Fight against discrimination: Action and education

Next week, the newly constituted Third Sector Board will organize a full program of social and charitable activities in Sitges, celebrating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the Antidiscrimination Day of Catalonia. Sitges will join these two commemorative dates in order to contribute to the general awareness of problems that must be eradicated completely from our society.

The City Hall will provide full support to the organizations promoting such actions. The Third Sector Board of Sitges - Garraf is a home-grown organization with the firm determination of becoming a useful, effective and active tool in favour of disadvantaged groups. The municipal government is fully aware that our town needs such civil organizations, which is why we have given them a strong support from day one. It is a support to facilitate their work and access to resources, but at the same time it must be absolutely respectful with their policies and line of action.

The activities held by the Board pursue to increase the general awareness that the violation of human rights deserves zero tolerance. For this reason, Saturday 23rd will feature various open house presentations and panel discussions, with the participation of legislative and judiciary representatives and experts.

The program is also present at schools, a fact that we consider essential. For this reason, the two schools in town will be involved in abuse prevention workshops. Because violation of human rights and violence against women is primarily a problem of education and culture.

Just from the very beginning of our current municipal government, just over two years, we made a statement and we traced a clear line when we implemented a policy of support to people, and especially, to disadvantaged groups. Initiatives such as the Blue Card, which allows for reductions in rates and access to certain products, or the takeover of the Senior Centre located in Joan Maragall St., provoked by the neglect of the financial institution in charge, are, among many others, some of the main actions targeted at needy people in our community. 

A few weeks ago, signed an agreement with the Red Cross to support the development of the project Aula Gaia, a program to fight poverty and support families at risk of exclusion due to the crisis. We have also signed an agreement on similar terms with Caritas. Along the lines of this policy, the municipal budget for 2014 that we will approve during the coming weeks, will increase our contribution to social policies by 6.8%.

Budget agreement: responsibility and cohesion

On Monday, the Municipal House initially approved the 2014 budget with the favorable vote of the three parties that make up the Municipal Government (CiU, SGI and NH) and also PSC. Seventeen of the twenty-one councilors of the municipal corporation endorsed the document, that attest the general lines of our local government, administration and management for the next year. The 2014 budget will have a heavy social bias and will include our plans to lower tax burden, as we announced.

The agreement between the government and the PSC for the approval of the budget is the result of negotiations carried out in recent weeks. The high sense of responsibility and the clear desire of both parties will allow the Council to perform actions promoting necessary social expenditures, and at the same time reducing to the extent possible the tax burden of residents, and will allow the implementation the Budget that Sitges needs under the present circumstances. It will be a budget for a crisis, which is the context in which we live, but it will be a useful tool to implement measures to support people who are suffering, and at the same time, reduce the tax burden supported by middle classes.

Thanks to this agreement, we will be able to reduce property tax, garbage fee and capital gains tax, and other fees such as the urban bus ticket. The agreement will also allow an increase in the number of implementations of our social policy by 6.8% over the year and 2.6% for public safety.

The policy of budgetary and expense control that we applied during the last two years allowed a partial reduction of taxes and an increase in social policies. During these two years we had to make unpleasant decisions that meant sacrifices and had a direct impact on the socio-cultural fabric of the town, including local festivals, certain utilities and all municipal officials and employees. Decisions were difficult but necessary to ensure the proper development of most services, especially social ones, which are the focus of our policy.

Now, thanks to the policy of spending cuts and budgetary control, we can reduce tax burden and enhance the lines of social support. We will continue the strict control of public spending, with the rigor and sense of responsibility that has become our trademark, because we are managing public money. But it is also true that the most painful decisions will not happen again.

I want to stress the attitude shown by all parties that back this agreement, the PSC in particular, that acted having in mind the general interests and not party interests. And it is worth noting as it deserves. Sitges will be the ultimate winner.