Will the ghosts of Runnymeade visit Mojacar?

ELECTION matters have been put on ‘hold’ while the tribunal’s research the obvious. This of course takes the issue out of the public eye and away from the press and radio. Tempers will calm and bar rhetoric will evaporate. Yet, what kind of a person craves power so desperately? To go to such ends to get elected to yield absolute power?

There must be much more to local politics than meets the eye. Gathering from analyst of past mayors, big money must be part of the job. After all, what kind of a power high can you get from telling gardeners to cut the grass lower or where to plant a few more Roses? It remains for the tribunal’s decision to be made public. Then, accepted. It might be by the Spanish, but very possibly NOT by the English. It could be that the spirit of Runnymeade still glows gently in their bosoms.

Two other anomalies have bothered me in the recent election. Remember, I have praised highly the significant effort put out by all parties in recommending novel ways to get Mojacar back on the right track. It was once a celebrated name, a unique place to visit; and bewitched. Much of that lustre has been lost in the last 20 years with public opinion changing like a revolving door and no single continuity has taken place which has allowed it’s once favoured position to be swept aside and all but forgotten by the Powers that BE.

Mojacar is all but a registered ghost town with the Junta Andalucia. More than 25 years ago a municipal zoning plan was to have been presented designating the rural areas from the urban building. It takes about 5 years to get it drawn, agreed and passed. We haven’t started; the last administration didn’t even dream the thought.

This, of course, means no new building in the area and as the town isn’t quite renown for basket weaving or toad in the hole—it could be a while before anyone hears from us again or even wants to come here. Workers won’t be needed for anything other than civic projects and builder developers can pack it up and go pan gold in Ecuador (again).

The biggest ACTUAL let down for the election was that so many English speaking residents did not register for the padron. My calculations tell me there are many more than 1,500 English living here year round. I am going to say as high as 4-5,000. And worse yet, of the few that did register only one third voted.

Maybe the penny hasn’t dropped yet? But it will when you see that your rates bill has been increased again (while those in the village with same sized homes or apartments pay a meagre pittance of what you’re being charged for IBI. I suppose the Guardia Civil, who are now mere agents of hacienda than crime busters will set up an office so that fines can be paid with Visa cards. And the X-ray machine desperately needed for the health clinic won’t be asked for, nor the roads mended, nor the waste driven into the sea fixed properly.

In the interim of waiting and praying that this thing just might be put right — remember. If you are not part of the solution (getting on the padron and voting) than you are definitely part of Mojacar’s  ongoing problem.