Hey, everybody! Ever think about going into a life of public service? Standing for election and gaining the mandate of your fellow citizens for change? Helping to shape the laws of your hometown? Well, maybe you should think again. 61-year-old Michael Chavez thought he’d give political life a whirl, getting elected to the city council in Concord, California in November of 2006. Less than a year later, he dropped dead on live television, during the usual sort of boring land zoning crap you get in city government. One of his fellow council members noted that he “didn’t always appear to be coping well with the many stressful issues facing the council.” MORE »