This year many residents and friends of Kythera compared our island to a «runaway ship». A ship whose hull has serious problems while the captain and his officers find everything perfect... At the same time, there is growing resentment among crew and passengers.
Let's look at some indicative recent problems:
- Sudden «spontaneous combustion» suffered the suffering waste excavation, construction and demolition yesterday afternoon at about three o'clock in the «million-paying» Kythera YMCA. Yes, the ones collected by the chain hoes. Every year the custom of «spontaneous combustion» seems to «happen» in the area. Is a prosecutor really going to ask for the hard drives from the closed circuit television system at the H.Y.T.Y.?; Really guys, what happened to this famous composting of the Municipality of Kythera, the AEK crusher, the real recycling? At the H.Y.T.Y. one sees very expensive machines, rusting in their «cellophane». Shouldn't the Commission be informed, who also provided the money for this «big» project with the luxurious brochures advertising it?;
- Something from «Venice» gradually resembles Agia Pelagia, due to the almost daily failures in the water supply network and the many cubic meters of water that tend to turn into «channels» in the alleys. In fact, according to reports, the idea of supplying ecological electric gondolas, which will upgrade the tourist product of our long-suffering Pelagia, was brought to the table of a well-known political café...
- Inactive and this year seems to be the Municipal Authority in the preparation of school buildings, since as complained by citizens and teachers, not only have no maintenance and freshening up work been done, but there are also dangerous areas in the school buildings. How come the Municipal Authority did not propose their privatisation? After all, it has a particular knack for making problems into hangers-on when it is deemed inadequate by our society. Remember Councillor John Kasimatis (Vourogiannis) and his clear view on water privatisation! I don't know if there is a state constitution that allows for the «privatization» of a city council... But I wonder if this happened in the Greek local authorities, how much unemployment it would have caused in the industry.*
- The thunderstorms last weekend drove us crazy, burned our routers and now that we've relaxed, not even the woofer is playing. Chirigans, don't wonder. This country has no salvation! Greece is a laggard in the undergrounding of the electricity network as we have long been informed by the Athena Kalaitzoglou in a report on the Euro2day. As you will read from the data, the situation is desperate, while everyone understands that a modern, upgraded, but also sufficiently underground network of the DEDDIE could have saved us not only from lightning damage, but also from the thousands of power outages or voltage drops, and even the fires caused by medium voltage pylons in forest areas.
- «Bombshell» exploded in the City Council, in the special accountability meeting, the day before yesterday, when the «illegal movement of water» from private tanks was denounced. On the occasion of what Kythera.News recorded in the relevant report, the chairman of the municipal council Mr. Kapsalis contacted us on Saturday to clarify that the question raised by the President of Frilingianikon, was off topic, had completed the process of accountability issues, and will not be recorded in the minutes. In any event, he explained that the dialogue at the meeting continued off the record (and at the end of the meeting), as it is his desire to have a free dialogue. However, Kythera.News (like almost everyone present) never noticed the declaration of the end of the meeting and it would be prudent for both the chairman and councillors to be more aware of the rules. As for the actual issue of illegal water distribution, we will await the Mayor's actions regarding its investigation.
– Domestic Property: elections the day after tomorrow, crucial for the future of the country! By many, the term of office of the outgoing Board is generally considered positive. Of course, there are also the cloudy spots. Nobody forgets the case of Chitra with Spyros, the Cave of Agia Sophia that has been discrediting us for 6 years, and the Municipal Camping Kapsali that has also been locked up for another 6 years. Our compatriots who served on the Committee, sympathetic and active in our community we believe they are working for the common good. Of course, perhaps strategic planning is lacking, perhaps vision is lacking, and perhaps those persons who could go the «extra mile» are missing. What cannot be overlooked in the outgoing administration is that they «sweated the jersey», they tried.
Regardless of what the composition of the administration that will emerge from the elections will be, shouldn't they listen more to society and that there be another hierarchy in the Commission's development plan?; And lest we forget: What is going on with the case of «encroachments» on large coastal areas from Dragonares to Komponada, as we learn from leaks?; The chairman of the committee has made public statements on the matter, and we remember the Deputy Mayor, Mr.Kominos, with particular fervour, declaring his willingness to contribute even to a possible court case! In the end, has the file reached Skouze?;
- And to close with one more issue concerning the Domestic and the Municipality. At the accountability meeting of the City Council the day before yesterday, a question was submitted by Councilman Andreas Mariatos. The question was ultimately not included in the accountability process by the chairman, Mr. Kapsalis, and in his communication with us he claimed that it can be raised the day after tomorrow at the meeting for the election of the new management of the committee. For the record, Mr. Mariatos' question is this: Has the Municipality acted on the interventions in the natural landscape of the NATURA site in the Flagship area according to the report (No.2 and 37) of the EEPCA: Does it agree and support the procedures followed for these two openings?; But in detail for this issue we will come back, waiting of course and the official positions, both of Mr.Mariatou and Kapsali, and the factions.
There is no more time. The problems are piling up and the sheets of «excuses» are not enough to cover them. Perhaps it is the time for action, for everyone.
Yannis Skribas once wrote:
Broken ship, here I am, deep down like this
with no masts and no sails to sleep.
*Note:
Councillor John Kasimatis in a comment on the internet denies that he has proposed the privatisation of water. We are pleased with this clarification and we are publishing it immediately. We are even happy to host his overall view on what should remain public and what should be given to private parties
