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Chapter 2 Shudder

The General Electric sales team had finished setting up fifteen minutes before. They had the laptop connected to the 21 inch display, and the various instruments arrayed on the conference table in the front of the room. Joe Piles and his technical assistant Randy Shaeffer had everything down pat. Joe's boss, Joe Kolanoff, smiled at the door and invited everybody in.

Erisa walked in with her usual perk. She met the old guy in the slick suit and said "Hi!" She looked about, but then immediately froze on the inside. There was the Commissioner, the Mayor, and Congressman Blackburn. "Jez," she thought, "What's going on. I thought this was just a sales pitch on a cable detector." She sat in the back while the 'gentlemen,' including her 'gentlewoman' boss, smoozed in the front.

On cue, Joe Kolanoff, in his slick blue suit and GE lapel pin, walked to the front beside the Commissioner. The Commissioner started, "As you know, we have invited General Electric to come and explain some new equipment. They selected us as one of their first counties, because of Boston's aged infrastructure. Joe Kolanoff, here, will provide the introductory remarks. Joe and I were at the club yesterday, joking about using these things to find all the fish in the lake!"

Joe started in, "Well, maybe. But what we really have will let you show millions of dollars in savings to your taxpayers. You'll free up money to spend on the important things. The things you promised to do."


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