Writing - Political Poetry

City Council's pay raise

I work hard for my money,
I slave 'most every day.
But life's still not that sunny
I make too little pay.

My boss, he gives me praises
he says I can't be beat.
But I'd rather get pay raises
than words that I can't eat

Some time ago I was dwelling
on the fact that times were tough.
When I heard six Councilors yelling
That they didn't earn enough!

"We deserve a raise for the work we do,
it's a job that's never-ending."
It may be that their words are true,
but it's my taxes that they're spending!

When I think back to the race that fall
There's one thing that I remember.
Getting a pay raise wasn't mentioned at all
by a single Council member.

They talked of schools and fiscal health
and they all seemed very eager
To wisely spend our City's wealth
Though a Councilor's pay was meager.

And at the budget hearings that year
There was talk of a teacher layoff.
Yet no one following the budget did hear
about the Council's future payoff.

Times were tough and money tight
some programs were bound to die.
But how could the Council think it right
to increase its share of the pie?

I must admit it upsets me greatly
to hear the City cry "we're poor."
I've heard that cry too often lately
for the Council to pay itself more.

The author would like to note that
Councilors Born, Galluccio and Triantifillou voted against the payraise.