It is just ten months until the next municipal elections and it is thought that after three years of underinvestment and a lack of major projects, many municipalities will now begin releasing millions of euros and announce the proposed execution of a variety of major works. As they always do.
Career politicians have but one aim, to stay in power, and, fortunately for them, the electorate tend to have short memories.
It seems amazing that, after over six years of the financial crisis in Spain, only now are the authorities initiating ’emergency plans’ to counter long-term unemployment, particularly amongst young people.
A cynic, of course, might argue that a quick training scheme and a one, two or three month employment contract, whilst laudable, is probably just a means of being able to take credit for ‘reducing long-term unemployment’. The fact that companies may not be able to afford to keep those people on without subsidies and they will be once again unemployed after their contract ends – or even after their training ends – is probably of minor concern to politicians.
It is very rare for a politician to suffer financial hardship. Sustainable employment is obviously what is required, not short term statistical fixes.
But that’s politics, and the people are, and probably will always remain, at the bottom of the food chain.
With massive unemployment, ever-increasing prices, tax hikes of one kind or another or new taxes being introduced on a regular basis, it is hardly surprising that consumer spending suffers.
If there are sustainable jobs with a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work and reasonable taxes, people will spend more. The rich will still get richer, although maybe not quite as quickly, by selling more at a reasonable price rather than trying to sell the same, or less, but at a higher price. Everyone benefits.
And why do we need so many levels of (paid) government? Municipal, district, provincial, regional, national and European? Think of what that money, our money, could do for the public wellbeing.
And then I woke up….