Originally published in the Grand Rapids Business Journal, March 22, 2004.

Sorry to do this to you. It's cruel, I know. I did it to myself, and ever since I've been considering taking a wire brush and jamming it repeatedly in and out of my ear canals just to make it go away. Ready?

"It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a!
It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a!"

That's enough. Now it's stuck. For the rest of the day (and maybe for several days to come), you're going to find yourself idly humming "YMCA" whether you like it or not. As long as I'm suffering....

When I set up a comic, I first go to my beloved encyclopedias or to the Web to find pictures to use as models. For this comic, I printed several pictures of the 1970s disco group "the Village People" and taped them around my drawing board. And there they were for a couple days. Staring at me. Making me feel uneasy. And I began to question myself, "What's my problem? Why am I bothered by this? Am I possibly a homophobe?" Then I realized that every time I left my office I was humming "YMCA," and I really hate that song. I've dumped the pictures.

As for the intention of this week's comic, we here in West Michigan are going to be facing several millage requests before the end of the year. In fact, we just went through one for special education funds, so already folks are feeling a bit tapped. This against the backdrop of a not-so-rosy local economy.

I happen to support most of the requests (the one for a new 6th grade building here in Grandville in particular). But taken together, I imagine that these requests for new money have all the appeal to a typical, fixed-income West Michigan senior as six loud, effusively gay strange men.

But ya never know. Maybe millage supporters could use catchy-ness to their advantage. Maybe they could use a song to rally support:

"They want you! They want you! They want you as a new recruit!"

Now, if you're mad at me for inserting "In the Navy" (another Village People song) into your head, consider this: the fact that I *know* more than one Village People song is my own special Hell.

Enjoy!
John (Macho Man) Auchter