Complaints about democracy, Day of the tree, Football salaries unpaid, & other snippets

TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Tobi … downtown Funchal, and apparently you can see Cristo Rei in the background but I am still looking.

Front Page News : source : Diário de Notícias 21/3/2009

The president of the assembly of the republic in Lisbon, Jaime Gama, is to have his ear bent on Monday by two left wing political parties, the PCP and the BE. The subject … the state of democracy on Madeira’. They only have 15 minutes of Gama’s time, so that should be interesting. A spokesman for BE (Left Block) says “We will show our concern about ‘gagged freedom’ and persecution, to those who think differently”. On the list of specifics will be: President Jardim’s comment that he considers it acceptable to ‘stone’ journalists: The accumulation of inaugurations prior to election dates: and Human Rights violations for opposition politicians and citizens. 

‘Dia da Árvore’, or day of the tree, says that the the cities are worse than the countryside when it come to tree care. An environmentalist and former councillor in Funchal says that it is time that people started making more effort to maintain the green spaces in the residential areas, accusing residents of not caring, and leaving gardens unmanaged and abandoned. Condominium management companies are also singled out for criticism, in that all they do is water and cut the grass. Over the last 15 years 1.8 million plants have been planted on Madeira and Porto Santo, but partly due to climate conditions it is estimated that the survival rate is only 70%.

SDM (Society of Development of Madeira) has published it’s accounts for 2008, declaring a profit of €3 million for the year.

Main Headline : Some football clubs haven’t paid their players any salary in the last six months, and some justify their position blaming IDRAM (Institute for Sport of Madeira) for delays in sending funding. Nearly all the division two and three clubs are in arrears with salary payments, with management telling players that the fault lies elsewhere. IDRAM insist that every month has been paid except March. One of the worst situations exists in Caniçal, “whose players live in despair”.

Work on Marítimo’s stadium remodeling finally has a start date in May.

Passengers had already boarded the Lobo Marinho yesterday, when it was discovered that one of the engines had broken down, before departing for Porto Santo. It was nearly mid-day before the problem was fixed and she set sail, with the knock-on effect of delaying the docking of the ‘Armas’ ferry which picks up here on Saturdays. The passengers had to leave the ferry and remove their vehicles, whilst the problem was fixed. Perhaps that was to avoid having to keep the passengers fed and watered during the delay, or does that only work with aircraft delays?

Other News :

After a visit by the PSD (social democrats) to the parish of Quinta Grande, Jaime Ramos spared no criticism of Prime Minister Sócrates. “We have a new Salazar in the embryo or developing, through the attitudes taken against Madeira,” complained the Social Democrat leader of Madeira. Why are the words ‘pot’, ‘kettle’, and ‘black’ swimming around my head at the moment? Also, as one reader points out, what Ramos said is actually the greatest compliment he could pay to Sócrates, as a few of years ago Dictator Salazar was voted by the Portuguese people to be the greatest Portuguese person of the twentieth century.

After the story of shopkeepers protesting about the matter on Porto Santo : ‘Chinese shopkeepers regret climate of suspicion – On World Day against racial discrimination, the Chinese appeal for unity’. The Chinese merchants of the bazaars regret that there is a climate of suspicion that hangs over them, and that is reflected in the intensification of inspections and checks on the good they sell. “Many think that because we are foreigners, we have less rights” says one shop owner in downtown Funchal, who hopes that yesterday’s International Day Against Racial Discrimination, will help to improve matters. “Get out Chinese! – Still some people call, but fortunately not all.” he said.

An anonymous donor has come forward, and offered to pay for the wheelchair that is badly needed by a fifteen year boy who lives in Canhas (see previous blog).

The council of the regional government decided that, from now on, any work carried out by entities related to the public sector and involving the planting of trees, must use only native species. This follows a promise from the President of the Government made a week ago in Seixal, and will benefit Madeiran companies that engage in the sales of natural species of these islands, as well as act as a guarantee of protection against diseases from elsewhere, and give Madeira a better image.

The elections for members of the European Parliament have been set for 7th June for the Portuguese. The date for the elections for the assembly of the republic have not yet been decided, and the local authority (autarquias) elections should be on a date in September or October, but it will definitely happen on a Sunday.

The League Cup Final of Portugal took place last night, between Sporting and Benfica, both from Lisbon. Sporting should have won, but the referee decided to give Benfica a undeserved penalty to make the game a 1 – 1 draw, and after one of the worst penalty shoot outs I have ever seen, Benfica took the cup. Painful viewing, but full of drama!

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First day of Spring yesterday … perhaps I had high expectations, but rain and a cold night!

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