By Peter Houghton
Orihuela Council…you maybe listening but you are not hearing an important message. The message is that Orihuela Costa is angry, concerned and frustrated, that you are not reacting, in fact you are deaf and blind.
Leading up to the last elections in May 2023, Orihuela Costa was sold a pig in a poke by the PP and VOX parties. Between them, they have literally broken every one of their key election commitments.
There are far to many to mention, but one that really stands out was NOT to raise taxes. We warned last year, that when he had the chance, Vegara would raise all taxes, Waste and IBI. Now we have been proved right.
The rise in taxes (which they pledged not to do) is despite a lack of the very minimum of basic of services, services so disastrous that they are not fit for the 30,000+ residents on the coast, despite the area being the biggest contributor, by far, to the council’s coffers,
More than 60% of their revenue is generated from the Coast, therefore, with the increases in taxes, that percentage will jump dramatically.
If you were to ask any resident if they would mind an increase of taxes they would, in a very loud and clear voice, say “absolutely not!”, but the punishment hasn’t stopped, the hurt that we felt in the past, and which we are continuing to feel now, will only continue through to the next elections. We now think there is no doubt that the anger felt by residents will spill over into the next elections.
We can say with an honest conviction, that Orihuela Costa is in its worst ever condition. We thought last summer was the worst on record but 2024 is beating that hands down. We have a local government now which is 14 months into its term, and it is safe to say they have done more damage than any other previous government.
Politicians are very quick to blame those protesters on the far right for violence – and they have a point. But what they are ignoring is that people are angry and concerned to see, in real terms, their living and working standards dropping as their taxes are squandered and misused. We must also consider the incompetence shown by the Mayor along with the rank and file in the town hall, which are making all the voices that are being raised on Orihuela Costa completely legitimate.
We have the Associations of Mothers and Fathers fast gaining support about the state of the children’s play parks around the municipality, especially Orihuela and Orihuela Costa, which are a serious hazard, and this has resulted in mass protests and a 1,000 signature petition being handed in.
We had teachers and parents protesting outside, and then, eventually, inside the town hall, about the missing school and the deplorable standards that teachers and pupils have to work and study under, then at the last pleno the president of AVCRL, Tomas Moreno, severely criticised Pepe Vegara and Manuel Mestre for their handling of the government. This is not the far right in action, these are simply very angry residents voicing their displeasure/anger at the town hall.
So, Snr Vegara, the Coast asks you, what now? What are you going to do as the person responsible for the decisions of your government team, or do you have more pressing issues on your mind?
