The end of free lunches

In Greece and in Portugal people are up in arms about the savage cuts that the governments are having to impose but what choice do they have?

It is the same here in Bigastro where we will either have to face cuts in spending or dig into our pockets to pay for things that were previously provided free.

Take the fiesta which starts this Saturday.

In Molins each family is expected to contribute 70 Euros towards the fiesta there. Of course Molins does not have its own council to subsidise the event and so it is the only way they can afford to run it. People here in Bigastro might argue that we pay local taxes to cover such things, well so do the people who live in Molins. In the past we’ve had free food, free beer and free entertainment during the fiestas. Damn it, if we are cheeky enough, we can even get a printed programme for the fiesta free of charge.

We also enjoy free concerts in the Auditorium. Some would argue that those performed by local talent come at no cost to the council but that is not true. There are costs involved in heating (or cooling) the building, then there is the lighting, the caretaking and later the cleaning to pay for.

I believe that the days when we get all these things for free should be over. If we want fiestas and concerts then we should be prepared to pay for them. If it is a choice between us paying or council employees being made redundant then I know which we should choose.

Oh yes and before I am finished, the principles of CItta Slow are good for the town to adopt but not if they cost money!