Dear friends, residents of Kythera, residents and foreigners,
the summer season has come to an end and slowly the professionals and residents are trying to rest and to switch to the winter reality for our island.
Many years have passed but almost nothing has changed since the 70s: the same length of the season, the same problems, the same irresponsibility of the «responsible» people. The absence of a tourism policy and a general development agenda is accompanied by the constantly deteriorating coastal boat connection of Kythera with Gythio and Kissamos, the non-existent internal transport, waste management, water scarcity, the state of the water supply networks, the state of the road network and much more.
Someone who would like to deal with the common issues, the everyday issues, should not be concerned with anything else but writing on an hourly basis and touching on all the bad things. Not necessarily with oppositional motives (what could Mr. Mayor do anyway? Can he do better? With what qualifications and knowledge?), nor partisan (I wonder if there is a serious opposition party?).
In order not to be flattering, I must acknowledge to the Mayor that he has put together a very good team, which under his guidance is doing a brilliant job in terms of the regular degradation of the northern part of the island. Some of his landmark achievements include the sealing of the open-air theatre, the desolation of the Community Hall in Potamos, the tireless - perpetual effort to abolish (effectively) the Sunday Bazaar, the impoverished water supply system of both Potamos and Agia Pelagia. To the achievements one can add all the -most important- «non-projects» such as the improvement of access to the municipal parking lot and the unfinished sewage system of the River (lack of a biological treatment plant) that has been incomplete for many years.
In the big picture (see Greece) we have the reintroduction on the political scene of the slogan: «Patrice, Religion, Family». The prominent figures are the bookseller (the first of the «aristos») as Vice President of the Government, Mr. Tsekaratos as Minister of State and the crypto-Nazi former Minister.
Education, culture, health and social welfare are being eroded. The direct commissioning of projects, the reckless spending (Moiarakis carpets, Avgenakis flowers, Patoulis furniture and Voridis' Christmas cake), the promotion of perpetrators to all positions, the covering up of responsibilities, the impunity of crimes (Tempi, wiretapping), the prohibition of entry and broadcasting of what is happening in trials (Golden Dawn trial) take place on a daily basis and are the norm of socio-political life. All this with the united cooperation of the media and the hard opposition of the Goldman Sachs wage-earner!
But what does this have to do with life in Kythera? The similarities are amazing. I will base the characteristics on the northern part of the island, since I have been living there since I was born, referring to events and situations.
In our own field, then, there are two prominent figures, Mr. P.......n and Mr. L.......n (small field, known to all by these nicknames). After them, their descendants, continuing the tradition of their parents: scheming, lobbying, intrigue, attempts at manipulation and hat-tricking and a host of other «good deeds», try to guide events in the direction of not changing anything. A simple management and a change of faces but the same old politics. They let the people know that behind any action or protest they are behind. Not in the front line, of course, but having puppets in the vanguard, that is to say people without any substance, without the ability to speak, who specialise in reading from scraps or - at best - reciting «little poems» that they have memorised.
Examples? Countless. March 25, 2023. The Mayor made a decision not to hold a student parade in the River under the pretext of a PTA Board decision (which was dictated). Easter in the River. Under the guidance of the Honourable Mr. V.N., the Alalazan Mr. T.B. «enthralled» us with his melodious skills in chanting (the names are coded but from the facts the identification can be easily made). Hypocritical protest reactions, rowdiness and bullying at a City Council meeting early last August (this is what happens when we get carried away by...the profession!). In fact, the main stakes of this comical Council (in fact, the next one, on August 14, since the first one was cancelled due to absenteeism) were to resolve key issues on the island that needed immediate attention. However, the timing of this «deafening» protest against the water supply network remains «inexplicable», given that the island is at its busiest in mid-August, the local mechanisms are suffocating and the whole winter period, which is the time for discussion and action, is silent! Of course, they may not have known that this was the state of the network for a long time...
Otherwise, we can be proud of the world's first to have a KEP-Museum on the island. The reason for this is the new Museum of the Antikythera Mechanism which the tourist can visit during the hours when the Public Services are open (who goes to museums on weekends anyway?). If he manages to get it open, he will realize that it is «self-service», since there is no employee to guide him! «Let the CCC employee show him around,» some provocateur will say, «then complain that we hire too many civil servants!» Rightly, then, these worthy representatives of ours are bragging: «Look what we have done to you, we have made you a doodle museum!». In case any reader is surprised by these innovations, I urge him to stop by the Dokana. There he will see a sign with the inscription. Keep our island clean«. What if it's commonplace to come across such signs at ports and airports? In Kythera these are obsolete. Apart from the trivial ways of arriving on an island (by air or by ferry), Kythera is developing the arrival by parachute and in the future by drone!
In addition, at the beginning of the summer season, road marking renewal works were carried out. The crew started from the harbour, reached Aroniadika and then turned left towards the villages of the Pruchos (probably due to political convictions they made a left!). The last renewal of the road markings on the roads leading to the northern part was several years ago (more than ten years ago), perhaps because travel here is done by carts and donkeys, so the markings are unnecessary...
In the respective Municipal Councils, the majority participants express themselves on the basis of the orders of the Mayor (at best, because he usually votes for everyone else!) (In the big picture, Greece, it is called «party discipline»).
They did not seem to know about the state of the water supply network. They just found out! There is a failure (as indeed there was) in the water supply network and the water supply is cut off to the entire River. I mean, at the time when the water supply network was built, was it not planned to have some taps in some places so that the water supply would be cut off locally and the water supply to the whole settlement would not be cut off?;
Okay, let's assume that something like this was too «advanced» for those years, now, in today's world, when such a damage occurs, shouldn't valves be placed at these points to make the network a bit more «flexible»?;
But who is the supervisor of the projects? The Technical Service? I wonder if he has the knowledge to think about it? Or do they put it all on these «brilliant» minds, with vast experience, (it seems due to previous professional life in foreign countries and beyond!), to supervise and «guide» the contractors?;
(Fact. A leak occurred on a downhill road and the first excavation was done at a point 10 meters below the point where the leak occurred, because as we know, water has the «tendency» not to follow the descent but the rise! We have also abolished Newtonian physics).
The rocks above the place with the place name «Galani» , hanging. When there were landslides, a few years ago (under Mayor Kou Harhalakis and this), they placed wire mesh that is for chicken wire fencing, and the wire mesh was placed on the outside of the poles - beams! (Kythira your greatness). Those in charge are moving outside the three dimensional space we know in the macrocosm. Guided by their mental skills, they are trying to interpret them based on Quantum Mechanics, probably!. They sit in their thrones and enjoy their magnificence. It's another way of gaining an «identity» or «personality» and getting away from the «nothingness» of being.
In the midst of the summer season, the interruptions in the water supply of settlements «tied and took». And suddenly the «luminary» appears to solve the problem. «The Prime Minister must personally intervene and address the problem immediately.» Wouldn't it be better to demand the immediate personal intervention of the European Commissioner, Mrs Ursula VDL? (Perhaps it would be more effective!).
Turning to the chapter on «Culture», there is much to be said. In the recently held elections for the election of a new Board of Directors of the River Recreational Cultural Association, the leaders, in order to cajole the Association and to have another platform to expose their political visions, behaved with an excess of cultural elegance. A passerby outside the Cultural Centre during the proceedings would have listened: «My dear ..., how nice, you have come. You haven't forgotten. Are the children well?» and «My dear ..., oh how nice to see you. Yes, we're about to start, as we said ...». Scenes of infinite beauty. Destroying any notion of democracy and without a trace of cultural culture, they resorted to all legitimate and illegitimate «means» to «take the City». Individuals who in every previous activity of the Association, emphatically declared their absence, suddenly «remembered» its existence and came forward to elect and be elected. In fact, there were even circumventions of the legal procedures. Quietly and lightly, as if in a political scam, some people arbitrarily circumvented the statutes of the Association to conduct elections.
The above are only some manifestations of a wider problem summarised in the quote: «Culture means something like «the good life», a condition opposed to poverty but not characterized by wealth.».
Nowadays, when everything is valued according to its monetary value (either directly or indirectly, since, for example, the promotion and acclaim of a person can also lead to his economic prosperity), it is logical that actions for the interests of a few prevail and are promoted, but are presented as public benefit and development! Also, if - exceptionally - an intervention is made for the common good, it will never be free of self-interest (and I hear you answering: ’Nothing good is equal to evil«...). A typical example of an unprofitable (perhaps) event that was cancelled is Mr X. Yiannaras. The renowned academic of international repute had been living for several years, even seasonally, on our island. Despite the appeals of some of us to invite him and organize a talk by him, the (many) »friends of culture« did not show interest and the proposal did not come to fruition until the professor's passing.
I will close with the burning issue of water supply. In recent years, the entire island has been experiencing water problems on a small and sometimes large scale. I am pleased to announce that the problem is a thing of the past, since the enlightened mayors and deputy mayors, councillors etc. have finally found the solution: desalination and brains on the bars! I know that there is no room for irony in such a serious problem that affects the whole of island Greece. However, the total lack of seriousness in the management of this crisis is putting us all out of our depth. How is it possible that we have not turned to a specialised, scientifically trained body? What about the waste from desalination (as we all know that no edible salt is produced)? How will local marine biodiversity be affected and therefore which sites are not suitable for exploitation? And of course, how will the energy needs of the plant be met? It is easy to understand that this is a multidimensional project that requires a holistic study to ensure its environmental and energy sustainability. At the same time, there are a variety of alternative sustainable measures in the pipeline, such as small-scale projects to enrich the aquifer, rainwater (and not only rainwater) storage, biological treatment of waste water with the end product being water suitable for irrigation, etc. Practices which, although intrinsically linked to the concept of the «Circular Economy» and sustainability, are not - usually - associated with state subsidies and high budgets to attract developers.
And how many more incidents can I mention to show you that Kythera is, literally, a miniature of the great Homeland. Of course, the excruciating and painful truth is that we voted for all those who represent us. So why all the shouting, the ranting about «scoundrels», «lame ducks» and all the name-calling we all hear and exclaim every day? This is who we are and this is who deserves the truth to be told. As far as the Maidans are concerned, they are autochthonous.
Dear compatriots and fellow residents, if we wish to change something in this beautiful place, if we expect a development, always based on the adequacy of the services offered and the potential of the island, then we must take the situation into our own hands. We must oppose the demoralisation of political and social life with active participation and sober dialogue.
An Eteocigriot (and not a heterodemocrat!)
And for copying
Stavros Megalokonomos
PS1. I will never stop defending and fighting for the future of Kythera by openly exposing what I believe is right and wrong for the realization of a better future for our children. We deserve it.
PS2. See you again, always in writing
