(29th June). Today’s main news headline : ‘Business Millionaire – €45,360,000 is how much a businessman is going to collect in rent from the council of Santa Cruz, over 30 years, for a ‘citizens shop’ situated in Quinta da Escuna’. This refers to the construction of new ‘Loja do Cidadão’, like the one in Funchal, where one can go to find all the government departments under one roof, as well as utility companies etc., also referred to in the article as a ‘building of shared services’. The Diário refers to it as the ‘deal of the century’ for the businessman. The photo shows the site involved, and it seems the owner was the only businessman to come forward with a proposal when the council launched a public offer (tender) earlier this year. The council has already passed the motion approving the deal, using it’s social democrat majority. The site owner will spend €5 million on the construction of a new building, on top of the €1.25 million for the purchase of the premises, meaning that he will recoup around 7 times his outlay over 30 years. The monthly rental cost works out at €126,000, payable by the council. If it manages to persuade all the companies and organisations it wants to share the building with, this cost will reduce to around €26,000 a month. The proposed building will have 7,559 square metres above ground, and 2,160 m2 below ground, including 350-400 parking spaces. This sounds like Santa Cruz playing the keep up with the Jones’s game (Funchal) again, and only an idiot would see this as a sound economic investment. They should take a leaf out of the book of their neighbours Machico in terms of sensible investment and generating jobs. The rental contract does have a buy out clause, but that does not kick in until after the good people of Santa Cruz have already forked out €26 million in rental costs.
‘Law Favours Illegal Arms – The new rules are demanding. The gun sellers complain of losses in the black market’. The Diário talks to the coordinator responsible for the new gun laws that came into force on 5th June, explaining that they centre on the production, trade, and proliferation of small arms. All gun permits and renewals are controlled by the police, but there is some concern that criminals will turn to the ‘black market’ for weapons, a situation that might also occur with citizens wanting a gun for their own protection if the new gun laws squeeze their options too much. In particular because the police not only take months to process permit applications, but they also usually reject them. The law also requires certain things that can involve a lot of expenditure and hassle (paperwork, expenses, insurance, gun safes or even strong rooms). Being a small island, gun control should be easy, once existing illegal arms are dealt with. I don’t know what security is like on the Portimão ferry, but if it is anything like at airports, then surely gun import controls and records can be pretty stringent.
‘Rain Causes Damages – Bad weather sets-off rock falls and floods’. The picture shows a farmer in São Roque, where top soil was washed away with some ending up in his house. The very heavy rain early on Sunday morning flooded houses, caused mud slides, rock falls, and road blocks. Worst hit were Câmara de Lobos, Funchal, and Santa Cruz. The most famous miradouro (view point) of Madeira at Cabo Girão was also closed to tourists after a mud-slide.
‘Mini Market In Câmara de Lobos Robbed Five Times In A Week’. The latest robbery at knifepoint in Ponte dos Frades, at the shop of the company Januário & Filhos, was motivated by drugs according to the manager. They steal money and items to sell to pay for drugs, and even steal ‘to order’. After money, spirits are the most sought after he said, so much so that they have now put them out of sight. Even the 84 year old founder of the business has been threatened with a knife. The manager also says that he filled some spirit bottles with water and put them on display to try and fool the thieves. Two bottles were stolen, and wait for it … the thief came back and complained to the shop assistant that he had been cheated!
"It’s going to be a bullfight". Jorge Romeira, social democrat candidate in São Vicente, promises to fulfil his mandate to the end, if elected. It’s an interview with the politician, standing for the câmara presidency for PSD-M, which I know nobody will want to read, so that’s that.
‘Left Boycott Commemorations Of The Day Of The Region’. The event to mark ‘Madeira Day’ on Wednesday, is to be held in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos and involve the members of the legislative assembly of Madeira. But the socialists (PS-M) and three other parties (BE, PND, & PCP) are going to boycott the event because they are denied the opportunity to speak at the event. The leader of the PS-M says the event is "is more a crowning of the PSD." "This is a dictatorial imposition of the chiefs of the social democrats, and we don’t go along with it" he adds.
(28th June). The timetables for the two election campaigns have been determined now that both election dates have been fixed. For the national elections (27th September), the campaign will run from the 12th to the 25th September. For the local elections (11th October) the campaign will run from 28th September to the 9th October). Portuguese law limits the window allowed for party campaigning, though no doubt the posters will be out and about outside of the dates permitted.
The President of the Republic of Portugal justified the decision not to hold the national and local elections on the same day, as requested by the PSD social democrats. He said he could not "fail to consider the arguments presented by the other parties", since only the PSD wanted the merged elections. Anyway, there is a sad ending to this story, as all the politicians will now have their holidays cut short.
‘Tourism And The Environment Are Priorities. Rui Moisés promises competent people in the Câmara of Santana’. An interview with the PSD candidate aged 38, with 14 years political experience. Just the usual social democrat nonsense I expect, so I didn’t even bother to read it.
Just finishing up with sport on today’s front page, and last nights football final in the Confederations Cup, where Brazil eventually won 3 – 2 after going 2 nil down to the United States.
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LATE EDITION (the rest of today’s news, not worth doing another blog page for):
(29th June). The road through Lugar de Baixo is closed today (until 6pm) at the west end, and again tomorrow, to deal with some areas at risk from rock falls. Vehicles will have to use the old long windy route between Ponta do Sol and Tabua, though work should be finished by 6pm tomorrow.
The thousands of new small laptop computers (Magalhães) that are in the process of being issued to school kids will also provide for ‘distance learning’. The software used allows a network connection, and will allow a child at home sick to connect with another colleague in class during a lesson, in order to keep up with their education. Also, if a teacher is absent, it is possible for the class to see a lesson being given elsewhere, with just a teachers assistant in attendance. Excellent in theory of course …
There are now 11 cases of Swine Flu (Gripe A / H1N1) in Portugal.
