TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Sarah … another photo from the Orchid Garden at Boa Vista.
Front Page News : source : Diário de Notícias 10/2/2009
In the main story of the day, President Jardim was asking his party members who would want to be considered to be a Euro MP candidate in the forthcoming election, having already put forward his own list of candidate preferences in his usual undemocratic fashion. One of his preferences is the current president of Funchal council (CMF), who apparently he does not get on with very well. Well let’s get him out of the way then Bertie! but don’t forget that at least a third of the candidates must be women.
The president of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Miguel Mendonça, argued this week in Lisbon, for the adoption of standards “to include members who demonstrate deviant behavior” at the forthcoming constitutional review. I think this is a matter that should be taken seriously at the forthcoming constitutional review, because there are various parliaments throughout Europe, starting with the European Parliament, who have in their regulations standards for members of deviant behavior,” said the president during a visit to the Assembly of the Republic. In 2008 Mendonça was confronted with the controversial gesture of the member of the New Democracy Party, José Manuel Coelho (AKA the ‘Rabbit), who unfurled a Nazi flag, as a protest against what he considered to be “the fascist and totalitarian regime “imposed by the PSD-M (social democrats). A different approach by PSD-M, having failed and embarrassed themselves with their undemocratic behaviour, now resorting to more official means to silence opponents, but probably easier for them to do this than resorting to democracy.
In recycled news, Madeira is failing to come up with projects to utilise European funding allocated to sustainable development projects. In fact not one application has been approved in the last two years.
The good people of Ponta Delgada and nearby locations are upset on two levels about the building of the new expressway between Boaventura and São Vicente. Firstly the compulsory purchase amounts being paid for private land is well below the true value, as low as €30 per square metre for the 39 pieces of land that need to be acquired. Secondly, although no residential property needs to be demolished, people are concerned that the developers want to move in with their machines before they have been paid their compensation.
Continuing the series of articles for this weeks featured location, the Diário reports on the total lack of social activities in Madeira’s smallest parish, Jardim do Mar. It has just 250 residents, and there are no bands, or craft activity, or social club, or poetry recital groups, and no sports facilities. In fact the last social activity described was a choir that existed back in the 1950s.
The Nacional striker Nenê (or Néné, depending where you read it), added two more goals to his tally at the weekend to remain top scorer in the top league with 10 to date. In a mini interview the Brazilian said when asked will he keep thinking about leaving Nacional? “I do not want to talk much about it. At the moment, I just concentrate on my club and help the team achieve its objectives. Now, as any player, I seek the best for myself and do not hide the fact that I would like to represent one of the ‘big teams’ of Portuguese football.” He must be a bit surprised to be still at Nacional, but if he continues at this rate he won’t be going to another Portuguese club as he must be attracting attention overseas.
Other News :
The new computer system at Funchal central Hospital has been attacked by a computer virus from an international source, blocking access to patient and exam records. This has also affected other health centres on Madeira. The system has had to be unplugged to prevent further problems, and having started on Friday everything is expected to be resolved today. Staff are expected to be prohibited from using the internet and using ‘pen drives’ to ensure there is no repetition.
A farmer in Gaula is pictured holding a potato weighing nearly 8 kilogrammes.
Information for the 2006 tax year has been revealed showing that Madeira has 696 higher rate taxpayers (taxed at the top rate of 41%). The Azores had 592 such contributors, but the top tax rate there is 33.6%, whilst on mainland the rate was 42%. You need to be earning €60,000 a year after deductions and allowances to attract the top tax rates.
Plans to raise the age for buying alcohol in bars, restaurants, and clubs to 18 is causing some controversy, as the age limit for purchase will not change for supermarkets (though not 100% clear). There are fears that youngsters will buy cheaper alcohol in the supermarkets and have ‘garage parties’, where things could get out of control. That is a national story, not specifically Madeira.
According to the UK newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, Cristiano Ronaldo has spent out €8 million to buy a hotel “near to his home town”. The article then says it is on Porto Santo. I think they have mixed up buying and building?
Aside from your valued blog responses (you can reply direct using the form at the bottom of each blog comments page), please send any unreported Madeira news, topical photos, events information, or snippets for the madeira4u blog to blog@madeira4u.com – anyone can join in! Thank you!
The issue of compensation payments has rumbled on the island for years. The rates given to the good people of the north of the island are in line with those given to people who had a thumping great concrete block and a cable car pylon stuck in their back gardens in Funchal – they were paid (eventually – months if not years later) for the exact area of the concrete at the rate set for banana plantations, which is pretty much the lowest rate other than derelict land. Would you want to look out of your window and see that view? Another of Bertie's tricks.
–Andrew
A few years ago a freind of mine had their house compulsary purchased for a new road that was being built and their house had to be knocked down. When it came to compensation it was set at the Patromonial value of the property and not the value should the house have been offered for sale. The figures were damatically different as the Patromonial value had not changed for several years even though property prices went up. A few years ago properties were revalued by each Camara and everyone received a letter stating their new value (which then sets the rates tax on the property) you then had a time period to disagree with the new value or not. When mine was done it was so low that it was laughable and I consulted my lawyer. He advised me this – keep it at the low price for low rates IF YOU KNOW that no one is going to build a road or tunnel near you or any other project in the future as the Patrimonial value is what I would receive and not the real value of my home should the situation arise. I guess that many land owners were happy to leave the values as they were for the low rates each year but now they are not being reimbursed at the real value of their land. My freind incidently did well with compensation in the end but after spending years of fighting for it and with the help of a family member sitting in parliament!
–Sam
Checked with Telegraph – it does say that he is buying. However, on the podcast directory it says that the hotel is in an area called Narrow Bay and that there were claims in the local Portuguese paper that he had sold another stretch of land to another foreign consortium. Hard to get to the truth as this is translated badly from the original Portuguese.
–Viv
it said the same thing in the Sun as well Viv, so it must be true!