Alcúdia's council has rejected the imposition of trilingualism in schools and approved a motion to inform the national education ministry of its opposition. This was carried thanks to Carme Garcia, the former member of the PSM socialists who made a pact with the Partido Popular, going against the PP at the town hall. Her vote also helped to carry a motion condemning the death of Alpha Pam, the Senegalese man who died from TB as a consequence of not receiving medical treatment at Inca hospital.
See more: Diario de Mallorca
Showing posts with label Alcúdia town hall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alcúdia town hall. Show all posts
Friday, July 05, 2013
Monday, June 03, 2013
The Realities Of Language
Alcúdia town hall has taken what appears to be a rather odd decision. It has agreed that requirements for any council job will include differing levels of ability to speak Catalan. The decision appears odd because it goes against the regional government's new law on public function which has removed the need for knowledge of Catalan to be a requirement for public-sector employment and because the town hall is dominated by the Partido Popular. There is a further oddity in that the lady mayor, Coloma Terrasa, had, some months ago, rejected the hanging of the "senyera" Aragonese/Catalan flag outside the town hall building, arguing that it gave the wrong impression for a town and council that wished to be "for all languages". Despite this previous opposition, the PP administration in Alcúdia is unanimous in stipulating that Catalan will remain a requirement and justifies its position on the grounds that it reflects the "sociolinguistic" realities of the town. The flying of the flag had presumably not reflected these realities.
There may be other factors that have influenced the decision. The PP administration does not hold an overall majority. Its natural ally (some would say unnatural ally) is the one-time Mallorcan socialist, Carme García, who lined up with the PP after the elections in 2011 and enabled it to form the council's administration but who has had cause to disagree with the PP. And Catalan, one would imagine for someone from a Mallorcan nationalist background, is a likely candidate for disagreement.
Elections are quite possibly another factor. The next municipal elections are two years away. A town which has sociolinguistic realities rooted in Catalan therefore has an electorate that is rooted in similar fashion. The politics of language in Mallorca, or at least in Alcúdia, might be said to be governed by the realities of politics, those of the ballot box. And these realities can make even Partido Popular politicians sit up and take note, especially if they fear seeing their power disappearing because of a stance that does not reflect the language realities.
While Alcúdia town hall has taken a decision which is at variance with the Bauzá regional government, the president and his new education minister plough on with their objective of promoting Castellano as a language for education. It is curious indeed that Alcúdia's PP can appreciate linguistic realities, yet the government cannot. Or maybe Alcúdia is odd in having such realities. I don't think so.
The government will argue, however, that these linguistic realities are changing. It can point to the fact that the percentage of families with children aged three to seven who want Castellano as the language of their children's education has increased; for the next school year, it will be up to 30%, slightly more than double what it has been during the current school year.
The argument, however, has to take into account the fact that when it came to choosing between Catalan and Castellano before the current school year, there was considerable confusion about the system of so-called free selection of language, so much so that some schools advised against a choice being made. Indeed, a quarter of parents made no choice. For the next school year, the government says that there are no "no choices". So, one can interpret the rise in the number of parents opting for Castellano in different ways, one of them being that they may represent some of the 25% who made no choice in 2012.
However the rise is interpreted, and the government naturally interprets it as support for its free selection policy, 30% does not amount to a ringing endorsement of the policy. Or perhaps it does, in that 70% of parents want Catalan, thus reflecting sociolinguistic realities, such as those in Alcúdia. And the government has steered away from undermining its message that free selection is getting parental support by failing to explain why the percentage of parents who prefer Catalan has itself increased - from 62% to 70%.
With elections for regional government also two years away, it is pertinent to wonder to what extent the politics of language will influence the electorate. In Alcúdia, the decision to support Catalan can be interpreted as one with an eye on the electorate. The PP government, though, cannot backtrack on its policy in the hope of mollifying discontented Catalan speakers. Indeed, with the changing of the guard at the education ministry, it seems more intent than ever on pressing the case for Castellano.
The politics of language were always likely to be a potential electoral Achilles' heel for the PP. And in two years time, Bauzá may discover just how sore that heel is.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
There may be other factors that have influenced the decision. The PP administration does not hold an overall majority. Its natural ally (some would say unnatural ally) is the one-time Mallorcan socialist, Carme García, who lined up with the PP after the elections in 2011 and enabled it to form the council's administration but who has had cause to disagree with the PP. And Catalan, one would imagine for someone from a Mallorcan nationalist background, is a likely candidate for disagreement.
Elections are quite possibly another factor. The next municipal elections are two years away. A town which has sociolinguistic realities rooted in Catalan therefore has an electorate that is rooted in similar fashion. The politics of language in Mallorca, or at least in Alcúdia, might be said to be governed by the realities of politics, those of the ballot box. And these realities can make even Partido Popular politicians sit up and take note, especially if they fear seeing their power disappearing because of a stance that does not reflect the language realities.
While Alcúdia town hall has taken a decision which is at variance with the Bauzá regional government, the president and his new education minister plough on with their objective of promoting Castellano as a language for education. It is curious indeed that Alcúdia's PP can appreciate linguistic realities, yet the government cannot. Or maybe Alcúdia is odd in having such realities. I don't think so.
The government will argue, however, that these linguistic realities are changing. It can point to the fact that the percentage of families with children aged three to seven who want Castellano as the language of their children's education has increased; for the next school year, it will be up to 30%, slightly more than double what it has been during the current school year.
The argument, however, has to take into account the fact that when it came to choosing between Catalan and Castellano before the current school year, there was considerable confusion about the system of so-called free selection of language, so much so that some schools advised against a choice being made. Indeed, a quarter of parents made no choice. For the next school year, the government says that there are no "no choices". So, one can interpret the rise in the number of parents opting for Castellano in different ways, one of them being that they may represent some of the 25% who made no choice in 2012.
However the rise is interpreted, and the government naturally interprets it as support for its free selection policy, 30% does not amount to a ringing endorsement of the policy. Or perhaps it does, in that 70% of parents want Catalan, thus reflecting sociolinguistic realities, such as those in Alcúdia. And the government has steered away from undermining its message that free selection is getting parental support by failing to explain why the percentage of parents who prefer Catalan has itself increased - from 62% to 70%.
With elections for regional government also two years away, it is pertinent to wonder to what extent the politics of language will influence the electorate. In Alcúdia, the decision to support Catalan can be interpreted as one with an eye on the electorate. The PP government, though, cannot backtrack on its policy in the hope of mollifying discontented Catalan speakers. Indeed, with the changing of the guard at the education ministry, it seems more intent than ever on pressing the case for Castellano.
The politics of language were always likely to be a potential electoral Achilles' heel for the PP. And in two years time, Bauzá may discover just how sore that heel is.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Saturday, June 01, 2013
MALLORCA TODAY - Alcúdia makes Catalan a requisite for council employment
Contradicting the regional government's modified law on language requirements for public-sector employment, Alcúdia town hall has decided unanimously that Catalan will remain a requirement and not merely a merit.
See more: Diario de Mallorca
See more: Diario de Mallorca
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Boys From The Blue Stuff
"Gissa job." "Gissa quarter of a million or so euros." "Ta, very much." "Here, have this blue tarmac." Ah but, it's not tarmac, it's asphalt. No, no, it's not even asphalt, it's a special flexible pavement. And what is a special flexible pavement, pray tell? One that bends, one that is capable of changing into something else?
Special flexible pavement is what the Partido Popular-led administration at Alcúdia town hall maintain is what now exists at the back of the beach in Puerto Alcúdia. However the town hall wishes to bend the pavement in its flexible spin way, the result is hideous. What in God's name were they thinking? Did they think? Or did the contractors (Vías y Obras Públicas SA - VOPSA) have a job-lot of blue asphalt they needed to get rid of, and were they happy to walk away with two hundred and eighty-two thousand, nine hundred and ten euros and eighty-three centimos in return for dumping it on top of what had been artisan-crafted stones which used to form the pavement? Put it this way, the company says on its website that it has been responsible for cycling routes, and some of those, e.g. in Puerto Pollensa, are blue. Hmm.
But blue is the colour, not because there were some leftovers, but because it is the colour of the sea. Which indeed it is. On the other hand, it isn't the colour of sand or beach. If you'd been told that vandals had gone along one night and painted a river of blue onto the sand, you probably wouldn't be surprised, given what the result is.
They make a habit in Alcúdia of committing atrocities in the name of urban landscaping. Take the bridge from nowhere on the promenade. An oasis ... among palms ... pergolas reminiscent of a series of ships in the harbour. I won't bother giving you the whole architectural description of this pile of wood, but architects have a habit of dressing up the mutton of their creations with the lamb of poetry. How about the redevelopment of the old power station that almost certainly won't now happen? A clearing in the forest was just one part of the lyricism that explained its architectural fineness. Nothing about knocking the thing down and starting all over. More mundane are the geometric-shaped blocks of what are asphalt on the the promenade. Yellowy, browny, orangey. What are they? What is the point of them? Alcúdia has form when it comes to coloured asphalt. Or special flexible pavement, if you prefer.
I smell, I'm afraid, a very large rat where the beach's blue river of asphalt is concerned. An Ironman rat. About to be staged for the third time, the running leg goes along the beach path. For runners, the old, eroding stones were far from ideal. But the path was not created with runners in mind. It was created to be, oddly enough, a path. One that blended in, one with a degree of artistic and artisanal elegance. What's the betting that the Ironman competition might have found a different location had there not been a running track laid in time for this year's event? Because that's more or less what there now is.
Being blue rather than sandy-coloured, all the sand is going to show up. It's likely to get trampled into the special flexible pavement, thus polluting the river into a bluey-browny-sandy shade. Then there's the sun, which has a habit of making things change colour. Still, as the tourism councillor points out, there is a similar blue path on the Barceloneta beach (in Barcelona). Perhaps there is, but if it's the only other one, maybe this is because other town hall tourism councillors have taken a look at it and concluded that it looks naff.
Over a quarter of a million euros for a running track. It's as well that Alcúdia town hall has been racking up the surplus that it has announced (notwithstanding its debt as well). Add on the quarter of a million euros for so-called improvements to the Bellevue Mile, and you are left to wonder. This project hasn't changed the look of the Mile, the bridge railings have been improved, but otherwise, what has been the point of it? A few benches have been installed, which, as one restaurant owner has observed, can be used for cheapskate tourists to sit on with their all-inclusive carry-outs or bottles of San Miguel from a supermarket or for the hair-braiding ladies to find another place to ply their trade.
More than half a million spent, and they've managed to make things worse. That is quite an achievement.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Special flexible pavement is what the Partido Popular-led administration at Alcúdia town hall maintain is what now exists at the back of the beach in Puerto Alcúdia. However the town hall wishes to bend the pavement in its flexible spin way, the result is hideous. What in God's name were they thinking? Did they think? Or did the contractors (Vías y Obras Públicas SA - VOPSA) have a job-lot of blue asphalt they needed to get rid of, and were they happy to walk away with two hundred and eighty-two thousand, nine hundred and ten euros and eighty-three centimos in return for dumping it on top of what had been artisan-crafted stones which used to form the pavement? Put it this way, the company says on its website that it has been responsible for cycling routes, and some of those, e.g. in Puerto Pollensa, are blue. Hmm.
But blue is the colour, not because there were some leftovers, but because it is the colour of the sea. Which indeed it is. On the other hand, it isn't the colour of sand or beach. If you'd been told that vandals had gone along one night and painted a river of blue onto the sand, you probably wouldn't be surprised, given what the result is.
They make a habit in Alcúdia of committing atrocities in the name of urban landscaping. Take the bridge from nowhere on the promenade. An oasis ... among palms ... pergolas reminiscent of a series of ships in the harbour. I won't bother giving you the whole architectural description of this pile of wood, but architects have a habit of dressing up the mutton of their creations with the lamb of poetry. How about the redevelopment of the old power station that almost certainly won't now happen? A clearing in the forest was just one part of the lyricism that explained its architectural fineness. Nothing about knocking the thing down and starting all over. More mundane are the geometric-shaped blocks of what are asphalt on the the promenade. Yellowy, browny, orangey. What are they? What is the point of them? Alcúdia has form when it comes to coloured asphalt. Or special flexible pavement, if you prefer.
I smell, I'm afraid, a very large rat where the beach's blue river of asphalt is concerned. An Ironman rat. About to be staged for the third time, the running leg goes along the beach path. For runners, the old, eroding stones were far from ideal. But the path was not created with runners in mind. It was created to be, oddly enough, a path. One that blended in, one with a degree of artistic and artisanal elegance. What's the betting that the Ironman competition might have found a different location had there not been a running track laid in time for this year's event? Because that's more or less what there now is.
Being blue rather than sandy-coloured, all the sand is going to show up. It's likely to get trampled into the special flexible pavement, thus polluting the river into a bluey-browny-sandy shade. Then there's the sun, which has a habit of making things change colour. Still, as the tourism councillor points out, there is a similar blue path on the Barceloneta beach (in Barcelona). Perhaps there is, but if it's the only other one, maybe this is because other town hall tourism councillors have taken a look at it and concluded that it looks naff.
Over a quarter of a million euros for a running track. It's as well that Alcúdia town hall has been racking up the surplus that it has announced (notwithstanding its debt as well). Add on the quarter of a million euros for so-called improvements to the Bellevue Mile, and you are left to wonder. This project hasn't changed the look of the Mile, the bridge railings have been improved, but otherwise, what has been the point of it? A few benches have been installed, which, as one restaurant owner has observed, can be used for cheapskate tourists to sit on with their all-inclusive carry-outs or bottles of San Miguel from a supermarket or for the hair-braiding ladies to find another place to ply their trade.
More than half a million spent, and they've managed to make things worse. That is quite an achievement.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Friday, January 25, 2013
MALLORCA TODAY - Alcúdia ordered to pay dismissed legal advisor
A court has ordered Alcúdia town hall to pay a legal advisor who was dismissed soon after the current administration came into office in 2011 a monthly salary of over 2,000 euros. The dismissal was adjudged to have been unfair some months ago, but the town hall ignored either option of reinstatement or a payoff of compensation amounting to just under 60,000 euros.
In other developments at the town hall, the budget (31 million euros) has been approved for this year, but a surplus that the town hall holds (11 million euros) will not be used as, the administration argues, the law requires it to keep this in order to ensure payments to suppliers.
See more: Diario de Mallorca
In other developments at the town hall, the budget (31 million euros) has been approved for this year, but a surplus that the town hall holds (11 million euros) will not be used as, the administration argues, the law requires it to keep this in order to ensure payments to suppliers.
See more: Diario de Mallorca
Friday, October 12, 2012
Open Systems: Town halls' e-government
With some fanfare, Alcúdia town hall has launched a separate website, described as one of the most advanced in Spain and designed to bring the town hall administration closer to the people. It is a system to show current and past activities and procedures engaged in by the town hall and to allow for certain bits of bureaucracy to be conducted online, such as registering change of address and requesting reservations of the public way (e.g. for specific events, one presumes).
At a cost of 330,000 euros, the system is bound to raise some questions as to whether it is a wise spend in these economically tough times, but it is confirmation that Alcúdia is wanting to be closer to the people (its words) and to be more open, as evidenced previously by an in-depth study of the town hall's financial situation over the past few years.
For all this, being a system that is one of the most advanced in Spain doesn't say a great deal about how well town halls engage with their citizens. I would like to be able to explain more about what the system is, but unfortunately, and despite the system having been announced to the local media, it isn't working (or wasn't yesterday). The impression, though, is that it is no more than might be considered normal communication practice by a local authority.
Transparency, accountability and openness form the accepted mantra by which local authorities should operate. A common accusation levelled at Mallorca's local authorities is that their affairs aren't transparent, while a further one charges the public service as a whole with having been slow to embrace modern technologies in order that day-to-day matters can be performed via the internet.
The perception, however, is probably some way short of the truth. There have been notable advances by Mallorca's public authorities in making the internet a means of making people's lives easier, but when it comes to openness in revealing financial affairs the accusation is more valid.
An assumption might be made that local authorities here have dragged their heels in being more transparent and being more up-to-date in the way that they communicate information. But in supposedly more open Britain, it isn't necessarily the case that local councils are that brilliant at exposing their financial affairs to public scrutiny, despite demands having been placed on them by the substantial figure of Eric Pickles, the local government secretary.
The financial requirements to provide good "e-government" in the form of online information systems for the citizenship can be a constraint, both in Britain and in Spain, and Alcúdia's system highlights the sort of cost that is required. Culturally, it is probably fair to say that the Spanish mentality veers towards a lack of transparency, while it is also fair to say that local authorities have often had good (and less than legitimate) reasons to keep their affairs under wraps, but such lack of openness is not universal. The organisation Transparency International has conducted a survey of provincial governments across Spain and a few have extremely high levels of openness. The Council of Mallorca isn't one of them but it does manage to score more than a 50% threshold of transparency, considered the minimum to qualify as being transparent, but it only just manages to exceed 50% in being ranked sixteenth out of 45 administrations.
Culture, as much as funding wherewithal, is the key to more open local government in Mallorca together with the political will to be more open. National government hopes to introduce greater transparency at all levels of government through a new law, but it has been criticised for being half-hearted. The political will, therefore, is more one that is shown at specific local levels, and in Alcúdia it does appear to exist.
Mostly all town hall politicians are well aware of the need for greater transparency, and many of them have placed themselves more in the firing-line by being on Facebook and other social networks. A good case in point as to how social media can swiftly change a town hall decision was that of the secretarial appointment of Nora Tugores by Pollensa's mayor Tomeu Cifre; opposition politicians went into immediate overdrive on Facebook in attacking the appointment, and it was revoked within a matter of days.
The social media, therefore, are playing an important role in creating a cultural shift towards an appreciation of openness by town halls in Mallorca. Indeed, it might not be an exaggeration to suggest that social media are and will be instrumental in limiting the potential for less than acceptable behaviour by local politicians.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
At a cost of 330,000 euros, the system is bound to raise some questions as to whether it is a wise spend in these economically tough times, but it is confirmation that Alcúdia is wanting to be closer to the people (its words) and to be more open, as evidenced previously by an in-depth study of the town hall's financial situation over the past few years.
For all this, being a system that is one of the most advanced in Spain doesn't say a great deal about how well town halls engage with their citizens. I would like to be able to explain more about what the system is, but unfortunately, and despite the system having been announced to the local media, it isn't working (or wasn't yesterday). The impression, though, is that it is no more than might be considered normal communication practice by a local authority.
Transparency, accountability and openness form the accepted mantra by which local authorities should operate. A common accusation levelled at Mallorca's local authorities is that their affairs aren't transparent, while a further one charges the public service as a whole with having been slow to embrace modern technologies in order that day-to-day matters can be performed via the internet.
The perception, however, is probably some way short of the truth. There have been notable advances by Mallorca's public authorities in making the internet a means of making people's lives easier, but when it comes to openness in revealing financial affairs the accusation is more valid.
An assumption might be made that local authorities here have dragged their heels in being more transparent and being more up-to-date in the way that they communicate information. But in supposedly more open Britain, it isn't necessarily the case that local councils are that brilliant at exposing their financial affairs to public scrutiny, despite demands having been placed on them by the substantial figure of Eric Pickles, the local government secretary.
The financial requirements to provide good "e-government" in the form of online information systems for the citizenship can be a constraint, both in Britain and in Spain, and Alcúdia's system highlights the sort of cost that is required. Culturally, it is probably fair to say that the Spanish mentality veers towards a lack of transparency, while it is also fair to say that local authorities have often had good (and less than legitimate) reasons to keep their affairs under wraps, but such lack of openness is not universal. The organisation Transparency International has conducted a survey of provincial governments across Spain and a few have extremely high levels of openness. The Council of Mallorca isn't one of them but it does manage to score more than a 50% threshold of transparency, considered the minimum to qualify as being transparent, but it only just manages to exceed 50% in being ranked sixteenth out of 45 administrations.
Culture, as much as funding wherewithal, is the key to more open local government in Mallorca together with the political will to be more open. National government hopes to introduce greater transparency at all levels of government through a new law, but it has been criticised for being half-hearted. The political will, therefore, is more one that is shown at specific local levels, and in Alcúdia it does appear to exist.
Mostly all town hall politicians are well aware of the need for greater transparency, and many of them have placed themselves more in the firing-line by being on Facebook and other social networks. A good case in point as to how social media can swiftly change a town hall decision was that of the secretarial appointment of Nora Tugores by Pollensa's mayor Tomeu Cifre; opposition politicians went into immediate overdrive on Facebook in attacking the appointment, and it was revoked within a matter of days.
The social media, therefore, are playing an important role in creating a cultural shift towards an appreciation of openness by town halls in Mallorca. Indeed, it might not be an exaggeration to suggest that social media are and will be instrumental in limiting the potential for less than acceptable behaviour by local politicians.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
MALLORCA TODAY - Alcúdia launches internet public information system
Alcúdia town hall, with an investment of 330,000 euros has launched an electronic information system whereby townspeople will be able to consult all municipal procedures conducted by the town hall. Described as being one of the most advanced systems in Spain, it is designed to being the town hall administration closer to its citizens. (Unfortunately, the URL for the system does not appear to be functioning at present.)
See more: Diario de Mallorca
See more: Diario de Mallorca
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Unprincipled
A double-header today. Firstly, Alcúdia and its pacts. A bit later, the tourism minister.
The other day, under the title "Carme Chameleon", I looked at the possibility of the PSM (Mallorcan socialists) forming a pact with the Partido Popular to govern Alcúdia town hall. The title was quite deliberate. Turning colours. I hadn't expected that it would happen, but, unless there is a change of heart, it is now on the cards. To use another song from the 1980s, Carme Garcia will have shed her skin and smashed a damn great sledgehammer into what pretence there is in Mallorca as to principled politics.
The spin is that she will align herself with the PP by setting aside ideological differences because the PP, which gained eight councillors (one short of the nine required), has the moral right to govern Alcúdia. There's no debating this. Twice as many councillors as the next party, almost twice as much of the vote as the next lot, the PP has to be allowed to run the town hall. There is also, unquestionably, a bit of a sisters' act going on, which, where Garcia is concerned, you can understand. The alternative for her would be to align with the mates of the Convergència and PSOE, which might pose problems for her, and them.
However, there is also ambition. Garcia is likely to end up as the right-hand woman of the PP's Coloma Terrasa, whether Terrasa really wants her or not. Then there is credibility. Garcia's has been shot to pieces. If she does indeed end up as a "teniente" to the new mayor, she will be treated with utter contempt. Her party, the PSM, is livid and she has been booted out of the party for arriving at a personal agreement with the PP. She has been branded as a turncoat.
The PSM is pleading with the PP to reject the agreement. PSOE is calling on José Bauzá to in effect veto it. If there were any principles, then the PP would do so and Terrasa would be left to govern with a minority, notwithstanding the difficulties this would create.
Garcia's actions are disgraceful. They are not principled. Yes, she was returned as a councillor, but it was with a small percentage of the vote. Who did this small percentage vote for? Her or the PSM? Activists within the PSM might have enjoyed the opportunity of town hall representation, but they wouldn't have enjoyed an alliance with the PP which is the complete opposite of the PSM. Nor, you would think, would PP supporters enjoy the idea of a Mallorcan socialist pulling some strings.
The proportional system can be held open to ridicule, and it is being made to look completely ridiculous in Alcúdia, while Garcia has made herself a laughing-stock.
Tourism minister
Moving onto the never-ending saga as to who might end up as the new tourism minister, the possibility of a so-called "professional" taking the reins at the ministry keeps on popping up.
It would appear that certain professionals have indeed been canvassed as to their willingness to become tourism supremo. One of them is Alvaro Middelmann, the boss of Air Berlin in Iberia, and the former president of the Fomento del Turismo (the Mallorcan tourism board). Why on earth would Middelmann want the job? He's hugely qualified to do it, but what benefit would it bring him? It wouldn't be financial, that's for sure. And he's pretty much said as much.
It's all very well people banging on about the need for a professional to be in charge of tourism, but the problem is that professionals, if they are any good, earn a considerably larger wedge doing what they do outside of government than were they inside it.
There is also a potential problem as to perception. Middelmann, for example, is associated with one particular airline and with one particular market, the German market. Such associations could cause issues down the line, even if the perception were misplaced. Similar associations and perceptions could apply to others.
And then there is an issue of principle. What exactly is the deal with possibly appointing someone who hasn't been elected? Carlos Delgado, the bookies' favourite for the job, may be disliked, other candidates from within the PP may in fact be useless, but they have at least been elected.
Finally, if the tourism ministry is as bust as it is meant to be and if it fails to be a massive beneficiary of Bauzá benevolence, do you honestly think someone such as Middelmann, or any other highly-regarded professional, would risk their reputation when the mud starts flying about lack of promotion this, lack of promotion that? If a pro does end up at tourism, it's probably because he or she needs a job. You wouldn't want it otherwise.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
The other day, under the title "Carme Chameleon", I looked at the possibility of the PSM (Mallorcan socialists) forming a pact with the Partido Popular to govern Alcúdia town hall. The title was quite deliberate. Turning colours. I hadn't expected that it would happen, but, unless there is a change of heart, it is now on the cards. To use another song from the 1980s, Carme Garcia will have shed her skin and smashed a damn great sledgehammer into what pretence there is in Mallorca as to principled politics.
The spin is that she will align herself with the PP by setting aside ideological differences because the PP, which gained eight councillors (one short of the nine required), has the moral right to govern Alcúdia. There's no debating this. Twice as many councillors as the next party, almost twice as much of the vote as the next lot, the PP has to be allowed to run the town hall. There is also, unquestionably, a bit of a sisters' act going on, which, where Garcia is concerned, you can understand. The alternative for her would be to align with the mates of the Convergència and PSOE, which might pose problems for her, and them.
However, there is also ambition. Garcia is likely to end up as the right-hand woman of the PP's Coloma Terrasa, whether Terrasa really wants her or not. Then there is credibility. Garcia's has been shot to pieces. If she does indeed end up as a "teniente" to the new mayor, she will be treated with utter contempt. Her party, the PSM, is livid and she has been booted out of the party for arriving at a personal agreement with the PP. She has been branded as a turncoat.
The PSM is pleading with the PP to reject the agreement. PSOE is calling on José Bauzá to in effect veto it. If there were any principles, then the PP would do so and Terrasa would be left to govern with a minority, notwithstanding the difficulties this would create.
Garcia's actions are disgraceful. They are not principled. Yes, she was returned as a councillor, but it was with a small percentage of the vote. Who did this small percentage vote for? Her or the PSM? Activists within the PSM might have enjoyed the opportunity of town hall representation, but they wouldn't have enjoyed an alliance with the PP which is the complete opposite of the PSM. Nor, you would think, would PP supporters enjoy the idea of a Mallorcan socialist pulling some strings.
The proportional system can be held open to ridicule, and it is being made to look completely ridiculous in Alcúdia, while Garcia has made herself a laughing-stock.
Tourism minister
Moving onto the never-ending saga as to who might end up as the new tourism minister, the possibility of a so-called "professional" taking the reins at the ministry keeps on popping up.
It would appear that certain professionals have indeed been canvassed as to their willingness to become tourism supremo. One of them is Alvaro Middelmann, the boss of Air Berlin in Iberia, and the former president of the Fomento del Turismo (the Mallorcan tourism board). Why on earth would Middelmann want the job? He's hugely qualified to do it, but what benefit would it bring him? It wouldn't be financial, that's for sure. And he's pretty much said as much.
It's all very well people banging on about the need for a professional to be in charge of tourism, but the problem is that professionals, if they are any good, earn a considerably larger wedge doing what they do outside of government than were they inside it.
There is also a potential problem as to perception. Middelmann, for example, is associated with one particular airline and with one particular market, the German market. Such associations could cause issues down the line, even if the perception were misplaced. Similar associations and perceptions could apply to others.
And then there is an issue of principle. What exactly is the deal with possibly appointing someone who hasn't been elected? Carlos Delgado, the bookies' favourite for the job, may be disliked, other candidates from within the PP may in fact be useless, but they have at least been elected.
Finally, if the tourism ministry is as bust as it is meant to be and if it fails to be a massive beneficiary of Bauzá benevolence, do you honestly think someone such as Middelmann, or any other highly-regarded professional, would risk their reputation when the mud starts flying about lack of promotion this, lack of promotion that? If a pro does end up at tourism, it's probably because he or she needs a job. You wouldn't want it otherwise.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Monday, October 05, 2009
You Cannot Petition
You might have thought that the decision to take no decision in respect of the rail extension to Alcúdia during the remaining period of the current governmental administration would have been the end of the matter. You would of course have been wrong. One of the more glaring omissions following the no-decision decision was any word from Alcúdia's mayor, he who was so committed to not allowing the northern route. Finally, he has broken his silence and has announced the results of the petition that the town hall launched against the proposed route. There were 1300 signatures against. The mayor believes that these represent a significant expression of local views. Well, he would say that, wouldn't he. The numbers registering their opposition amount to some way short of 10% of the town's population. What of the 90% who didn't sign the petition? (And I know, I know, you have to take account of minors and all that, but you get the point.)
See any photos of the so-called mass protests against the route and it will invariably involve a tractor with a sign strung to the front bearing the legend "Per Son Fé" (and indeed there was such a photo in "The Bulletin" yesterday). It was the area of Son Fé, as one enters Alcúdia along the road from the motorway, that was most affected by the proposed route; the area of the tractor boys. Small wonder that it should create the most vocal opposition. Of those who signed, one could well imagine that the majority had some connection with Son Fé and with the immediate area in the old town where a terminus might have been sited. The rest were probably Luddite fanatics opposed to anything that smacks of a period after around the early twentieth century and political fellow-travellers, ones who are not, though, going to be travelling on a train any time soon; well not one starting from Alcúdia. What about those on the other side of Alcúdia, in the port, in Mal Pas and so on? What also of people in Puerto Pollensa, Playa de Muro and maybe also Can Picafort who might have liked a say? The rail extension was never the sole preserve of Alcúdia, much as the town hall has acted as though it were.
The extension is not a complete dead duck. Of those who placed their signatures against the northern route, 85% were happy for there to be an alternative route, i.e. the southern one favoured by the town hall. No great surprise there. All that NIMBY stuff, as ever, and stuff the fact that the southern route may genuinely not be an environmental plus and that the odd dead duck in Albufera may be the result. The petition is part of a process of objections to be presented to the regional government, despite its decision to take no decision, other than the decision to not go ahead during the current legislature. The railway could still happen, but whether central funds would still be forthcoming, given the debacle this time round, is quite a different matter.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - "Rio", Mike Nesmith, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNwj-Z6ig-M. Today's title - well of course you can, and they do. Who was this and who couldn't you petition?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
See any photos of the so-called mass protests against the route and it will invariably involve a tractor with a sign strung to the front bearing the legend "Per Son Fé" (and indeed there was such a photo in "The Bulletin" yesterday). It was the area of Son Fé, as one enters Alcúdia along the road from the motorway, that was most affected by the proposed route; the area of the tractor boys. Small wonder that it should create the most vocal opposition. Of those who signed, one could well imagine that the majority had some connection with Son Fé and with the immediate area in the old town where a terminus might have been sited. The rest were probably Luddite fanatics opposed to anything that smacks of a period after around the early twentieth century and political fellow-travellers, ones who are not, though, going to be travelling on a train any time soon; well not one starting from Alcúdia. What about those on the other side of Alcúdia, in the port, in Mal Pas and so on? What also of people in Puerto Pollensa, Playa de Muro and maybe also Can Picafort who might have liked a say? The rail extension was never the sole preserve of Alcúdia, much as the town hall has acted as though it were.
The extension is not a complete dead duck. Of those who placed their signatures against the northern route, 85% were happy for there to be an alternative route, i.e. the southern one favoured by the town hall. No great surprise there. All that NIMBY stuff, as ever, and stuff the fact that the southern route may genuinely not be an environmental plus and that the odd dead duck in Albufera may be the result. The petition is part of a process of objections to be presented to the regional government, despite its decision to take no decision, other than the decision to not go ahead during the current legislature. The railway could still happen, but whether central funds would still be forthcoming, given the debacle this time round, is quite a different matter.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - "Rio", Mike Nesmith, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNwj-Z6ig-M. Today's title - well of course you can, and they do. Who was this and who couldn't you petition?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Go Now
So, returning to yesterday and the breaking news that occupied the top of yesterday's entry.
The regional government's threat to go elsewhere with their train money seems not to have been an idle one, even if the location of that elsewhere has probably taken a lot of people by surprise, including - one hopes - the mayor of Alcúdia. The central funds earmarked for the rail extension to Alcúdia now may well end up finding a solution to a bit of local difficulty in Manacor where there has been all manner of opposition to the redeveloped route to Artà. That the regional government would appear to have lost patience with Alcúdia town hall is perhaps understandable, but the diversion of funding to Manacor means the worst of all worlds. There remains just the germ of a thought that such a diversion may be a ruse to flush out Alcúdia town hall which will now face its own backlash if the train does not arrive there - ever. Nevertheless, the central ministry in Madrid that ultimately oversees such projects appears to have accepted the changed use of the funding.
The Manacor-Artà redevelopment (there used once to be a line between the two towns) has, unlike the Alcúdia train, been dogged by significant popular opposition. Many people argue that it is unnecessary. If one takes the tourism angle (which has been a plank of the Alcúdia town hall argument in favour of the southern route), this does not apply in the Manacor case. Apart from anything else, Artà has hardly any tourism industry worthy of the name. It is nowhere town, where no-one goes. Only if the line were to be extended on further, to Cala Ratjada (which is the intention), might the tourism factor become consequential, but even then to nothing like the degree that a train to Alcúdia might. When the mayor of Manacor referred to the "outcry" in Alcúdia, he was being disingenuous in two ways: there has not been the sort of popular outcry in Alcúdia that he suggests, yet there has been in his own municipality as well as elsewhere.
The case of the rail lines is a farce. It is a farce for different reasons. The regional government can be seen as being petty by not seeking a rapprochement with Alcúdia; the transport ministry can be seen as having wished to foist a route on Alcúdia that it did not want; Alcúdia town hall has been petty by not being willing to back down; the use of funds for the Manacor line will be for something which does not have popular support; the Manacor line will not serve tourism; the Alcúdia line would serve not only tourism but also residents of the town, Puerto Pollensa and the playa region of Muro; the Alcúdia line would be more widely beneficial in terms of the island economy; the political fighting will have bitten Alcúdia's mayor who stands above all other parties as being responsible for the loss of the rail line. All assuming that the diversion of funds does indeed get ratified. If it is, then Mayor Ferrer should either resign or be booted out. Whatever spin the town hall will try to put on the loss of the rail line, it will have been the obstructive nature of the town hall's opposition to the government's preferred route that will have been the cause of this loss, to the detriment of Alcúdia, its immediate neighbours and the island as a whole. Though it can be argued that the transport ministry sought a fait accompli when it announced the northern route, the alternative southern route - that which the town hall wants, especially were it to end up at the Es Foguera ruin - has no great advantage, if any, over the northern route. But this will serve also to expose the absurdity at the heart of this farce - that a town hall can effectively block an important infrastructure development. The fault in all this lies at one level with political pettiness but at another with the political system, to say nothing of possible self-interests that may or may not have played a part in Alcúdia's obstructionism.
It could be that the Alcúdia line is not doomed, if this is a ploy by the government. But for Ferrer to now back down would mean an enormous loss of face. He has a choice - loss of face or loss of support from people in Alcúdia who were in favour of the train, wherever it might have been sited. There is only one choice for him - he should go.
QUIZ
Today's title - before they became orchestral rockers.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
The regional government's threat to go elsewhere with their train money seems not to have been an idle one, even if the location of that elsewhere has probably taken a lot of people by surprise, including - one hopes - the mayor of Alcúdia. The central funds earmarked for the rail extension to Alcúdia now may well end up finding a solution to a bit of local difficulty in Manacor where there has been all manner of opposition to the redeveloped route to Artà. That the regional government would appear to have lost patience with Alcúdia town hall is perhaps understandable, but the diversion of funding to Manacor means the worst of all worlds. There remains just the germ of a thought that such a diversion may be a ruse to flush out Alcúdia town hall which will now face its own backlash if the train does not arrive there - ever. Nevertheless, the central ministry in Madrid that ultimately oversees such projects appears to have accepted the changed use of the funding.
The Manacor-Artà redevelopment (there used once to be a line between the two towns) has, unlike the Alcúdia train, been dogged by significant popular opposition. Many people argue that it is unnecessary. If one takes the tourism angle (which has been a plank of the Alcúdia town hall argument in favour of the southern route), this does not apply in the Manacor case. Apart from anything else, Artà has hardly any tourism industry worthy of the name. It is nowhere town, where no-one goes. Only if the line were to be extended on further, to Cala Ratjada (which is the intention), might the tourism factor become consequential, but even then to nothing like the degree that a train to Alcúdia might. When the mayor of Manacor referred to the "outcry" in Alcúdia, he was being disingenuous in two ways: there has not been the sort of popular outcry in Alcúdia that he suggests, yet there has been in his own municipality as well as elsewhere.
The case of the rail lines is a farce. It is a farce for different reasons. The regional government can be seen as being petty by not seeking a rapprochement with Alcúdia; the transport ministry can be seen as having wished to foist a route on Alcúdia that it did not want; Alcúdia town hall has been petty by not being willing to back down; the use of funds for the Manacor line will be for something which does not have popular support; the Manacor line will not serve tourism; the Alcúdia line would serve not only tourism but also residents of the town, Puerto Pollensa and the playa region of Muro; the Alcúdia line would be more widely beneficial in terms of the island economy; the political fighting will have bitten Alcúdia's mayor who stands above all other parties as being responsible for the loss of the rail line. All assuming that the diversion of funds does indeed get ratified. If it is, then Mayor Ferrer should either resign or be booted out. Whatever spin the town hall will try to put on the loss of the rail line, it will have been the obstructive nature of the town hall's opposition to the government's preferred route that will have been the cause of this loss, to the detriment of Alcúdia, its immediate neighbours and the island as a whole. Though it can be argued that the transport ministry sought a fait accompli when it announced the northern route, the alternative southern route - that which the town hall wants, especially were it to end up at the Es Foguera ruin - has no great advantage, if any, over the northern route. But this will serve also to expose the absurdity at the heart of this farce - that a town hall can effectively block an important infrastructure development. The fault in all this lies at one level with political pettiness but at another with the political system, to say nothing of possible self-interests that may or may not have played a part in Alcúdia's obstructionism.
It could be that the Alcúdia line is not doomed, if this is a ploy by the government. But for Ferrer to now back down would mean an enormous loss of face. He has a choice - loss of face or loss of support from people in Alcúdia who were in favour of the train, wherever it might have been sited. There is only one choice for him - he should go.
QUIZ
Today's title - before they became orchestral rockers.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Head Bangers
The piece below has been rather overtaken by events - the government is set to divert the funds set aside for the extension to Alcúdia to other rail work on the island and in particular work on the "boulevard" which is part of a solution to issues surrounding the Manacor railway. Or is this just a cunning ploy by the government? More on all this to come, no doubt.
No, not something about Status Quo and their geriatric rocking all over the Darby and Joan Club in Palma the other day, but ever more on the Sa Pobla-Alcúdia train, an ever more which just goes to show how what you read and where you read it can give a less than complete picture of the situation. In "The Bulletin" we learn, thanks to the mayor of Manacor, that there has been "wholesale opposition" to the proposed northern corridor for the rail extension into Alcúdia and that the regional government has "heeded the outcry from Alcúdia" whilst not heeding one in Manacor regarding the rail extension from there to Artà, work on which is due to start shortly.
This is not quite accurate. There has of course been opposition to the northern route, but it is not as great as is being made out. Recently Alcúdia town hall, which has invited "allegations" against the proposed route and which has also extended hours of opening in order to present information, received - on the first day of these extended hours - fifteen people who asked for information. Moreover, the town hall received only a few "allegations". Asking for information does not mean wholesale opposition; it means asking for information. A few allegations do not represent wholesale opposition.
It is not accurate to suggest that the government has "heeded the outcry from Alcúdia". What it, or more specifically the transport ministry, has done is to suggest that if there cannot be agreement to the northern route, it (the ministry) would consider siting the rail extension elsewhere. Heeding the outcry actually means getting hacked off with the apparent intransigence at the town hall. The outcry itself is more one of political statements from the town hall; it is not a great public demonstration against the northern route. Yes, there have been protests, such as signs against the extension some months ago, but the Manacor mayor is overstating the situation. And those protests were essentially NIMBY in nature as they related to finca land that would be needed for a line into the centre of Alcúdia town.
In contrast to the report in "The Bulletin", which deals only with what the Manacor mayor has to say, one from "The Diario" presents a rather different picture. And it is this. The president of the government, Francesc Antich, has met with the leader of the Unió Mallorquina party, Miquel Flaquer, in order to try and gain some sort of consensus to present before the regional parliament. It should be noted that the Alcúdia town hall mayor, Miquel Ferrer, is from the same party as Flaquer. On Tuesday next week, responding to a demand from the Partido Popular, which is in opposition at the regional government, there needs to be some sort of definitive statement from the parliament about the Alcúdia railway. What one concludes, from what "The Diario" is saying, is that the whole issue has now gone over the heads of the main protagonists in the saga - the transport minister and the mayor of Alcúdia. Going over their heads and banging their heads together. And not before time.
The words of Manacor's mayor, himself from the Partido Popular, are essentially political posturing, certainly where Alcúdia is concerned, as the extension there has nothing whatsoever to do with him. But they sum up what this story is all about: political point-scoring. The real issues of environment, convenience, boost to local economy, population density and all the rest have been put to one side while the politicians from differing parties adopt their stances. 'Twas ever thus, you might say, and you would be right, but the fact that Antich has seen it necessary to get involved - overdue some might argue - is indicative of the inconclusiveness of the local political system and of political fighting. It should be remembered that Antich came into power with his "age of the train" declaration. Railways were his "big thing". He should have been more intimately involved long ago.
Personally I don't give a damn where the train goes, so long as it goes to Alcúdia which is the only sensible option in the north. Hopefully Antich can now, through the boss of the Unió Mallorquina, get Alcúdia town hall to accept the northern route, as quite clearly the transport ministry is not prepared to budge except to go to a different and less satisfactory municipality.
Places that are closing
Chances are that this might become a regular slot on the blog in the coming weeks. One place that is going is Mulligan's in Puerto Pollensa. Unfortunately, we can probably anticipate that there will be a number of others.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Ian Dury And The Blockheads, and here is the Hairy Cornflake introducing a "newcomer" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5snIxUBVjw.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
No, not something about Status Quo and their geriatric rocking all over the Darby and Joan Club in Palma the other day, but ever more on the Sa Pobla-Alcúdia train, an ever more which just goes to show how what you read and where you read it can give a less than complete picture of the situation. In "The Bulletin" we learn, thanks to the mayor of Manacor, that there has been "wholesale opposition" to the proposed northern corridor for the rail extension into Alcúdia and that the regional government has "heeded the outcry from Alcúdia" whilst not heeding one in Manacor regarding the rail extension from there to Artà, work on which is due to start shortly.
This is not quite accurate. There has of course been opposition to the northern route, but it is not as great as is being made out. Recently Alcúdia town hall, which has invited "allegations" against the proposed route and which has also extended hours of opening in order to present information, received - on the first day of these extended hours - fifteen people who asked for information. Moreover, the town hall received only a few "allegations". Asking for information does not mean wholesale opposition; it means asking for information. A few allegations do not represent wholesale opposition.
It is not accurate to suggest that the government has "heeded the outcry from Alcúdia". What it, or more specifically the transport ministry, has done is to suggest that if there cannot be agreement to the northern route, it (the ministry) would consider siting the rail extension elsewhere. Heeding the outcry actually means getting hacked off with the apparent intransigence at the town hall. The outcry itself is more one of political statements from the town hall; it is not a great public demonstration against the northern route. Yes, there have been protests, such as signs against the extension some months ago, but the Manacor mayor is overstating the situation. And those protests were essentially NIMBY in nature as they related to finca land that would be needed for a line into the centre of Alcúdia town.
In contrast to the report in "The Bulletin", which deals only with what the Manacor mayor has to say, one from "The Diario" presents a rather different picture. And it is this. The president of the government, Francesc Antich, has met with the leader of the Unió Mallorquina party, Miquel Flaquer, in order to try and gain some sort of consensus to present before the regional parliament. It should be noted that the Alcúdia town hall mayor, Miquel Ferrer, is from the same party as Flaquer. On Tuesday next week, responding to a demand from the Partido Popular, which is in opposition at the regional government, there needs to be some sort of definitive statement from the parliament about the Alcúdia railway. What one concludes, from what "The Diario" is saying, is that the whole issue has now gone over the heads of the main protagonists in the saga - the transport minister and the mayor of Alcúdia. Going over their heads and banging their heads together. And not before time.
The words of Manacor's mayor, himself from the Partido Popular, are essentially political posturing, certainly where Alcúdia is concerned, as the extension there has nothing whatsoever to do with him. But they sum up what this story is all about: political point-scoring. The real issues of environment, convenience, boost to local economy, population density and all the rest have been put to one side while the politicians from differing parties adopt their stances. 'Twas ever thus, you might say, and you would be right, but the fact that Antich has seen it necessary to get involved - overdue some might argue - is indicative of the inconclusiveness of the local political system and of political fighting. It should be remembered that Antich came into power with his "age of the train" declaration. Railways were his "big thing". He should have been more intimately involved long ago.
Personally I don't give a damn where the train goes, so long as it goes to Alcúdia which is the only sensible option in the north. Hopefully Antich can now, through the boss of the Unió Mallorquina, get Alcúdia town hall to accept the northern route, as quite clearly the transport ministry is not prepared to budge except to go to a different and less satisfactory municipality.
Places that are closing
Chances are that this might become a regular slot on the blog in the coming weeks. One place that is going is Mulligan's in Puerto Pollensa. Unfortunately, we can probably anticipate that there will be a number of others.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Ian Dury And The Blockheads, and here is the Hairy Cornflake introducing a "newcomer" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5snIxUBVjw.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Cutting Down To Size
The president of the Balearic Government is to consider a rationalisation of the structure of the government's executive and therefore the number of ministries - all part, says he, of serving the citizen well. That this may result in the merging or even the axeing of certain ministries may make for more efficient and perhaps less expensive government, but what real difference it might make would be questionable. Restructuring is not a complete red herring, but there are numerous issues that should be addressed apart from simply moving boxes around on an organisational chart.
Let's consider the following: the absence of a culture of service, excessive bureaucracy, too many tiers of government and therefore duplication, unclear lines of responsibility, legislation that is poorly communicated or implemented, corruption, nepotism, incompetence, self-interest, political in-fighting, disregard of what is meant to occur ... They'll do for starters.
An editorial in "The Bulletin" argued that as important as any rationalisation at executive level would be a consideration of the tiers of government. It referred to three; it could have added two more. Central government in Madrid, the Balearic regional government, the Council of Mallorca and the town halls. On top of all of this lot there is also Brussels. Multi-tiered it may be, but so are public administrations elsewhere. Apart from the Council of Mallorca, about which one can legitimately ask what purpose it serves, the model is not in itself wrong. Localisation of democracy through the town halls and the mayors is a strength, albeit that it can go badly wrong mainly because of the lack of checks and balances and the resultant scandals. Devolution to the regions may be a political expedient in some countries, as in the UK, but it, together with regional autonomy, is a political necessity in democratic Spain. Perhaps the greatest political problem that has dogged Spain for more than two centuries is how to handle the regions.
But the consequence of these tiers is that each becomes a mini-me of the one higher up the political food chain. The town halls have councillors for this and that, directors for so and so. There are far too many of them, recipients of jobs for the boys and girls and unfortunately sometimes recipients of favours or the issuers thereof. If there is to be rationalisation of the regional government executive, so there should also be at town hall level. Merging municipalities would actually make a lot of sense in terms of better management of resources, but it wouldn't happen, so efficiencies need to be found inside the current municipal boundaries.
Strength though it is that local democracy is so active, there is also a weakness in the obstructive nature of the exercise of local politics. No better example of this can be found than in the case of the Alcúdia train. The impasse over the siting is fundamentally political. Yet it would benefit not only Alcúdia but also Mallorca as a whole to finally have an extended rail line to the north. The regional government should be allowed to simply veto the local objections, but it struggles to - because of those tiers. It is in the relationship between the tiers of government and their actual areas of responsibility that the fault lies, not in the levels themselves. But because Alcúdia, for example, has a responsibility for the environment within the municipality, it can use this (or indeed other factors) to block something agreed at central government level in Madrid; it's that mini-me principle in action.
Then there is the actual exercise of public administration, the interaction with the public that this administration is meant to serve. Note the word "serve", one to which President Antich has also referred. There is a shocking antipathy towards the concept of service, just witness for example the workings of the Trafico building in Palma or how many town halls treat their "customers". Antich should be demanding a complete re-education programme in terms of service.
The suggestion of rationalisation is a good thing if only because a senior politician might actually wish to improve the system of public administration in Mallorca. It would be a massive task to do it well, but perhaps there is, after all, a political will to do so. It'll do for starters.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Godsmack, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9zxrIlFpCk. Today's title - comes from something useless.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Let's consider the following: the absence of a culture of service, excessive bureaucracy, too many tiers of government and therefore duplication, unclear lines of responsibility, legislation that is poorly communicated or implemented, corruption, nepotism, incompetence, self-interest, political in-fighting, disregard of what is meant to occur ... They'll do for starters.
An editorial in "The Bulletin" argued that as important as any rationalisation at executive level would be a consideration of the tiers of government. It referred to three; it could have added two more. Central government in Madrid, the Balearic regional government, the Council of Mallorca and the town halls. On top of all of this lot there is also Brussels. Multi-tiered it may be, but so are public administrations elsewhere. Apart from the Council of Mallorca, about which one can legitimately ask what purpose it serves, the model is not in itself wrong. Localisation of democracy through the town halls and the mayors is a strength, albeit that it can go badly wrong mainly because of the lack of checks and balances and the resultant scandals. Devolution to the regions may be a political expedient in some countries, as in the UK, but it, together with regional autonomy, is a political necessity in democratic Spain. Perhaps the greatest political problem that has dogged Spain for more than two centuries is how to handle the regions.
But the consequence of these tiers is that each becomes a mini-me of the one higher up the political food chain. The town halls have councillors for this and that, directors for so and so. There are far too many of them, recipients of jobs for the boys and girls and unfortunately sometimes recipients of favours or the issuers thereof. If there is to be rationalisation of the regional government executive, so there should also be at town hall level. Merging municipalities would actually make a lot of sense in terms of better management of resources, but it wouldn't happen, so efficiencies need to be found inside the current municipal boundaries.
Strength though it is that local democracy is so active, there is also a weakness in the obstructive nature of the exercise of local politics. No better example of this can be found than in the case of the Alcúdia train. The impasse over the siting is fundamentally political. Yet it would benefit not only Alcúdia but also Mallorca as a whole to finally have an extended rail line to the north. The regional government should be allowed to simply veto the local objections, but it struggles to - because of those tiers. It is in the relationship between the tiers of government and their actual areas of responsibility that the fault lies, not in the levels themselves. But because Alcúdia, for example, has a responsibility for the environment within the municipality, it can use this (or indeed other factors) to block something agreed at central government level in Madrid; it's that mini-me principle in action.
Then there is the actual exercise of public administration, the interaction with the public that this administration is meant to serve. Note the word "serve", one to which President Antich has also referred. There is a shocking antipathy towards the concept of service, just witness for example the workings of the Trafico building in Palma or how many town halls treat their "customers". Antich should be demanding a complete re-education programme in terms of service.
The suggestion of rationalisation is a good thing if only because a senior politician might actually wish to improve the system of public administration in Mallorca. It would be a massive task to do it well, but perhaps there is, after all, a political will to do so. It'll do for starters.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Godsmack, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9zxrIlFpCk. Today's title - comes from something useless.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Thursday, September 03, 2009
And After All, You're My Wonder ...
So I pass by the tourist office in Alcúdia old town as they've called and want a favour. This is the deal: they're going to produce some postcards in association with the Oceanos folk in Bonaire. Some excellent photos of sea creatures, which they show me - the photos that is. They need an English slogan. "Paraiso," they keep mentioning (as in paradise). "No, no, forget all this paradise malarkey," I don't say, but do say something along the lines of the paradise motif is done to death. So I think and come up with "Alcúdia - an underwater wonderland". Trips off the tongue, it has a melody and a sort of alliteration. Quite good, I reckon. It's only afterwards I realise its similarity to "walking in a winter wonderland". Oh well, not to worry; still sounds ok. Anyway, as I was leaving the office, I said that I would pass by with my invoice. Thousand euros should cover it. Laughter all round. Ho, ho, ho. Like Santa guffawing in a winter or indeed an underwater wonderland. But why not, thinks I. Plenty. Apart from the fact that the town halls are notoriously bad payers, there is the fact that payments (were they to be made or indeed invoices submitted) have to meet some sort of "market value" test. What is market value though?
You, if you happen to be the creative director of a major ad agency, could probably slap in a five-figure bill for such a slogan. Especially in the UK. But we're talking a local town hall here. And in Mallorca. And something unimportant. This market value test, though, is becoming important. It is all part of trying to stamp out spurious invoices for often huge amounts that are raised without any work necessarily being done. The latest great scandal in Mallorca concerns the Palma velodrome. All manner of people have been implicated, and all manner of unjustified invoices seem to have surfaced together with payments of black money. Fair enough. It's the public purse that may or may not have been cleaned out. But let us assume for a moment that work has been done, and done well. Who is to say what the market value is? This is where this test becomes nigh on impossible to prove, unless there is some form of governmental going rate, as there is for many jobs. While the government may feel that it can establish rates for jobs such as waiters, how can it do so for something creative? I guess they can try, but ultimately a market value is, to state the bleeding obvious, a value that the market decides, in other words pretty much what anyone is willing to pay. Unless, that is, the market is controlled, which is what the authorities seem to have in mind.
This makes no sense in what is ostensibly a free market. There are ways and means of catching those who abuse public (and also private) funds by raising outlandish bills, as the velodrome case (and others) prove. But a controlled market value distorts the workings of the market. As with the daft calls for price controls for the likes of a cup of coffee, it really has no place in a modern economy. Not that I should worry, as there will be no invoice and no payment. Favours, always favours.
Oasis
Apropos yesterday, I need to thank Lynne for pointing out that Oasis played in Mallorca a few years back. Was it part of a Radio 1 comes to Mallorca thing? Or am I mixing these up? Doesn't matter. The Gallaghers did indeed once put in an appearance, not that they are likely to again; certainly not together. And it was the real Oasis and not the bunch which has the same name that pitches up on a regular basis at local fiestas.
Temperature watch
And so the heat goes on. The met boys say that the three months of June, July and August have been the second hottest since 1971, temperatures exceeded only by those of 2003. The average temperature for Sa Pobla for these months has been 25.4 (it was 27 in 2003). Sounds a bit on the low side to be honest, but that second spot is totally believable.
QUIZ
Today's title - a Blankety-Blank cheque book and pen if you can fill in the missing word, but don't bother with the invoice.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
You, if you happen to be the creative director of a major ad agency, could probably slap in a five-figure bill for such a slogan. Especially in the UK. But we're talking a local town hall here. And in Mallorca. And something unimportant. This market value test, though, is becoming important. It is all part of trying to stamp out spurious invoices for often huge amounts that are raised without any work necessarily being done. The latest great scandal in Mallorca concerns the Palma velodrome. All manner of people have been implicated, and all manner of unjustified invoices seem to have surfaced together with payments of black money. Fair enough. It's the public purse that may or may not have been cleaned out. But let us assume for a moment that work has been done, and done well. Who is to say what the market value is? This is where this test becomes nigh on impossible to prove, unless there is some form of governmental going rate, as there is for many jobs. While the government may feel that it can establish rates for jobs such as waiters, how can it do so for something creative? I guess they can try, but ultimately a market value is, to state the bleeding obvious, a value that the market decides, in other words pretty much what anyone is willing to pay. Unless, that is, the market is controlled, which is what the authorities seem to have in mind.
This makes no sense in what is ostensibly a free market. There are ways and means of catching those who abuse public (and also private) funds by raising outlandish bills, as the velodrome case (and others) prove. But a controlled market value distorts the workings of the market. As with the daft calls for price controls for the likes of a cup of coffee, it really has no place in a modern economy. Not that I should worry, as there will be no invoice and no payment. Favours, always favours.
Oasis
Apropos yesterday, I need to thank Lynne for pointing out that Oasis played in Mallorca a few years back. Was it part of a Radio 1 comes to Mallorca thing? Or am I mixing these up? Doesn't matter. The Gallaghers did indeed once put in an appearance, not that they are likely to again; certainly not together. And it was the real Oasis and not the bunch which has the same name that pitches up on a regular basis at local fiestas.
Temperature watch
And so the heat goes on. The met boys say that the three months of June, July and August have been the second hottest since 1971, temperatures exceeded only by those of 2003. The average temperature for Sa Pobla for these months has been 25.4 (it was 27 in 2003). Sounds a bit on the low side to be honest, but that second spot is totally believable.
QUIZ
Today's title - a Blankety-Blank cheque book and pen if you can fill in the missing word, but don't bother with the invoice.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Somewhere Else
There are certain stories that, amidst an outpouring of outrage, blaze brightly for a while - like the price of a coffee. And then there are those that just refuse to go away because there is a refusal to reach any sort of closure or agreement - like the bloody rail extension to Alcúdia. It may now not be an extension to Alcúdia, if the regional government's transport minister can be believed.
The impasse between the ministry and Alcúdia town hall as to the siting of the railway line and terminus threatens the Madrid funding that is in place. The minister is not about to see that taken back. It may sound a bit childish, but he has said that if there cannot be an agreement, the railway will go somewhere else. Up to a point, you can understand this stance. The town hall simply refuses to budge on its preference for the so-called southern route. This despite the fact, and irrespective of which route were to be adopted, that the train would benefit Alcúdia and would not require the town hall to put its hands into its pockets. In a way this all highlights the strengths and weaknesses of a political system that involves different tiers of government - Madrid, the regional government and the local government. The latter cannot be ridden roughshod over by a train it does not wish to be sited in a particular place - a strength - but the latter two together cannot see eye to eye - a weakness, and one not completely without political machinations. The town hall mayor makes references to the Bloc in the regional government, which effectively controls the transport ministry, and it is opposed by the Unió Mallorquina-dominated town hall.
Should one take the minister's threat seriously? Consider the alternatives. The railway could, in theory, go to Pollensa, Playa de Muro or Can Picafort. In theory. But in practice? One of the key arguments in favour of the northern route within Alcúdia, that which the minister wants, is that it would serve the highest density of immediate population. Alcúdia has a greater population than any of the neighbouring municipalities in any event. Pollensa is close behind, but unlike Alcúdia it is split up - there are several kilometres between the town and the port, which is not the case in Alcúdia. The population-density argument would not hold.
Then there would be the not insignificant matters of feasibility studies, environmental knickers twisted, public debates, political wranglings that would occur were a different location to be chosen or recommended. There is also the fact that the planned route to Alcúdia is years old. It was first thought of back in the 1930s. This is only a guess, but it could well be that there exists a legal basis for the Alcúdia route that goes back all those years. You may recall that the bypass in Puerto Pollensa was something agreed to in the 1960s and backed by a central government plan from the time. It is quite possible that the Alcúdia train is similarly covered. Were this to be the case, then it might require Madrid to legislate on any other route, which would almost certainly not be a good idea if Madrid is getting twitchy about its 400 million euros of funding. As an adjunct to this, another rail extension, that from Manacor to Artà, is due to see work starting this winter. This despite much opposition. But in this particular case, there used to be a railway line to Artá. The new one is essentially a reactivation of an old land plan.
But let us assume they said no to Alcúdia and yes to somewhere else. Put a terminus in Playa de Muro and you would have the same arguments as Alcúdia. Greater ones probably as the most direct route would go along the side of Albufera. Put a terminus in Can Picafort and then why bother running the line from Sa Pobla. There is already a station in Muro town (part of the line from Inca to Sa Pobla), which would be closer. In either instance, however, one comes back to the population-density issue. How many people live all year in Playa de Muro or Can Picafort? Far, far fewer than in Alcúdia. Put a terminus in Pollensa or even Puerto Pollensa and the route may seem straightforward - alongside the road past Crestatx and the golf course. Yep, and see what sort of opposition that causes. And then there is that idea of a tram line, either one between Alcúdia and Can Picafort or one between Puerto Pollensa and Alcúdia, or both maybe, connecting with the train station. These seem to have been completely forgotten in all this debate, assuming there was ever any serious plan for them.
Unless the ministry decides on some completely different train project, away from the north, the only really sensible option is Alcúdia, which is probably why it has been mooted for over 70 years. Alcúdia town hall really needs to swallow its pride, hurt by what was seen as a fait accompli when the northern route was announced by the ministry, and accept the plan. Or else the railway may never be built. The only problem then would be that it, the town hall, would need to be involved in the process of project management and expropriation - against its wishes. Without a change in political hue in Alcúdia, that would be difficult, and is very unlikely to happen. More likely would be a political change at the ministry. And when the mayor talks about hoping for a future change of heart at regional government level, this may well be what he has in mind. Always assuming Madrid doesn't pull the funding in the meantime. Otherwise it will be another 70 years.
Stormy weather
And apropos yesterday. There was in fact a storm, it did not hit Alcúdia but Pollensa. Back to sun.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Carole King, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMjoF4xtMko.
Today's title - a hit from a Brit indie bunch.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
The impasse between the ministry and Alcúdia town hall as to the siting of the railway line and terminus threatens the Madrid funding that is in place. The minister is not about to see that taken back. It may sound a bit childish, but he has said that if there cannot be an agreement, the railway will go somewhere else. Up to a point, you can understand this stance. The town hall simply refuses to budge on its preference for the so-called southern route. This despite the fact, and irrespective of which route were to be adopted, that the train would benefit Alcúdia and would not require the town hall to put its hands into its pockets. In a way this all highlights the strengths and weaknesses of a political system that involves different tiers of government - Madrid, the regional government and the local government. The latter cannot be ridden roughshod over by a train it does not wish to be sited in a particular place - a strength - but the latter two together cannot see eye to eye - a weakness, and one not completely without political machinations. The town hall mayor makes references to the Bloc in the regional government, which effectively controls the transport ministry, and it is opposed by the Unió Mallorquina-dominated town hall.
Should one take the minister's threat seriously? Consider the alternatives. The railway could, in theory, go to Pollensa, Playa de Muro or Can Picafort. In theory. But in practice? One of the key arguments in favour of the northern route within Alcúdia, that which the minister wants, is that it would serve the highest density of immediate population. Alcúdia has a greater population than any of the neighbouring municipalities in any event. Pollensa is close behind, but unlike Alcúdia it is split up - there are several kilometres between the town and the port, which is not the case in Alcúdia. The population-density argument would not hold.
Then there would be the not insignificant matters of feasibility studies, environmental knickers twisted, public debates, political wranglings that would occur were a different location to be chosen or recommended. There is also the fact that the planned route to Alcúdia is years old. It was first thought of back in the 1930s. This is only a guess, but it could well be that there exists a legal basis for the Alcúdia route that goes back all those years. You may recall that the bypass in Puerto Pollensa was something agreed to in the 1960s and backed by a central government plan from the time. It is quite possible that the Alcúdia train is similarly covered. Were this to be the case, then it might require Madrid to legislate on any other route, which would almost certainly not be a good idea if Madrid is getting twitchy about its 400 million euros of funding. As an adjunct to this, another rail extension, that from Manacor to Artà, is due to see work starting this winter. This despite much opposition. But in this particular case, there used to be a railway line to Artá. The new one is essentially a reactivation of an old land plan.
But let us assume they said no to Alcúdia and yes to somewhere else. Put a terminus in Playa de Muro and you would have the same arguments as Alcúdia. Greater ones probably as the most direct route would go along the side of Albufera. Put a terminus in Can Picafort and then why bother running the line from Sa Pobla. There is already a station in Muro town (part of the line from Inca to Sa Pobla), which would be closer. In either instance, however, one comes back to the population-density issue. How many people live all year in Playa de Muro or Can Picafort? Far, far fewer than in Alcúdia. Put a terminus in Pollensa or even Puerto Pollensa and the route may seem straightforward - alongside the road past Crestatx and the golf course. Yep, and see what sort of opposition that causes. And then there is that idea of a tram line, either one between Alcúdia and Can Picafort or one between Puerto Pollensa and Alcúdia, or both maybe, connecting with the train station. These seem to have been completely forgotten in all this debate, assuming there was ever any serious plan for them.
Unless the ministry decides on some completely different train project, away from the north, the only really sensible option is Alcúdia, which is probably why it has been mooted for over 70 years. Alcúdia town hall really needs to swallow its pride, hurt by what was seen as a fait accompli when the northern route was announced by the ministry, and accept the plan. Or else the railway may never be built. The only problem then would be that it, the town hall, would need to be involved in the process of project management and expropriation - against its wishes. Without a change in political hue in Alcúdia, that would be difficult, and is very unlikely to happen. More likely would be a political change at the ministry. And when the mayor talks about hoping for a future change of heart at regional government level, this may well be what he has in mind. Always assuming Madrid doesn't pull the funding in the meantime. Otherwise it will be another 70 years.
Stormy weather
And apropos yesterday. There was in fact a storm, it did not hit Alcúdia but Pollensa. Back to sun.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Carole King, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMjoF4xtMko.
Today's title - a hit from a Brit indie bunch.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Join Together
Starting on Saturday, Alcúdia will be celebrating its annual Sant Jaume fiesta, the events climaxing on Saturday 25 July, the day of Sant Jaume, with the fireworks that bring the fiesta to its close. There is a further dimension to this year's fiesta. Indeed there is a double celebration. It is eighty years since the town hall building was opened and thirty years since local democracy took off following the period of Franco's dictatorship. To mark these anniversaries, there will be an act of commemoration during the fiesta week and the presentation of a book that looks at the building of "la Sala", the town hall.
These two anniversaries - of 1929 and 1979, half a century apart - are in themselves significant as they top and tail, as it were, the period of descent into turmoil, Franco and finally the restoration of the monarchy and the establishment of democracy. Though overshadowed by who and what was to come, in 1929 Spain was governed by another dictator, Miguel Primo de Rivera. He presided over the inauguration of the building, praising its "sumptuous construction". He was accompanied by Jaime, one of the sons of King Alfonso XIII. It was an ironic pairing, and whether Jaime knew anything of the compliments lavished on la Sala by Primo de Rivera is doubtful; he was a deaf mute. By the time of the inauguration, 10 September 1929, Primo de Rivera was on his last dictatorial legs. He had assumed the dictatorship in 1923, thanks to the support of Alfonso, but the king was reaching the point of wanting to sack him. A few months later in early 1930, the army failed to back the dictator: he resigned and died in March of that year; the Republic was declared the following year; the monarchy abolished and the path to Civil War created.
Primo de Rivera is sometimes considered a bit of an irrelevancy. He was far from that. Franco learned from his regime and was thus ruthless in crushing unions and Catalanism in a way that his predecessor had not been. Primo de Rivera had also headed a period of economic advance, much of it based on extravagant public spending, which partly contributed to the collapse in the peseta and to his demise. But that spending was what brought about not only la Sala but also significant other works in Alcúdia. Much restoration and construction in the town dates to the period of the first dictatorship.
La Sala was not to be the location of an actual "ayuntamiento" ("ajuntament" in Catalan) of Alcúdia until 1979. That was when the first democratically selected mayor, Pere Adrover, came to office - fifty years after the building which houses the town hall's meetings had been praised by a former dictator for its sumptuousness and for being "extremely artistic". The words "ayuntamiento" and "ajuntament" come from the Castilian and Catalan verbs ayuntar and ajuntar, meaning to join. It took half a century for them to truly join together in la Sala.
Information on the Sant Jaume fiesta and also the Sant Jaume and Santa Margalida fiestas in Sa Pobla is on the WHAT'S ON BLOG - http://www.wotzupnorth.blogspot.com.
Swine flu
How's your swine flu doing? Want some? Then come to Mallorca. Only kidding. Not that the German newspaper "Bild" seems to be kidding. It is saying that around ten cases of swine flu in Germany have their origins in Mallorca, specifically in the Playa de Palma area. The local health authorities on the island are flatly denying that it has been contracted in Mallorca. Officially, there are, to date, six cases that have been reported in Mallorca and two more in Ibiza and one in Menorca.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Jackson Five, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYx3BR2aJA4. Today's title - who, er, yes?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
These two anniversaries - of 1929 and 1979, half a century apart - are in themselves significant as they top and tail, as it were, the period of descent into turmoil, Franco and finally the restoration of the monarchy and the establishment of democracy. Though overshadowed by who and what was to come, in 1929 Spain was governed by another dictator, Miguel Primo de Rivera. He presided over the inauguration of the building, praising its "sumptuous construction". He was accompanied by Jaime, one of the sons of King Alfonso XIII. It was an ironic pairing, and whether Jaime knew anything of the compliments lavished on la Sala by Primo de Rivera is doubtful; he was a deaf mute. By the time of the inauguration, 10 September 1929, Primo de Rivera was on his last dictatorial legs. He had assumed the dictatorship in 1923, thanks to the support of Alfonso, but the king was reaching the point of wanting to sack him. A few months later in early 1930, the army failed to back the dictator: he resigned and died in March of that year; the Republic was declared the following year; the monarchy abolished and the path to Civil War created.
Primo de Rivera is sometimes considered a bit of an irrelevancy. He was far from that. Franco learned from his regime and was thus ruthless in crushing unions and Catalanism in a way that his predecessor had not been. Primo de Rivera had also headed a period of economic advance, much of it based on extravagant public spending, which partly contributed to the collapse in the peseta and to his demise. But that spending was what brought about not only la Sala but also significant other works in Alcúdia. Much restoration and construction in the town dates to the period of the first dictatorship.
La Sala was not to be the location of an actual "ayuntamiento" ("ajuntament" in Catalan) of Alcúdia until 1979. That was when the first democratically selected mayor, Pere Adrover, came to office - fifty years after the building which houses the town hall's meetings had been praised by a former dictator for its sumptuousness and for being "extremely artistic". The words "ayuntamiento" and "ajuntament" come from the Castilian and Catalan verbs ayuntar and ajuntar, meaning to join. It took half a century for them to truly join together in la Sala.
Information on the Sant Jaume fiesta and also the Sant Jaume and Santa Margalida fiestas in Sa Pobla is on the WHAT'S ON BLOG - http://www.wotzupnorth.blogspot.com.
Swine flu
How's your swine flu doing? Want some? Then come to Mallorca. Only kidding. Not that the German newspaper "Bild" seems to be kidding. It is saying that around ten cases of swine flu in Germany have their origins in Mallorca, specifically in the Playa de Palma area. The local health authorities on the island are flatly denying that it has been contracted in Mallorca. Officially, there are, to date, six cases that have been reported in Mallorca and two more in Ibiza and one in Menorca.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Jackson Five, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYx3BR2aJA4. Today's title - who, er, yes?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
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