stonecrandall Chapter 294 - 147: Declaration of Independence
Chapter 294 - 147: Declaration of Independence
Ron Smith was the first to break the silence.
He picked up the coffee cup in front of him, took a sip, and then set it down.
The porcelain cup hit the saucer with a sharp CLINK.
"Leo."
Smith’s change in address signaled that he was about to broach some less pleasant topics.
"Your PowerPoint was well-made, and the logic was sound."
"If I were a businessman, I’d sign on the dotted line right now."
"But I’m not."
Smith leaned back in his chair, staring at Leo.
"I’m a Republican."
"And you, Leo Wallace, are currently the most famous Democratic Progressive lunatic in all of Pennsylvania."
"You kicked Carter Wright out of office, you’re battling Morganfield, and now you want to send Murphy to the Senate to challenge Warren."
"In Harrisburg, on the Republican state committee’s blacklist, your name is number one."
Smith pointed at himself.
"In Erie, I became Mayor because of the Republican base, because of the conservative, white, blue-collar workers."
"If I join this so-called alliance of yours."
"If I get mixed up with a radical Democrat."
"How will my constituents see me?"
"They’ll think I’ve betrayed the party. They’ll think you’ve bought me."
"And then there’s Senator Warren."
Smith lowered his voice.
"Warren’s power in Erie is deeply entrenched. If he finds out I’m helping his mortal enemy, Murphy, score political achievements, he’ll kill me."
"He’ll cut off all my resources in Washington. He’ll back my opponent to take me out in next year’s election."
"Risk my political career for a thirty-million-dollar order?"
Smith shook his head.
"That’s too high a price to pay."
As soon as Smith finished speaking, the Mayor of Scranton, Joe Byers, who was sitting beside him, also spoke up.
The moderate Democrat adopted a strictly business-like demeanor.
"Ron talked about the political risks. Let’s talk about the legal risks."
Byers took out his phone.
"Leo, your chief of staff mentioned the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act."
"It’s true, that act allows local governments to cooperate."
"But have you read the act closely?"
Byers pointed to a line of text on his phone screen.
"Agreements involving major cross-regional economic collaboration and resource integration must be filed with the State Community and Economic Development Department and, when necessary, are subject to inquiry by relevant committees of the State Assembly."
Byers looked at Leo.
"’Filed’? ’Inquiry’?"
"That’s just a nice way of putting it. In reality, it means approval."
"The folks in Harrisburg aren’t idiots. When you link up seven major industrial cities to create such a large, independent, closed economic loop, what do you think they’ll think?"
"They’ll think you’re building your own independent kingdom."
"You’re challenging the State Government’s authority. You’re trying to circumvent Harrisburg’s power over fiscal allocation."
"The State Attorney General is a Republican, and he’s just looking for an excuse to go after you."
"The moment we announce this union, he’ll sue us the next day for overstepping administrative authority, violating state fiscal discipline, or even illegal association."
"When that happens, every single one of us will have to answer for it in court."
"Leo, I don’t want to go to jail, and I don’t want to lose my pension over this."
Byers’s concerns resonated with the other mayors.
The Mayor of Johnston also tapped the table.
"And there’s Washington, Leo."
"Poor cities like ours get thirty percent of our annual budget from the Federation’s transfer payments."
"Housing subsidies, education grants, law enforcement funds."
"That money is controlled by Federation Agencies, by the congressional Appropriations Committee."
"If Washington sees this alliance you’re building as an act of defiance, a sign of insubordination."
"What happens if they cut off those transfer payments?"
"We can’t afford that risk."
"To get a piece of this action, we’d have to bet the farm."
"It’s not worth it."
The fiery, enthusiastic atmosphere from the construction site was extinguished in an instant.
This was the gravity of reality.
The benefits were tempting, but the risks were terrifying.
This group of old dogs, who had spent half their lives clawing their way through the political world, were each as shrewd as a fox.
They wanted the orders, the political achievements, the jobs for their people.
But they didn’t want to take any of the political responsibility.
They wanted Leo to lead the charge and take all the cannon fire, while they hid in the trenches and divided the spoils.
Now, Leo was asking them to stand up and charge with him.
They hesitated. They shrank back.
Ethan stood to the side, his palms slick with sweat.
He watched these mayors, who had just been acting like sworn brothers, now looking troubled and spouting one excuse after another.
This was the fragility of a political alliance.
No shared beliefs, only shared interests.
The moment the risks outweighed the expected benefits, the alliance would instantly crumble.
Leo sat at the head of the table.
He listened quietly, looking each person in the eye.
He knew these difficulties were all real.
Partisan pressure, legal risks, financial threats.
Any one of them was enough to make an ordinary mayor shrink away.
But he knew, with even greater clarity, that the mayors weren’t laying these difficulties on the table to reject him.
If they truly wanted to refuse, they never would have gotten on this bus in the first place, never would have walked into this conference room.
They were saying all this now to haggle.
To negotiate for better terms.
To get Leo to offer them more security, more guarantees.
And also to make Leo understand just how much risk they were taking on to play this game with him.