TPI The Rockwaller Campaign Begins!

by Pharaoh Rutin Tutin

Bonnie Rockwaller is running for mayor of Middleton as a high school senior. While this will be a background element in my other TPI stories, she deserves to kick off her campaign on her own.

Team Possible Inc. The Rockwaller Campaign Begins!
A Kim Possible Fan Fic by the Pharaoh Rutin Tutin
Kim Possible and all related characters copyright © Disney.
This is a work of Fan Fiction. I receive no compensation for this story.
Please do not edit, sell, repost, or redistribute without my permission.
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Bonnie Rockwaller is running for Mayor of Middleton as a high school senior. While this will be a background element in my other TPI stories, she deserves to kick off her campaign on her own.
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These are the stories of the basic, average girls and guys of Middleton and what inspires them to save the world.

You can't stop them 'cause they're TEAM POSSIBLE, INC.
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"Welcome to the Middleton Motor Lodge and Convention Center!" The cheerful clerk behind the counter announces as she directs you to the north patio. There, a stage has been assembled where one of the most popular young ladies in Middleton is about to make the most important speech of her life.

She isn't alone. Half a dozen high school students, the Chief Neurosurgeon at Middleton Memorial Hospital and the Director of Deep Space Research at the Middleton Space Center among others are on the dais behind her.

With eyes that simultaneously speak of fear and confidence, she takes the podium.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, when I was a child, my father would attend Middleton City Council meetings regularly. He would take notes, ask questions, and give his opinions to Mayor McKebbuck and the council members, at the appropriate times of course. My father died just after I started in Jr. High and mom never went to the council meetings."

"I turned 18 over the summer and as soon as I got back to Middleton, I registered to vote. Then I attended a Council meeting for the first time in six years. The problems they were debating were the same ones I heard back in elementary school. Street repairs, more police, more firefighters, decaying downtown, attracting new businesses, city services to the bordering townships, consolidation with the county, with Lowerton, with Upperton."

"There are solutions to these problems that will require hard and unpopular decisions. But the incumbent council led by our four-term Mayor McKebbuck, who is running unopposed for the second time, seems to be interested in nothing but maintaining their seats and the status quo."

"Therefore, to force these issues and others into the public forum. To demand honest answers from our elected leaders. And, if selected, to lead this city into a new era of government that is responsive and responsible first and foremost to the citizens of Middleton. I have registered with the local election board my intent to run as a write-in candidate during the general election this November."

"I am running for the office of the Mayor of the City of Middleton and I need your support."

"I'm Bonnie Rockwaller, and I approve this message."

"Now normally, at a time like this, a candidate will make an even longer speech, and then take a few questions. Well, through some tough experiences, I've learned that it can be very helpful if I listen first. So why don't we start with your questions?"

"Mr. Specter, in seat 666, as the senior correspondent present the opening questions are yours."

"Miss Rockwaller, you are eighteen years old. You are therefore ineligible to run for mayor, so, other than publicity, why are you holding this conference?"

"Actually there is no minimum age, per say, for the office of mayor, either in the state constitution or the city charter. As I have reached the age of legal majority in this state, I am eligible to run for mayor. The Publicity I'm seeking is to announce my candidacy for the office of Mayor of Middleton."

"Miss Rockwaller, as a child of the privileged class, how can you know anything about the problems besetting the poor?"

"Yes, I came from the unfortunate background of always having a roof over my head and food on the table. So no matter what I say, some people will never believe that I understand the problems of the poor. As a woman, some will insist that I can't understand men. As a young person, there are people who will reject anything I have to say about senior citizens. My ancestors were European, so does that mean my best attempt to understand minority problems will never be good enough?"

"But as for the question of the poor? There are many causes of poverty, and many ways to combat it. The debate about which way is best unending. But it seems obvious to me that a growing economy with governments, businesses, and individuals contributing to and investing in their community makes it much easier for the various private and public programs to work. No matter how well trained or motivated an unemployed person may be, that person will likely stay unemployed if there isn't a job available."

"As mayor, my highest economic priority must be encouraging responsible investment, development, and expansion of business and industry in Middleton."

"Last year, a measure amending the city charter to streamline property and business was prevented from appearing on the ballot by one vote in the city council. I intend to re-introduce that measure as soon as I am sworn in."

"Miss Rockwaller, I've talked to some of your fellow students. As the leading champion of the so-called "food chain", how can you convince the public that you are for anyone's welfare but your own? That they would not be trading one known set of corruption for another?"

"I'm glad you asked that, because this is one response I haven't heard from other politicians lately."

"I was wrong."

"There is no excuse for the way I've treated the other students at MHS. I can only hope that they realize that this apology is sincere and accept may contrition."

"Ms. Rockwaller, Jason Jones from the Middleton Gazette."

"This community has seen a surge in the number of super-villain attacks in the last few years, far more than elsewhere in the country, and our police force has been effectively insufficient to deal with the crisis, leaving it up to group of teenagers to defend this city. Do you plan to implement any policies to improve the situation? And what do you intend to do regarding the current police force and it's effectiveness?"

"Good point, Zaratan. A few years ago, the international law enforcement agency Global Justice established a regional operations center just outside town. When this happened, assurances were made that they would keep the Tri-City area from being victimized by the forces they were supposed to control. Recent incidents like a dinosaur clone tearing up restaurant-row, hovercraft buzzing McCorckle Avenue, sinkholes caused by genetically altered cockroaches, and becoming the first target for the 'Little Diablos' last May seem to indicate that they haven't meet that promise consistently."

"Now to be fair, almost everyone knows that insurance rates in the area are among the lowest in the country due to the fact that GJ underwrites almost half of every insurance policy sold within a hundred miles of this town."

"But even with the insurance, it is still terribly inconvenient at the least. The delay in delivery of steel caused by the sinkholes alone was the final straw leading to the shut down of Middleton Machine Parts. Any improvement in Middleton's economy is therefore dependent on improving Middleton's security."

"The Middleton PD would be more than adequate to deal with the ordinary problems if GJ could be counted on to deal with the unusual. But as this has not been the case, Additional steps should be taken. Now that GJ is firmly in place, it would be a futile battle to try to remove the agency from the area. So I would suggest that we instead need more help. Someone to watch the watchmen."

"Mr. King, in the Yellow?"

"Assuming this is not a joke on your part, what sort of ideas/programs/agenda do you have which would make someone want to vote for you?"

"As you may have guessed, the primary focus of my campaign is economic. Also, I want to correct past mistakes. For example, the Downtown Middleton Renovation project did little except cost the city half a dozen parking spaces on each block and hit every property owner with a tax assessment for new sidewalks that began crumbling before the cockroach-sinkhole incident."

"Mayors can not act unilaterally, and they are constrained by the limits of city budget. How do you propose to move your plans through the city council and how do you plan to fund your programs?"

"Simple, this city has been spending without investing. I want to convince the council that continuing to spend the minimum possible is not saving. And that an investment that won't see a return for some time is not a loss."

"Mr. Kent from the Planet. Ms Rockwaller, just why are you running as a write-in candidate?"

"The only reason that I'm running as a write-in candidate now is because I was under 18 during the primaries last spring and out of the country this summer when petitions were due to be listed on the ballot as an independent."

At this point, several hecklers broke into the convention center and began showing the intellectual prowess of an actual mad dog.

"Miss Rockwaller, do you wear thongs or bikinis?"

"Depends. Um, that is, ah. It depends on what else I'm wearing that day. Yeah, let's go with that. Um next question from the Star-Eva-01?"

"Ms. Rockwaller, while some of my colleagues have joked, I would like to ask if it is true that losing the election for School Class President to Ms. Kim Possible part of the reason for this action?"

That is one race I did not lose to my Cheer squad mate. I nominated quarterback Brick Flag to run against her. But I'm sure you all know how he failed to receive a single vote after a new candidate entered the race. While I did vote for Wally in that election, I'm glad he's not a U.S. citizen this time. I wouldn't want to run against him for this office."

"And I believe the reporter from station VRWC is next."

"Ms. Rockwaller, the space center is a key point of Middleton's economy, it bring in jobs, education, and the publicity it generates is invaluable. However its environmental impact is also considerable, the energy it consumes pumps tonnes of Co2 into the air and rocket exhaust is extremely polluting, so how do you plan to balance these needs if elected mayor?"

"I believe that the Middleton Space Center is generally recognized as one of the greenest players in the space-game. Even so, large exhaust discharges will almost certainly be a reality or space exploration for some time to come. But there is always room for improvement within the other parts of the industry. When I discussed my economic ideas, I said I wanted RESPONSIBLE investment, development, and growth. Among other things, responsible means environmentally responsible as well"

"Now, due to jurisdictional issues, the city of Middleton doesn't legally have much of a stick to use against the Space Center to force them to clean up their act. But we can still offer them a carrot if they make the operation even greener."

"Ms. Rockwaller, water remains an ever-present concern along the Front Range, with continued population growth in Middleton do you have a plan to provide adequate water for all those people?"

"The water rights from our mountains remains one of the most contentious issues in state and federal court. For the time being, it is out of local control. But as with the previous question, water policy is a major part of environmental policy. We, as a municipal government, may not have the ability to enforce city regulation regarding water outside our city limit. But we can look for ways to encourage and help our neighbors use the water we share more wisely."

"Did you have a question, campy?"

"Ms Rockwaller, rumor has it that high concentrations of Dihydrogen Monoxide, one of the most dangerous chemicals known to man, have been detected in Lake Middleton. What do you plan to do about this crisis?"

"After the press conference today, I'm going up to the lake and dive head first into that problem."

"Thank you all for coming. I hope to talk to each of you, one on one in the near future."

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fin
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Author's Note

Thanks to EVERYONE who contributed questions and comments to the Rockwaller Press Conference. Unfortunately, I couldn't use all of the contributed comments in the story.

MrDrP, Star-Eva-01, Jeriddan, BluetoothThePirate, cpneb, Sir Sebastian, and Cyrus Majin all added to the fun of writing this story, but I wasn't able to use what they gave me. Oh well.

And an apology for getting this story out later than advertised. For any one in the Maritime Provinces or points east, it is already Tuesday, May 29, 2007.