PP Meeting with the Brits

Report on PP public meeting - "Moving from our current perspectives to future ones."

March 17th 2011, Parador, 6.00pm

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There were about 60+ people in audience, including Jávea PP president Juan Moragues who sat inconspicuously in the back row.

Sitting at the presentation table were José Ciscar, ex Mayor of Moraira, currently Delegate of the Council of Alicante and General Vice Secretary of the Valencian Community, PP; his interpreter, a lady, who has worked with him for a long time; Jávea PP Mayoral candidate José Juan Castelló and Josep Maria Felip, General Director of Immigration and Development, Valencia.

Presentation

Josep Mariá Felip read an introduction in heavily accented English (very difficult to understand) and called for support for the PP. He said that the crisis was also a crisis of the left and noted that governments across the EU were shifting to the centre right (citing Gordon Brown's loss at the UK elections). He said "Only Liberal conservatives can help Spain"

José Ciscar then spoke through his interpreter, and mentioned that Eva Ortiz, PP EU Parliamentary representative, was in the audience. He introduced himself saying he had been Mayor of Moraira from 1999 to 2009 and had then been promoted by Valencian president Fancisco Camps to Alicante and Valencia. One of his responsibilities was organising PP candidates in municipalities with populations of over 20,000 for the forthcoming elections. He backed the new members to undertake the tasks assigned to them in towns such as Jávea. PP candidates were obliged to follow certain policies, i.e.

1) Land: Responsible protection of the landscape and natural environment
2) Town Planning: Sustainable and rational urban development
3) Public money: Careful spending, remembering that this money was the fruits of residents' labour.

Contracting policies must be transparent. There would be less money available because of the crisis and it was important to prioritise spending depending on needs. They should respect the public services which citizens require. For example if an urbanisation was in a bad state and had no lighting and a high incidence of robberies, then this should be a priority for spending. They would also work to promote new jobs, education and transport.

Ciscar felt that the policies which had been good for Moraira would also be good for Jávea and they had chosen a Mayoral candidate for Jávea who would carry through these policies in the form of José Juan Castelló.

He said that one might ask why a young man, a lawyer, with such a successful academic career should want to pick up this poisoned chalice? According to Ciscar it was because he was born in this place, had a passion for the land and really felt that he could do something positive. He, himself had become Mayor of Teulada/Moraira for the self same reasons (applause)

Then José Juan Castelló spoke in English. He began by thanking everybody (his team, Jávea PP president, colleagues and friends) and especially José Ciscar, promising to take on board all his experiences. He also thanked José Maria Felip, who had been his tutor at University.

He spoke to the audience and pledged to be "your candidate" to put himself at "your disposal" and "gradually stone by stone we could build a mountain higher than the Montgó" . If elected he pledged to hold public meetings with the British expat community every 3 to 4 months. He was taking on the candidacy with excitement and asked the audience to take part in formulating ideas for the electoral programme. He would work to make Jávea a better place to be and to achieve the well-being of the people.

He made the following commitments:
1. To tarmac roads and ensure road safety, especially in urbanisations.
2. Sustainable development
3. Properly install street lights to improve public safety, and install CCTV
4. Set up Neighbourhood watch, with quick police response
5. Post Office branch in the Arenal
6. Medical facilities extension in the Arenal
7. Administration closer to the people: a) Civil servants would be trained to deal with residents in different languages, English, German etc. b) One stop shop: People would only have to go to one Town Hall window to sort out administration. No more going from one office to another. c) e-administration, which was a must these days.
8. To obtain a Green Flag for Jávea - which is given to a "sustainable" town.

Questions and statements from the Audience:

Q1) One person expressed admiration for all that Ciscar had done for Moraira, but for the 17 years (of the last 20?) during which the PP had been in power in Jávea nothing good had happened. Can we believe that this is all going to change ?
A1) Ciscar: The slogan is renovation. The situation has changed; a new situation means new people, fully backed by the PP regional Government. The PP national, regional and municipal governments were all moving in the same direction. He noted that the PP had already sent 23 members to the EU parliament and that Eva Ortiz would be the 24th, representing Valencia.

Q2) What about the 1991 EU dictat requiring towns to have adequate sewerage systems ?
A2) Ciscar: The Valencian Government had a phased integrated programme to meet these requirements. Firstly, to install sewerage treatment plants where they did not exist, and to upgrade existing ones and use the water for agriculture. Secondly to gradually extend the pipework to connect households to the sewerage network. They were now in the second phase. Moraira had 50% of households connected up. Getting money to install the pipes was difficult because of the crisis. The plan had been agreed by the EU, and residents would not have to pay anything.

He did not know whether Jávea had a Sewerage plant (the audience answered yes, though one questioner in the audience hadn't known of the existence of this infrastructure in his own town.)

Comment on Q2) Another member of the audience described the recent sewerage network proposal for Jávea put forward by Accioná (which runs the desalination plant) and the Town Hall. This would require each household to pay in the region of €15,000 for connection. (this project appeared to be news to the presenters) . It was agreed that any integrated sewerage system would have to be based on technical studies.

Q3) What will you do about the Car Parks?
A3) JJCastelló: The car parks have already been bought. We will try to administer them as well as we can.
Comment on 3) …and allow the people who contracted the car Parks to walk off with all the money?

Q4) Juan Moragues is President of the PP in Jávea. What is your relationship going to be with Moragues? Will he be on the party list?
A4) Ciscar: The list of candidates is being prepared. To date the only choice which has been made is the candidate for Mayor. The official list will be published betwen 18th and 20th April. We will let you know as soon as possible who is on the list.

Q5) I note that you commit to having a Post Office in the Arenal, but in the Local Action Plan drawn up by Jávea's Agenda 21 in 2006 the priorities put forward by the people were a Municipal auditorium, a Post Office in the Port and children's nurseries. Will you follow the stated priorities of the People of Javea ?
A5) JJCastelló: I commit to incorporating Agenda21 recommendations

Q5) Will there be an independent review of the Car Parks purchase, so that people responsible are accountable by law?
A5) JJCastelló: Yes, afterwards the purchase will be reviewed and is there is any possibility of irregularities, appropriate action will be taken.
Ciscar: People should set their minds at ease. There has already been a denuncia and the matter is now in the hands of the courts. It should be remembered that politicians take their decisions based on reports and advice from technicians and civil servants. The Secretary, Financial controller etc. They only go ahead with a decision if the reports say its OK.

Q6) The people of Jávea have been asking Valencia for a Municipal Swimming Pool for many years, and have kept their side of the signed agreement, namely to build a Trinquete court. Why no pool for Jávea yet ?.
A6) Ciscar: If it has been signed, no doubt it will be done. I'll follow it up.
Felip: The existing Municipal governing body has not followed the correct procedures. The plans and the money is there.
Ciscar (?) It is difficult to govern in a coalition. If the PP has an overall majority then there will be no problem.
Comment on 6) Does that mean that the swimming pool will not be built unless the PP gets a majority ! (laughter)
JJCastelló: If I become Mayor, I promise to promote the construction of the pool.
Ciscar: Something is wrong in the administration of Jávea. Valencia did not let down Altea (Municipal auditorium) or Moraira. There is no reason why Javea's request should not go through.

Q7) How can we make Jávea a nice place to visit, like Moraira, so that visitors come back?
A7) JJ Castelló: We shall develop a Tourism Strategic Plan, with all sectors working together to produce this 10-15 year plan.
Comment on 7) We once had a Tourism board which was formed for this precise function. It died during the PP years, was resurrected during the BLOC/PSOE administration and since the BLOC/PP administration took over, with a PP Councillor for Tourism, it has not had a single meeting.
A7) JJCastelló: All will change

Final Comment from Audience to mayoral candidate José Juan Castelló:

I feel very sorry for you. Because of all the bad things the PP has done in the past you have a very hard job in front of you.

JJCastelló: I know !

Reported by:
Chris Betterton-Jones
(Present at the meeting - apologies for any inaccuracies or omissions)

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