17 Oct Marshall’s Plan and the war to win the medal
Source: Tribuna Libre
Citizens’ emotional exhaustion in the light of four electoral processes in four years is tangible if you go past bars or street chats. Not for politicians, even if they no longer show off their summer suntan and keep a straight face. The most evident consequence would be a high number of abstentions and the electorate’s demobilisation, but this does not seem to worry the parties’ leaders who- without doing self-criticism of their administration- will once more lead the candidacy for President of the Government. And, with them, indiscriminately- except from any great surprise- the hosts who have been following them in this anomalous situation for a 20th century’s democracy.
Perhaps, a change of members, will liven up the political scheme. And, because they have copied from football even the transfers market mechanic, they can take a step forward and turnover staff and trainers, but, actually, neither football clubs nor football matches belong to social mass, but to the same landowner or oligopoly.
What would be ethical is that a politician public credit ended the same day that they prove he is lying- but watch out, I do not mean changing the criteria in basis of a different political or economic situation-, or he is unable to negotiate. For too long had they dived into the newspaper library to teach lessons on journalistic objectivity and euphemisms to analyse a candidate’s attitude. What really matters is the accomplishment of their electoral programme, and that is something that nowadays is commonly less analysed. Instead it is given more importance to what they say rather than what they do. And that is the conducive atmosphere to the democratic degradation we are currently living.
When politicians are in deep water, or foresee an adverse economic context, the answer is normally drawn on public expenses (in case they are part of the Government) or to the promises to cut taxes and wages improvement (if they are part of the opposition). These are two measures that, more often than not, have the same duration as the pre-election campaign, more or less. We can take, as an example, Zapatero’s E plan or the abundant decree-laws that are not included in Rajoy’s and Sanchez’s budget, weeks and even days before to the election campaign. And even with an already started campaign, as an exercise of contempt for fair-play and morals.
There are hundreds of examples but let me focus my attention on one of those old-school politicians that, under his moderated appearance, gives free reins to the other government members to do their ideological looting, while he always keeps the economic control wild card. In other words, the public box funds. This is a way to find additional funding for the campaign when they need it- which turns to be always-, without being given friendly fire for it.
Not after 48 hours since they lose the Andalusian regional elections; and, with Susana’s Díaz political corpse blurring Ximo Puig’s aspirations to repurpose his “molt honorable” position, the already then President of the Generalitat invigorated a plan against the financial exclusion of the Valencian Community small boroughs to do a series of visits such as Mr. Marshall bringing- again- money to more than 250 Valencian villages that had run out of liquidity, thanks to the bank restructuring and, let’s be frank here, a lot of politics’ mugs.
There is no best Plan than the virtual one, it is not in the Generalitat Valenciana budget and it hasn’t got a bidding process yet. How can better propaganda be done?. Anyway, if we will implement it, it would be 5 more million euros we do not know where to take from, but they will be part of the fair financial list and at the expense of the regional budget’s illusory income.
The central proposal of the Plan against the financial exclusion of the small boroughs of the Valencian Community was- and still is- to put an ATM machine in each of the villages that lack of a bank branch. So far so good. This is a needed measure, if we want to keep up with the commercial activity in these villages.
If the Consell’s and the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas’ data are correct, the banking offices’ network in the Valencian Community has decreased by 48% since 2008, a tendency that has incremented by 13% the Valencian citizens that live in villages where there is not a bank branch in 2017, that is to say, 248 villages without banking offices.
More than 95 boroughs showed their interest in having an ATM machine in their villages, with an estimated maintenance and operating cost of 10000 euros yearly per machine. In such a way, before starting the project there is already a forecast of a more than one million euros’ investment yearly, in a five year assumed plan. And there are other 150 boroughs that have not decided yet. Therefore, reckon the value.
You probably think that I have a fixation about Mr. Puig but that is not true. What happens is that Ximo repurposed a coalition government with Compromís and is again president of the Generalitat. And, unable to meet de demands of a fair financial deal with the Valencian Community, although he at last coincides with a “red” central government, our “molt honorable” relapsed. His justification has been the harsh effects of the DANA in Alicante and the south of Valencia, which coincide, by the way, with a new general elections’ promotion.
Our prominent political strategist has claimed a Marshall plan for the Valencian Community. The question is who this message was intended to, because I do not see neither Trump worrying about a non- American territory nor Ximo Puig mimicking Pepe Isbert singing “Os recibimos americanos con alegría. Olé mi madre, olé mi suegra y olé mi tía”… Actually, this is a palpable prove that, in times of political crisis, lack of action and allocating money from the public box funds are the only measures known by our politicians.
Citizens do not matter and, unfortunately, neither the famers, breeders, traders nor industrialists who have lost everything. What matters is who they will vote, of whom they will have better memories on the 10th of November. So vile has been transformed the so-called public service that our politicians offer. Whoever manages to appear as the saviour has a lot to win in foreseeable elections. And those who are right now in the government are a step ahead because they can use the public box funds.
We already know the answer to the request of Marshall’s plan, the Finance minister, Mª Jesús Montero, has offered Ximo Puig a loan- advance money of the extraFLA of 250 million of euros… wait, but… this was not possible 10 days ago, according to a report from government lawyers. Maybe now, when it is impossible to hide the campaign elections, even if the deputies have not said goodbye, right now it is time to allocate virtual money… but only to the autonomies that coincide with the appropriate colour. Anyway, it is only another promise, which does not appear in any budget or in any decree-law.
Clearly Puig does not govern alone. Therefore, lacking a minister, all of them have found their leading role thanks to the Valencian people’s public box funds. There is Rubén Martinez Dalmau and his damages inspection and evaluation unity which depends on the autonomic secretary of Bioclimatic Arquitecture and Energetic Sustainability. In other words, 130 technicians who will go house-to-house evaluating and appraising damages, a gift to Podem which do not expected Císcar and Mata in the Botanic’s II negotiation.
Having noticed Dalmau’s unexpected leading role, Compromís tries not to lag behind. Through Senator Carles Mulet, they have accused the Hydrographic Confederations of inactivity, ignoring the responsibility of ‘el Consell’. And the Botanic’s II agreement starts with several pages about climate change and sustainable mobility, but no mention is made to the consequences of allowing housing constructions in floodable zones, and the necessary infrastructure’s suitability to avoid overflows.
This explains why, currently, 136 Valencian boroughs are at risk of flood, and it is still permitted to build housing in flood-prone areas, and there are many intended projects of Antirriada’s plan (PGRI) still to be implemented. Issues that are also responsibility of a ‘Consell’ that, keep that in mind, has been 4 years in the government, and one with Sanchez in the Moncloa.
And we have not mentioned Mónica Oltra. She has worn the face of the ad’s launching- in a maximum term of 2 weeks- of her own aids’ decree- which is also the same as the Consell’s one- giving to the mayors 45 days to evaluate damages and submit a report to the autonomic administration, just, just before foreseeable elections.
And we continue with the old-politic tics, while farmers, breeders and other people will have to resort to the ‘Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros’, as long as they have a private insurance policy. Public funds, if they do, will play hard to get until February or March, when the public state box will be opened again. Of course, the caretaker government’s and its autonomous delegation’s virtual funds is going to feature on the magazines covers and the news.
To sum up, declaring catastrophic zone in order to the executive to speed the grant’s procedure; and, moreover, providing adequate resources to tender immediately the necessary works to rebuild the basic infrastructures may be the best electoral opportunity for Sánchez. But the caretaker government’s president is more worried about justifying the elections as a socialist blockade from the left and right parties, than worrying about the future of those who have been affected by the ‘DANA’. He already knows that his seat in the Congress will be there at Christmas. Other people will not even have money to afford eating nougat.
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By José Antonio Giménez
Analyst of Political Marketing
Sanserif.es