old Council Heights Citizen but a few weeks ago, I employed the services of a special assistant and this special assistant has sniffed out a fake among us." It was at this time that Super Councilman called for his new assistant to enter the Council Chambers. Super Councilman paused as he waited for his assistant to appear.

With a flash, bounding through the door came a four legged creature yapping out all types of insults and threats. "Your mommie wears army boots, your daddie wears army boots" the creature was yapping over and over, (he was waiting for the pre-arranged signal from Super Councilman.)

Super Councilman raised his hand and the yapping immediately stopped. "Silence!" Shouted Super Councilman and immediately the room became deathly quiet. "As I was saying, I now have an assistant and his job is to smell out from among us those that cannot be trusted and those that might not see things the same way that we see them." Super Councilman paused (as Super Heroes do when they want to make sure that everyone is listening.) "This is my newest assistant and his name is "Attack Dawg". He has been working very hard and you have seen the results of his labor this very night. It was Attack Dawg that told me, (and I that told Mayor), about the rogue Councilman that we uncovered tonight. Without Attack Dawg, tonight could have been really upsetting for the uh uh…. Citizens and Mayor was able to avoid certain embarrassment during the public portion of our Council Meeting. You all probably suspected that the other Councilman might not be one of us but it was Attack Dawg that did the research that led to tonight's declaration by Mayor." Super Councilman asked the Council to give Attack Dawg a standing ovation and they happily complied.

Following a very long ovation, Super Councilman asked Attack Dawg to share a few words with the Council. Attack Dawg (not being a Super Hero) immediately began to speak without even taking time to think. "I want each of you to know that I will not rest until I find and write letters about every individual, group or business that stand in Super Councilman's way. The Councilman you saw exposed tonight is not the only detractor I have found, even though he was very easy to detect, by me using my Super Abili…" It was at that point that Super Councilman interrupted Attack Dawg saying something about a previous agreement. Attack Dawg continued, I'm sorry, uh uh… He was easy to detect , by me using my experience and all that type of stuff." All of a sudden, Attack Dawg raised his nose into the air and said, "I think I smell something. Is someone here wearing army boots?"

Super Councilman shouted, "STOP!" and Attack Dawg immediately ceased yapping. After a pregnant pause, (not a chad), Super Councilman continued, "These people are our friends so let's lay off the army boot stuff, OKAY." Attack Dawg very apologetically continued, "Thank you so very very much. As I was saying, I was saying that we have other less, much less, apparent spies among us this very day. I have found another and while you might find it hard to believe, she was even here this very night. I know you may find this hard, very hard to believe, but I found that she, even though she doesn't live in a big house, comes from a prominent family with very strong corporate ties." A hushed silence fell on the shocked Council Members as Attack Dawg waited for his reward. Mayor was the first to speak saying, "Good Boy!". She then reached into her purse, pulled out the reward and threw the dog a bone. All that Attack Dawg really wanted in life was the love and appreciation of powerful people, and some bones to chew on. Now he had both. This was really living.

So now you all know why Sarah had avoided Harriet at the beginning of this part of the story. You see, Harriet did have a very affluent background. Her parents had both been involved in large corporations and she had grown up in a house like Sarah's. As you may recall, Sarah Hampsteader lived in a regular brick house and even had a brick fireplace. She was not one of those poor folk with only one bathroom but rather, she had two and a half baths and even had a side entry garage entrance.

Unlike Sarah however, Harriet's family could really afford such a house so they were definitely the other type of person, the type Super Councilman despised. Harriet's background was definitely "polluted" as Super Councilman called it, and polluted people were never to be trusted in Council Heights. So the word went out for all the followers of Super Councilman, (uh uh …I mean the good upright citizens) to avoid Harriet Busybody as much as possible. She should never have been included in the inner circle and she was to never again be privy to the inside scoop. The Council left that night with a grave feeling, one they had often encountered. They were becoming outnumbered. However, they were all comforted to know at least, this time, they would not have to do the dirty work of spreading the vicious word (and slight embellishments if necessary). Harriet would be dealt with and they did not have to publicly participate. They now had Attach Dawg to do their bidding.

Stay tuned for more adventures of Council Height's own Super Councilman as evil corporate interference in City Government is smelled out and dealt with by Attack Dawg, with a little help from Super Councilman. You won't want to miss seeing this latest arrival to the "Council Height's Action Figure Collection" in action. Until then, no matter how big the problem, no matter what time of day or night, when you need him most just say " Super Councilman, I need you!"

And, unless your name is on the LIST, he will be there.

Link to Fictional Council Heights-Part 1

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