The video conference signal was lagging, making the anxious faces on the screen appear distorted.
Ron Smith sat in his office, a cigarette held between his fingers.
He had just presented Pittsburgh's "six percent holding incentive" proposal.
The response on the other end was less than enthusiastic.
Scranton's Mayor, Joe Byers, was frowning, while the mayor of Johnston was looking down at his phone's calculator.
"Six months," Byers broke the silence. "Ron, do you have any idea what six months means for us? We have interest payments on municipal bonds, health insurance for our civil servants to cover. That note might be worth something in the system, but you need US Dollars to buy bread at the supermarket."
"Yeah," another mayor chimed in. "If Murphy loses the election and Pittsburgh goes bankrupt, the notes we're holding will be worthless paper. Who's going to save us then? You?"
Smith tossed his cigarette onto the desk.
