A closer look
Christchurch city council in New Zealand actually kept a literal wizard on their official government payroll for over twenty-three years, paying him an annual salary of sixteen thousand dollars. His official contracted economic duties included protecting the city from evil forces, casting weather spells during droughts, and providing general magical entertainment in the public square. When the local government finally terminated his contract in 2021, they claimed his magical services no longer aligned with the modern promotional landscape of the city. We live in a deeply tragic era of late-stage capitalism where even dedicated municipal warlocks are violently forced into the harsh realities of the gig economy
