The mailroom in the basement of City Hall.
Several flatbed handcarts blocked the hallway.
They were piled high with securely sealed, brown corrugated cardboard boxes.
A number was written on the side of each box with a black marker. They were budget requests sent over from the Department of Public Works.
The Chief Secretary of the Budget and Finance Committee stood in the aisle, looking at the mountain of requests, and felt a migraine coming on.
He casually pulled a document from an open box.
It was a standard municipal application form with a brightly colored photo attached: a deep pothole on Fifth Avenue in the Hill District.
"Emergency appropriation request for road surface repair. Budget: 800 US Dollars."
The Chief Secretary read the words aloud and scoffed.
He turned to face the council speaker, Thomas Moretti, who had just walked in.
"Mr. Speaker, that young Mayor must be insane."
The Chief Secretary tossed the document back into the box.
