A small-town mayor arrives at the Pearly Gates after years of public…

A small-town mayor arrives at the Pearly Gates after years of public service. St. Peter greets her, saying, “Before you settle in, we have a new policy: you get one day in Heaven and one in Hell. Afterwards, you choose where you’ll spend eternity.” “But I already know where I want to go”, says the mayor. St. Peter replies, “That’s the new policy”.

First, she goes to Hell. She’s greeted with a shiny new community center, a sparkling river walk, and all her old council members cheerfully grilling burgers at the annual town picnic. There’s music, folks swapping ideas about revitalizing Main Street, and everyone’s patting the mayor on the back, congratulating her on lowering taxes and fixing potholes. The Devil even hands her a “Citizen of the Year” plaque.

Next, she spends a day in Heaven. It’s peaceful, with birds singing and everyone quietly enjoying nature. No one’s arguing about zoning or short-term rentals, and there’s no talk of budget hearings.

Back at the Pearly Gates, St. Peter asks her to choose. The mayor says, “Honestly, Heaven’s nice, but Hell felt like home. I’ll go back there.”

Back in Hell, she finds the old town hall condemned, the river polluted, and the council feuding endlessly. The community picnic is replaced by eternal town council meetings. She asks the Devil, “What happened? Yesterday Hell was beautiful, cheerful, and full of wonderful things?”

The Devil grins and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning. Today, people voted.”