by Ira Tabankin
“Harold, is the Vice President position for life too?”
“I’m sure we can arrange it to be, how much is it worth to you?”
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The country wakes on January 1st, 2016 to a massive winter storm that covers most of both countries, heavy rain falls in the Pacific Northwest causing large mudslides, Interstate 5 is washed out in a number of locations between Portland Oregon and Seattle Washington. Hundreds are stranded on the road. Key bridges have washed away leaving people on their own. Ice covers the roads in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex; the DFW airport is closed because the airport workers can’t get to the airport to move airplanes, or do any of the other hundreds of tasks required, such as loading and unloading luggage, fueling the planes. Snow falls in the mid-Atlantic and New England states; the National Weather Bureau projects 24 inches of snow will fall on Central Park in New York City. The city remains blacked out. The 8.5 million people who live in the city are cold, hungry and confused. Where’s their help? Where’s the government? When will FEMA arrive? Most residents of New York City have only a single day’s food available.
With no information available, people in the city start leaving their apartments looking for food and water. Some collect the snow to drink; tens of thousands break into grocery stores and restaurants looking for food. Fighting breaks out between any who have and those without. Within an hour, fires are burning out of control. In some areas, entire blocks are burning. The fire department can’t get to the fires because the sanitation department who clear the streets went on strike until the electricity gets turned back on. A hundred people start out at Times Square marching to Gracie Mansion. The crowd grows to thousands as others join the protest demanding the mayor get the power turned back on. The streets haven’t been plowed; the snow is still falling. At 3 PM over twenty thousand people reach the Mayor’s home. Gracie Mansion has power supplied from an emergency generator. The protesters become enraged seeing the Mayor has the power while they don’t. The newly elected mayor, an avowed communist, welcomes his people to the “people’s house” Gracie Mansion is sometimes called New York’s white house. The mayor assumes the people are coming as part of the New Year’s celebration. His Happy New Year from “his people” is a brick hitting him in the chest. Hundreds of bricks crash through the mansion’s windows, the mob swarms into the mansion, looting all of the food and liquor. They destroy the mansion and burn the 200-year-old house to the ground. The mayor’s people don’t appreciate “some animals being more equal” than others. The mob chants, “We want power!”
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President Brownstone calls a meeting with his key advisors and their staffers, he decides to hold it in the situation room which is larger than the Oval Office or the executive conference room. The situation room walls are covered in high definition monitors. The President opens the meeting saying, “I’m sorry to drag everyone over here on New Years. However, we have a situation brewing that has all the makings of blowing up. President Obsma hasn’t been seen since midnight; New York City is still dark. No one seems to know what caused the blackout. If you’ve not heard, crowds in New York City just attacked their mayor and burned Gracie Mansion to its foundation. There are hundreds of thousands abandoned on various freeways, As the President speaks; the monitors that ring the room display images of Gracie Mansion burning, mobs of people breaking into looting stores, streets of burning buildings.
Vice President Cruize looks around the room, he asks the staff to draw the borders on the maps, he and the others study the images. He turns to the President saying, “Mr. President, I’m sorry, but I fail to see our problem here. If we turn our attention to the maps, almost all of these disasters are in the LSA. The DFW area is covered in ice. However, they’re used to it, they get one- or two ice storms a year. No big thing, they’ll stay home with their families for a couple of days. We might see an uptick in births nine months from now, which is all I think the impact is going to be.”
Steve Forbas looks at the President and Vice President, “While these disasters may be located in the LSA, if they happened anywhere else in the world we would be the first ones on the scene providing support. I suggest we contact Mr. Reid and offer our support. The LSA doesn’t have much of a military; most of them came over to our side, as did many of their first responders, they are going to need help. These people were our neighbors and our citizens a few weeks ago, are we going to let a line on the map stop us?”
Randy Paul, addresses the group, I tend to agree with Steve. However, I do think we should get the LSA’s approval before we cross the border. Otherwise, Reid and Polsi will claim we invaded them.”
The military aide thinks no one can hear him when he whispers, “So what, they couldn’t stop us anyway.”
President Brownstone responds, “Major, I heard you and even if you’re correct, that’s not the way we’re going to act. If they don’t want us to provide help, they’ll tell us. Randy, you know Reid well, why don’t you give him a call. I’m not sure he’d appreciate or accept a call coming from me.”
“Mr. President, I’d be happy to.” Randy Paul, looks up Red’s private cell number on his smartphone, dialling, he says, I’ll put him on, Speaker.
On the fourth ring, Harold Reid answers, “Paul, are you calling to wish me a Happy New Year or to gloat because we can’t locate President Obsma?”
“Harold, neither, I have you on speaker, I’m in the White House situation room with the President. We know the LSA has been hit pretty hard by Mother Nature, is there anything we can do? We can have support people in New York City checking the power plants within thirty minutes; we can have FEMA in the city very quickly with food and water. We can also rescue those stuck on Interstate 5 between Portland and Seattle.”
“Randy, that’s so nice of you. Why if you hadn’t voted against my Global Warming bills we wouldn’t be in the situation we are today. You have to agree that this winter’s strange weather is caused by Global Warming. I’d say yes, please do provide all the help you can, and while you’re at it, the LSA would like President Brownstone to go on national TV and announce he’ll support the Kyoto Protocol. Mr. President, if you really cared about al of the world’s people you’d stop fracking, vs. increasing your fracking, if you really cared about the world’s people, you’d pass laws like I tried to do when I was the Senate leader to reduce the country’s dependence on oil. Randy, you and that phony President don’t care about people. You called and offered us aid as a PR stunt. I’m the acting President of the LSA, and I’m telling you if you cross our borders, you’ll be invading a sovereign nation. I will declare war on the US.”
Ted Cruize can’t control himself, “Mr. Acting President, you and what army is going to declare war on us?”
“Ah, Mr. Cruize I knew you’d be hiding there someplace. I’ll have you know that tomorrow I’m going to announce the LSA has signed mutual defense treaties with Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Columbia and Argentina. Invading the LSA is the same as attacking any or all of our new friends.”
President Brownstone stands staring at the monitors, “Mr. Acting President, your people, are suffering, you are going to lose thousands who can be saved, don’t you think we should put their needs first?”
“President Brownstone, cross our border and be attacked by our friends. I should also inform you that Russia has armed Cuba and Venezuela with medium-range ballistic missiles.”
Acting President Reid hangs up the phone.
President of Brownstone looks around the room, “Well that didn’t go very well. Get John over here, I’d like to know why we’re hearing about missiles from Reid and not from our intelligence services.”
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Violence grows across both the LSA and the USA; people both pro and con the decision to allow America to split aren’t happy. Many thought additional states should have left to join the LSA; some thought no one should have left because the issue of states leaving was settled in the civil war. Police officers do their best to k
eep a lid on a boiling pot. Billboards and signs appear across the country demanding the reunification of the country. A few talk show hosts ask what’s going on in New York City. Many ask why the USA isn’t doing more to help their friends and family across the border.
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Acting President Reid asks Nanny what she thought of the call. “Harold, we both know the US is going to save our people no matter what. We’ll get the free assistance and also get to blame them for invading. It's win-win for us and a lose-lose for them. They’re such do-gooders they can’t stand to see people suffer. What did cause the blackout?”
“Nanny, I really don’t know. One moment hands of the clock reached midnight, the ball dropped down the pole announcing the new year when in the next moment the lights went out, and all hell broke lose. I can’t get a call through to the Mayor. Governor Cuma has gone missing ever since the mid state voted to stay in the USA. I’ve tried calling everyone I know to find out what happened, I can’t find anyone who has any idea.”
“What are we going to do? We have to restore power before the city explodes. If the city explodes, it’s going to flow into our other states in the area. If we don’t figure out what caused it how will we avoid it happening in LA or anywhere else? Can you image if the lights went out in Chicago and then other cities? We’d be voted out of office.”
Laughing Reid replies, “Nanny, we can’t be voted out of office. We never announced dates or how we’d hold elections. I’m more concerned about the loss of the tax revenue. The expansion of the social programs Obsma announced kicked off on New Years is going to cost us more than we have in the treasury. If many people are injured, our healthcare cost is going to go through the roof.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Why Nanny I thought you’d never ask. I’m sending you to New York City to see if you can find our long lost leader, don’t look too close and get the power turned back on. I’m going to make a national announcement as soon as you’re plane is wheels up.”
“Harold, what do I know about turning the power on? All I know is you flip the switch.”
“Nanny, start there.”
Chapter 26
Even with President Obsma missing, the work of the LSA government continues. On January 4th, the LSA announces a new income tax structure with a top personal rate of 75% on all income over $1 million a year. Acting President Reid announces, “Why does anyone need more than $1 million a year? People have to pay their fair share in order to equalize income. It’s the fair thing to do. The LSA has to start now preparing for our children’s children future.”
People in the LSA are initially overjoyed, the LSA provides free health care, a guaranteed minimum income, free preschool and free upper education. Weekly working hours are capped at 35 hours a week. Any work over 35 hours is classified as overtime, even for those paid salaries. Overtime is paid at two times their base pay. LSA national law mandates every worker is entitled to four weeks of vacation a year so they can “recharge,” returning to their jobs fresh with new vigor. People are happy to have more time off, and more take-home pay in their pocket. A small issue that most havened seen yet is these policies have caused prices to increase quicker than the new pay scales.
Other rules in the LSA don’t go over as well with most of the population, for example, no oil drilling or fracking is allowed on LSA land. The cost of a gallon is gasoline has increased to $20.00 a gallon. Natural gas prices triple, all of it has to be imported from the USA. The LSA government imposes a 15% fuel usage tax on all new gasoline powered cars. The government takes over run-down real estate that is rebuilt at taxpayer expense and given to the homeless. The best-laid plans always fall apart, the homeless end up destroying the free homes within months. Trash piles up, toilets overflow and broken windows aren’t repaired. Local real estate values jump when the run down locations are rebuilt; they quickly reverse and crash when the homeless destroys the free homes. Neighbors are upset watching their home values crash.
Healthcare, while free is also subpar. Anyone over the age of 55 in the LSA learns the amount and type of care provided is reduced every year. Within 30 says of reaching their 55th birthday every person in the LSA gets a letter explaining the amount and care which will be provided. Each year the amount of covered care is reduced. In order to provide the best coverage for the most-productive people in the LSA, those over 55 aren’t even allowed to pay for increased care, the thought being even if seniors paid for their health care they would take resources away from the young. Doctors in the LSA are paid a yearly salary equal to five times the minimum wage. They have no incentive to build a practice or see additional patients. It typically takes five weeks advance notice to see a doctor, and even then most people only get to see a nurse practitioner, only if the NP thinks a doctor visit is required is an appointment set, which takes another 4~5 weeks. Appointments with specialists require two doctors to approve the visit, plus a six-month waiting period, all done to manage the rising cost of the LSAs health care.
By the time most get to see a specialist their condition has advanced to the point where they are moved into a hospice. Many drugs aren’t covered under the LSA health care program. Many doctors refuse to operate under these conditions; they pack up and leave the LSA. Everything is done so that the political leaders can claim to have provided free healthcare without increasing healthcare costs. The elite in the LSA travel to the USA for critical health care; everyone else is left with the subpar system that’s worse than it was before the LSA split away from the USA.
The LSA is proudest of its education system. Children enter the educational programs at five years old and exit at 22. In between, they spend five days a week, (except for vacations) at one of the government-run schools. Homeschooling, private and charter schools are outlawed because they’re not available to everyone.
Teachers are paid four times the minimum wage with mandatory union membership. The teacher's union is only concerned with class size and dues collection. Union membership is mandatory for anyone working in the LSA. Only 40% of the working-age adults in the LSA actually work, they support the 60% who claim to be artists, authors or other devotees of the arts who are totally supported by the government. The LSA government fosters the arts, which are open to all. Most incentive programs are deemed illegal in the LSA because they discriminate by not being offered to everyone. The Supreme Court of the LSA is reviewing the question of whether overtime pay is legal because not everyone has the ability to earn it.
Acting President Reid announces a new government incentive program that rewards people with small gold coins; neighborhood spying. People are encouraged to call a special 800 number if they suspect or they see a person acting against the greater good. Anyone speaking out against the government, or union should be turned in. Special police units are formed to arrest those who are reported as being anti-government or anti-union. Social media posts, forum posts, emails, and texts, are reviewed by government censors and fact checkers.
The acting President knows the LSA has to keep the pressure on the USA. He recruits volunteers who are sent to Venezuela or Cuba to be trained as terrorists. After training, they are sent to small and large cities in America to wait for the code word which will turn them into deadly weapons in America’s heartland.
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Nanny Polsi arrives in New York to find it cold and dark. People are trying to sleep in the airport terminals; no taxis are waiting outside the airport. She is escorted out of the terminal and into an LAV. She looks at the LAV, “What is this? Where is my limo?”
The agent in charge of her security responds, “Madam Acting Vice President, the roads around and in the city are still covered in snow. A normal limo won’t be able to navigate the streets. We received over 24 inches of snow.”
“Why haven’t the streets been cleared?”
“Sanitation department went on strike because the power is off.”
“Get them back on the job, it’s for the greater good of eve
ryone.”
“Madam Acting Vice President, the phones are out, I don’t have the leader of the union’s cell number. We’ll take you to a secure building where we have a generator running.”
“Why can’t I stay at the Palace like I usually do?”
“Mrs. Polsi, there is NO power in the city, the hotel has no running water, no working toilets, no restaurants. Nothing is working right now.”
“I was sent here to get the power back on. How do we do that?”
“If we knew we would have already done it.”
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“Mr. President, things are starting to get out of control in the North East. This year’s winter has been started colder than normal. The cost of fuel oil and natural gas has increased five times the cost this time last year. Many in the North East have to decide between heat and food, given the LSAs poor record on providing food, many don’t have to make a decision because food is in such short supply in some areas.”
“What does this have to do with us?”
“Sir, these people used to be American citizens.”
“Mr. Secretary, ‘used to be’ are the keywords aren’t they?
“We’ve already decided we can’t afford to be the world’s policeman; we stopped foreign aid, and we’ve reduced our debt to a figure we’ll have repaid in four years. We’ll be one of the world’s few debt free countries, and now you want me to provide aid to the North East? They made their own decision. Don’t you think it’s breaking my heart watching the news reports?”
