Allegorical tale posted elsewhere this morning.

Antonio, the mayor of your town has decided to set up a free pizza home delivery service.

Everyone who pays rates pays an additional 1.75% per annum to cover the cost of the service.

Everyone is happy ... except of course those who don't eat pizza, but there are very few of those so the local newspaper does not really pick it up as a story. The headlines are all in support of a great social service for a community need. After time even those who don't eat pizza decide to regularly order free home pizza because they feel that because they pay their rates they should have the benefit.

Antonio's brother is employed to run the service. All above board, the council approves the appointment.

The demand increases, so much so, that a number of people in town are employed to deliver the free home pizzas. They don't get paid well for this though, because pizzas actually don't cost much and because of budgetary constraints Antonio has frozen the CPI increase in the amount paid to the pizza business to provide the community service.

Antonio's brother, the smart business man that he is, hatches a plan to increase the profit of the business.

He decides to add extra anchovies to the basic pizza being delivered for free to anyone who wants a pizza. He even has an advertising campaign to promote the improved value ... "cheaper than a restaurant meal" goes the headlines.

What Antonio does not know is that his brother is now billing the council for deluxe pizzas at four times the cost of the basic pizza.

What the people do not know is that they are getting the basic pizza with anchovies but their request for basic (with extras) pizza is being paid for as though they are receiving the deluxe pizza.

What Antonio is beginning to understand is that the 1.75% is not enough to cover the uncapped number of pizzas being requested by the community but knows it will be political suicide to increase rates further.

What Antonio also knows is that if he stops the free pizza delivery service it will be the end of his career as a Mayor.

Antonio's mother also reminds him that if he stops the service the homeless, disadvantaged and poor of the community will no longer have access to food.

Sadly Antonio has not yet discovered that the council is being ripped off by his brother. No one has performed an audit, although there are some suspicions voiced by a few.

Antonio is looking at the system they have back in the home country that involves importing basic, pre-made, bulk produced frozen pizzas. The plan is also to limit the number of pizzas people can have in a year. The cost can be contained by reducing the quality, standardising the production, streamlining the delivery and capping the amount available. Most people will be happy enough because at least they still get pizza for free, even if it isn't as good as it used to be. Antonio will be very happy because he keeps his job as mayor. He just has to find a way to legally get rid of his brother.

This is not a story about pizzas.

Antonio is a fictional character.

No anchovies were harmed in the production of this story.