Rachelle Arlin Credo
Mark Blickley
Jennifer Coffey
José Langlois
Rebekah Frumkin
Claire Love
David Gruber
Kristen Depken
C. Cay Cary
Joe Coale
E. Robert Morse
Emily Diaz
Estefán Gargost
William Burns
Krystyna Kouri
Pam Cole
Ruhe T. Gutes
Michael Mayhew
Michael Grimaldi
Jenny Balisle
Monica Hernandez
J. Morse

Exerpt from "2917"

Turns out, government is actually a cult. All this time I thought it was some complex back-up system for those of us who couldn’t figure out how to grow a money tree. Turns out it’s a divine stream of another form of paper to worship. Instead of people’s value being measured by its proximity to six figures, in the cult of government four digits measure ones worth. One’s classification. There are 1433s, and 0992s and 2940s and 2917s. I’m a 2917. It’s a generic class, not quite management, but not quite like the rest of the staff. I get to be in a union, but the union really wants me out. Fortunately for me the cult tentacles go beyond the union, and secure me to its grip. I am intoxicated by my paycheck and the promise of health care for the rest of my life. I am asked to give more of my soul and spirit everyday, and being the kind soul I am, I never expect any reward for working harder. The ideal is the mean. All things are pulled toward an equal level of mediocrity. In the cult, I mean in civil service, there is no incentive to do an excellent job, when an average job will do. Why make someone look bad by working harder or smarter. In the cult there can only be one smart person. We must all praise him and listen to his teachings. When we get our monthly staff meeting sermons we drink in the philosophy and our eyes soften from the charisma. We follow his words. We move the paper according to the leaders determined flow. We aim our thoughts in the direction of what has been deemed best by he who knows.

Jennifer Coffey
San Francisco, CA
jscoffey@hotmail.com

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