Question One: What is going to happen about the town’s huge debt? Will the consequences be cuts in services and tax hikes? What solutions do the political parties present?
Firstly, the PSOE Socialist Party would like to thank NEXOnr for the important work they are doing and also to thank those readers who have sent questions to NEXOnr, for in this way you all help the town get better and better.
Thank you all and to all of you who have sent questions, suggestions and opinions thank you for collaborating with your town!
In the first place we must explain that our Town Hall has a debt in common with the immense majority of the Town Halls, but it is fair to point out that our debt is not one of the highest and, unlike the vast majority of Town Halls which are not in a position to borrow more funds, Calasparra still has an important margin.
We must remember that we have been suffering under this grave international crisis for the past two years and yet the Town Hall up to this moment has not cut services, has not raised charges. So we have to try and be optimists, bearing in mind that the worst of the crisis has already past, and from this moment we should begin to note a gradual improvement in the economic panorama and, what is most important, which must produce as rapidly as possible the creation of employment which is so fundamental to the development of both the residents and our town.
Even though it is necessary to reduce current costs as much as possible, eliminating costs on those subjects that are less important, we will be able to, as we are doing currently, maintain the current level of services for residents.
The United Left and Green Party writes: The main part of the debt will be paid by cutting the funding for some projects, and all the responsibility is of the current governing party. They have borrowed to much, before and after the crisis. The United Left defends the austerity budget all the time.
One of our main priorities is to maintain and improve public services, in this way reducing the expenses of some projects, without needing to raise taxes or charges. However, we will study the possibility of adapting taxes gradually according to a resident’s income.
Question Two: Without endangering any public sector jobs at the Town Hall I would like to know if the political parties would support the idea of establishing a pool of volunteers to carry out administrative duties or other work for which there are insufficient public funds?
The PSOE Socialist Party writes: On the theme of voluntary workers the Town Hall has to scrupulously obey the law, respecting those restrictions which establish the wok and tasks which may be carried out by volunteers. The Town Hall continues to comply with all the requirements of contracts and social security established by current legislation.
In Calasparra there are significant Groups and Associations of Volunteers which carry out great work for our town and merit our respect and which inspire us to join them and collaborate with this very important work they do by supporting our town.
From the Town Hall we will continue to support them and our commitment is to improve in the coming years the magnificent relationship and collaboration between them all.
The United Left and Green Party always defends workers’ rights. The work in public services may only be remunerated and developed by collective agreement. The voluntary worker is for other activities of public participation such as the environment, fiestas and culture.
Question Three: I am a habitual visitor to the Peace Park and regularly use the exercise equipment. Much of this equipment has fallen into disrepair possibly due to the weather and/or vandalism. I would like to know what plans the three political parties have to maintain the exercise equipment in our town in good working condition and how they plan to prevent it being vandalized or falling into disrepair in the future?
The PSOE Socialist Party writes: With due respect, we must say that this question took us by surprise because during the last inspection of the leisure equipment in the Peace Park we found they were in a fairly reasonable condition. We include several photos of the equipment in the Park taken on Thursday March 11 in which readers can observe that the apparatus and the adjoining gardens are in an acceptable state of conservation.
As far as the plans to maintain all public installations in a perfect state of conservation, the police have increased patrols in these areas in order to avoid acts of vandalism. There will also be more public awareness campaigns so that we all, every day, have more respect for the infrastructures of our town.
All of us need to collaborate to protect public property! Public property belongs to us all!
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With the United Left and Green Party there would be full and continuous contact with the public in order to repair and improve the infrastructures which have fallen into disrepair. Vigilance needs the cooperation of the public in order to control, with the local police, the correct use of urban furniture: not by reporting infractions directly but in order to identify the places where most vandalism takes place.
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The Partido Popular failed to respond to these questions.
