Finch's voice rose slightly, laced with a warning.
"But you need to understand our current situation, just how low Pittsburgh's credit rating is right now."
"Wall Street investors aren't philanthropists. When they see a city like Pittsburgh issuing general obligation bonds of such a massive amount, purely for charity, what do you think they'll think?"
"What will they think?" Leo asked, tilting his head.
"They'll think we're committing suicide."
"They'll demand an extremely high-risk premium, and our interest costs will skyrocket. When that happens, forget about renovating communities—we won't even be able to pay our police officers."
"So, as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, my duty is to prevent this kind of fiscal suicide from happening."
"Issuing a bond like this is a violation of regulations. I refuse."
"Oh..."
Leo drew out the word, his expression calm.
