Wednesday 3 September 2014

"Childcare Skills" (New Scarfolk Library, 1972)

One health- or community-care professional per 10,000 citizens had long been considered extravagant so when the region was hit by a recession in 1972, Scarfolk Council was forced to make cuts. To reduce costs but maintain the workforce, the council shrewdly decided to employ only people who suffered from multiple personality disorders.  

For example, Scarfolk's under-12s coven had always operated with a fulltime staff of 7 with an extra position for a sacrificial martyr, who was employed on a short, fixed-term contract. After the cutbacks were introduced, the coven was reduced to one staff member, Donald Kissme, who fulfilled all 7 fulltime roles with 7 separate personalities, not to mention a couple of superfluous ones, including a 18th century pirate and a Swiss truck driver with cathisophobia.

The short-term, sacrificial martyr positions were not subject to cutbacks as they helped reduce expenditure in the region's orphanages and state-run elderly care homes.


4 comments:

  1. Our local authority tried this approach to save money but ran into problems when one personality bullied another, it was impossible to take disciplinary action without it appearing that the victim was being punished.

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  2. I have to say that I like this new book (me too (also myself (and I, if I could read it))), but what can happen if Kissme had several 7-personality patient to take care of at the same time ?

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  3. What an excellent blog. I shall immediately add you to the blogroll over on Smalltown Man. We seen to be on the same wavelength!

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