Chapter 39

New York Daily Journal

From the Desk of Amanda Adams, the Professional Gossiper of Page Two.

Welcome to Page Two Gossip, here’s what we’re hearing around the halls of power:

After an election with more twists and turns than a roller coaster on Coney Island, the city has finally decided on it’s mayor for the next four years.

That’s right, New Yorkers, the post of Hizzoner will be once again held by Michael Anders. Mayor Anders becomes the first openly gay mayor in the history of New York City and New York City becomes the largest city in the world with an openly gay mayor.

Already, Hollywood executives are rushing to City Hall to buy the rights to the story—something that seems like it could come out of a racy romance novel rather than reality.

Perhaps most striking in transformation is the Mayor himself, who gave a much more subdued acceptance speech once all exit polls were closed, calling for unity and compassion between all New Yorkers—no longer the firebrand of moral righteousness that he was on the campaign trail.

The Mayor, who had been accompanied through most of his campaign by his wife and stepson, spoke alone this time around.

Sources are telling me that Lance Anders and Jocelyn Anders left by the Anders' private jet to London shortly after their gripping press conference two days before the election. Sources inside City Hall were not able to confirm whether the pair had in fact voted.

Mayor Anders, in addition to his conciliatory tone that he took throughout the final days of his campaign after the what many are deeming the ‘press conference to end all press conferences’ is putting in place plans that are a vast departure from his traditional ‘family values’ principles he put out during the summer. Instead, campaign and administration officials stressed that the first year of Hizzoner’s second term will be focused on job training for displaced workers, as well as luring more manufacturing and specialty jobs back into the city that have been lost through automation and factory closings. The mayor is apparently also considering an across the board tax cut for middle income and low income families that will assist those who are currently struggling in the city’s economy.

While critics of the Mayor, who state that he can sometimes run roughshod over his enemies, have stated that only time will tell if his startling admission to being gay will mean a kinder and gentler politician, already many in New York who felt alienated by Michael Anders are celebrating.

“I hate to say anything good about the man, considering I spent the last several months saying bad things, but it looks like after that doozie of a press conference, we’ll see a more open and honest Michael Anders,” Jim Jenkins, his opponent commented to me after his concession speech. He went on to state, “Whereas before, if you were unemployed, elderly, poor, a single mother, working in manufacturing, or just basically not wealthy, you had cause for concern, it seems that the Mayor coming clean about his own skeletons has made him say and do some very, very different things.”

Only time will tell what the relationship with Mayor Anders and the City of New York will be like. During that time, many of you in Gotham will undoubtedly be wondering what happens to his estranged stepson who seems to have for the moment absconded with his wife.

“Since the Mayor and Jocelyn Carter were never truly married it turns out due to the form not being properly signed, there’s no real reason for a divorce,” his Chief of Staff Kenneth Loomis stated when contacted about this issue. “The Mayor wishes them both every happiness and hopes that they will keep him abreast of news of his grandson. But in all honesty, he’s probably going to be more focused on running the city.”

Citizens polled during Election Day stated overwhelmingly that the Mayor’s burst of honesty was what had made them finally favor him. Many stated that holding back such a key facet regarding his personality had affected him in other areas in how he presented himself to the public, which all coalesced to create such low approval ratings for him despite his photogenic family. I think that once citizens learned the full story of their Mayor, we began to realize that we may not like him as a person on some levels because he’s so busy, but the job of Mayor requires someone who will give it their all and sacrifice everything else. And that made him the top choice, by a margin of 63% to 37%.

That about does it for my coverage of this election cycle. I either need a vacation from politics, a long, hot shower to feel clean again, or both.

I can’t wait till Lance and Jocelyn come back to New York though—they’re currently in London—and you can bet that as soon as they have their baby that this newspaper will be all over them, getting the facts for your reading pleasure. Till we hear more, this is Amanda Adams signing off. Keep your ears open, New York.