The wrong choice of words

In the televised three way debate between the candidates for the municipal elections, Raul Valerio Medina (PSOE) claimed that the fiestas in Bigastro have been destroyed over the years and are now shameful.

I think that I understand his point. The budget for fiestas has been eroded over the years since the financial crisis hit hard. If Raul Valerio Medina’s purpose was to suggest that the new council should provide a more suitable budget for fiestas, then sadly he was misconstrued by some.

His remarks have insulted members of the recent committees who have employed great ingenuity to put on something worthwhile within the confines of a restricted budget. The lavish budgets of the past meant that it was easier to stage something spectacular, to hire artists and pay for activities. Those days though are gone and so we have to applaud the people responsible for even being able to stage any kind of fiesta at all. The fact that they have brought back traditions from the past such as the “Carrera de Cintas” that provide entertainment at minimum cost is, in my opinion, pure genius.

Mainly though, we have to recognise that the members of the Commission are volunteers who give many hours of their time without any financial reward. In fact, I dare say that they are out of pocket. Destroyed and shameful were perhaps the wrong choice of words by the PSOE candidate for mayor. Watered down by budget restraints would be a better way to describe the situation.