ALL TOGETHER: 10 years of itching...

With press release issued by the municipal faction of the major opposition «ALL TOGETHER, KYTHERA - ANTI-KYTHERA», he replies in the «anniversary post of the Mayor of Kythera for his ten-year mayoralty. Read below:

Kythera, Tuesday 28 May 2024

PRESS RELEASE

«ALL TOGETHER, KYTHERA - ANTI-KYTHERA»

10 years of itching...

-We understand the Mayor's need to remind us that he has been the Mayor for 10 years.

-We fully understand «Me and my partners»... As if he didn't put partners before Me...

-We admire the fact that, among other things, in the 10 years of his ten years in office he has faced unprecedented challenges such as «capital controls, payment freezes, near bankruptcy of the state, pandemic, bureaucracy growth» etc. We fully understand that all of these were met with the contribution of our Mayor...

-Of course, and we have always been sure that what the Mayor sees is «satisfaction that all the projects are completed and we are optimistically waiting for the start of construction of new major projects»

But because we we live and work in our islands (while some do not live and some have never worked on them ...), we are concerned about the many complaints about the operation of our Municipality, which have recently triggered inspections by the prosecution authorities and we hope that nothing that could be to the detriment of the Municipality and its services will be proven.

We consider  It is our duty to recall some things about the last 10 years:

1) The population in Kythera and Antikythera is constantly decreasing. The recent census found that the permanent residents are about 10% less. As for the age pyramid, it includes many more elderly than young people. Everyone now understands why for 10 years young people, families and workers have been leaving the island.

2) Our schools have fewer and fewer students every year. As for the «new school complexes» they are the shortest Kytheraic anecdote, since ten years was not long enough to initiate their construction.

3) Punctuality on our islands is proverbial. All islanders pay much more, from the price of petrol to foodstuffs, as is the waste of public money in his day. For example, €30,000 to buy hats and beach towels. Perhaps the Mayor should also send a letter to Ursula Finn der Leyen...

4) Public infrastructure is constantly deteriorating. The hospital has huge deficiencies, bank branches, telecoms, post offices have been closed, the Magistrate's Court is closing, the security forces are officially talking about understaffing everywhere, but the mayor has a permanent case of aphonia.

5) The remaining civil servants (those who are not local) face a huge housing problem, with no provision to help them.

6) The situation with the ferry connection of our islands is problematic, and worse than any other year, despite the fact that the Mayor himself is now a member of the Shipping Council for the period 2024 - 2026.

7) The runway of the Kythera State Airport «Alexander A. Onassis» remains the same despite repeated assurances for its expansion... (e.g. recovery fund and green horses).

8) The main road is problematic and even dangerous while traffic is increasing! As for the roads in settlements, the situation now resembles a bombed landscape.

9) The water system is a strainer and we all hope that we will not have problems with sufficiency during the summer. Such problems need more than litanies...

10) The sewer system is being fixed... It's just that when the west winds blow the scents in the River are strong. And the uncontrolled dumping of sewage all over the island is destroying our natural environment.

11) The port in Kapsali cannot even receive small cruises with dignity, exposing our place and causing inconvenience to our visitors.

12) The Cleaning Service has been depopulated, there are only two permanent drivers left, the garbage is thrown together with the recycling all together in the Lachnos landfill which cost €8.000.000 to the Greek and European taxpayers.

13) Closed the cave of Agia Sophia, closed the Municipal Library, closed the Municipal Theatre of Potamos, closed the cafeteria at the port of Diakofti, closed the Cave of Housti in Diakofti, abandoned the Castle of Avlemonas, closed the campsite of Kapsali, only padlocks and abandonment of the most important infrastructure of Kythera.

So we ask Mr. Harhalakis Ten years was not enough?;

Dear compatriots, it is provocative for the Mayor to brag about the abandonment we live in our islands. That some people are «having a good time», does not concern all residents who see their daily lives becoming increasingly difficult. We would expect it to be more «modest and humble», rather than arrogant and overbearing, and CALL him  to perform his/her duties  with  transparency utilizing the municipal property and the prospects of our islands in the interest of our citizens and not in the interest of his associates and his colleagues.

All of us who are «condemned» to live from our personal work, all of us who are not paid by the «state budget», are struggling for the future of our country. Misery does not suit us, we do not settle for mediocrity, and ALL OF US are fighting for the best for all.

So let Mr. ME know that WE do not abandon our struggle. We are strongly resisting and promoting policies that will make the island hospitable again so that more people can live here and have a better life for them and their children, for everyone. Our first few months of participation in the institutions of the municipality have already made this clear. His chair, although recently refurbished, is no longer so comfortable...