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last election, and there are always 30% of the people that are going to be against you no matter if you're Jesus Christ.” I mean there's a hard-core party vote against you, plus those who dislike you simply because you're in office. You just can't overcome that. I knew I could. I really expected to get 75%. That's what I est imated to my confidants -- that I would get 75% of the vote. And I did better -- I got 76.7. That's where we are.

Why did you decide to run for the city council?

Well, I ran for that wanting to be the councilman. I mean: when I ran for district leader, I did not want to be the district leader. But I wanted to be city councilman. Why? Well, one, it pays. There's a salary involved in it. That's number one. Here I'm doing an enormous amount of work, my law practice is suffering, doing all of this pro bono work as the district leader. And knowing my own nature and what I would do, I know as a city councilman I'll be doing the very same thing, but at least I'll be getting a salary. It was $10,000 -- that's my recollection. That's number one.

And you get a certain amount of staff, too.