“Orihuela Costa remains unrepresented in the new Town Hall”

I've noticed that the following article has been posted by James Longman onto the Chat forums on the Torrevieja.co.uk and Torrevieja.com and it was also published in the letters page of the Costa Blanca News .

I don't need to add any comment about the article other than that it speaks for itself and needed to be said.

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“Orihuela Costa remains unrepresented in the new Town Hall” is a statement that the CLARO party has made in at least its last three newsletters, and seems to repeat it in press releases where possible!

This statement is factually incorrect!

CLARO once more take the opportunity to mislead the electorate in Orihuela Costa.

In its February 2009 newsletter the party states “With some 30% of the registered population, Orihuela Costa still has not a single councillor elected to the Town Hall.”

In a recent letter by Mr Jimmy Badal (a member of the Executive Committee of CLARO) published in the CoastRider on the 24th February, he wrote, reiterating the same theme, “voters in Orihuela Costa, with 30% of the registered population of the municipality, were unable to elect a single representative to the Council”.

Both these statements are factually incorrect!

The correct fact is that the Orihuela Town Council has 25 elected Councillors and is currently made up of four political parties, the PP with 14 Councillors, the PSOE with 7, Los Verdes with 3, and CLR with 1.

In the three polling sites in Orihuela Costa, which CLARO choose to base their claims on, a total of 1024 votes (out of a total of 2113), being 48.46% of those cast, were for one of either of the four elected parties (these figures are currently available for verification on CLARO's own website). This is a higher percentage of votes than CLARO received.

Therefore, contrary to the misinformation that CLARO keeps peddling, those 1024 voters (more than voted for CLARO) who reside in Orihuela Costa were able to, and did, elect members of their chosen party to the Council. Their views as residents of Orihuela Costa are represented in the new Town Hall.

When will CLARO stop misrepresenting the truth and misleading the public?

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Update 31st March 2009: The CoastRider has published the letter today .

I hope people take note of the point of the letter.

EU warns Spain over development

"The European Parliament has voted in favour of a report criticising Spanish property laws.

The report says Spanish legislation allowing developers to acquire private land below market rates breaches the European Convention on Human Rights."

Are the opening paragraphs in an interesting article on the BBC website entitled EU warns Spain over development which includes an interview by the Danish Green Party MEP Margrete Auken who presented the report.

Let's hope that Spanish national government and the Valencian regional government takes notice and if they don't that the EU carries out it's promised threat "to freeze hundreds of millions of euros in Spain's EU funding if the Spanish government does not tackle what the parliament condemned as "extensive urbanisation" practices."

By the way you wouldn't expect me to miss the opportunity to draw your attention to the fact that Margrete Auken is a member on the European Green Party group as is David Hammerstein, MEP from the Green party in Spain, who is on the petitions committee.

Euro Weekly News - 60 Second Interview

Last week I was invited by the Euro Weekly News (Free distribution newspaper) to take part in their '60 Second Interview' feature. It consists of a short introduction about the person being interviewed followed by the answers to approximately 5 or 6 questions.

I agreed and the feature was published today.

The introduction used is similar to my profile information so I will not repeat that but the following are the questions and my answers.

When and why did you decide to move to Spain?
It was part of our decision to sell our business and retire. We were looking for a tranquil pace of life, a better climate for health reasons, and a more cost-effective standard of living.

You are the English Spokesman for the Orihuela Costa Working Group. What are the goals of this group?
There are two main reasons for the establishment of the group. To act as an effective method of communication between the Los Verdes Councillors in Orihuela Ayuntamiento and the citizens of Orihuela Costa and to coordinate the work of Los Verdes to improve the quality of life for all residents and to protect the environment from unsustainable development and irreversible destruction.

'Clean up the Costa' is coordinated by Los Verdes. What can readers do to improve the quality of our beaches?
Residents and visitors to Orihuela Costa can improve the quality of the environment by getting involved in removing the growing problem of litter. This can be as simple as making sure they dispose of any litter correctly, or getting involved in local 'Litter Pick-ups' or the 'Grand Clean-ups' organised by the campaign coordinators or, in the case of illegal fly tipping, contacting Los Verdes to put pressure on the council. We can all help with persuading litter louts to change their unsociable habits and reminding the local government of their responsibility to provide and maintain a clean environment.

Do you feel that the disabled are offered the services and facilities to ensure their right to a life with dignity in Spain?
Without a doubt the answer is no. The government in Orihuela is failing to carry out it's responsibility towards people with disabilities. If we look a the simple task of the provision of ease of access to those with reduced mobility, the local council fail dismally. There are many locations where no access ramps are provided or, where they exist, the gradient is inadequate to allow free unassisted access. An example of this is pedestrian crossings on roads where no drop kerb facilities are installed, which results in wheel chair users having to travel in the road until a ramp is found. Not only does this put them in danger but takes away their dignity as a human being. There is certainly a need for the 'Dignity for the Disabled' campaign.

Your personal Blog at http://elliotsampford.blogspot.com is an interesting view of many of the problems we are facing.
I created and edit the 'Los Verdes in Orihuela Costa' Blog and those specifically for the campaigns 'Clean up the Costa' and 'Dignity for the Disabled', as methods of disseminating information. Because of my direct association with them, I wanted a separate medium for expressing my personal views and interests so there would not be any grounds for confusion as to what is on behalf of Los Verdes and what is directly from me. People may consider it too self opinionated but that probably applies to the vast majorityof personal Blogs!

What are your main environmental concerns?
The environment is a finite resource which too many governments, politicians, companies and individuals are prepared to decimate and defile either for the sake of profit now or because they don't care. They give no or very little thought to the affect it has on the quality of life, availability of sustainable needs and continued existence for current and future inhabitants, locally, nationally or globally.

Public Nuisance Laws Can Control Damage To Ecosystems

ScienceDaily (Mar. 24, 2009) — Researchers from the University of the West of England have found a legal route to limit damage to the environment – such as uncontrolled scallop dredging, using the common law of public nuisance.

Read More

Climate And Habitat Diversity Affect Variety Of Animal Species In Spain

I found these two recent interesting articles about the environment of Spain that shows it is not all coastline spoilt by holiday homes, hotels, restaraunts, and bars for the two week tourist.

Climate And Habitat Diversity Affect Variety Of Animal Species In Spain
ScienceDaily (Mar. 20, 2009) — The Iberian Peninsula is one of the richest regions of Europe in terms of animal biodiversity. In this context, Spanish researchers have shown that the variation in terrestrial vertebrate diversity in Spain is influenced above all by climate. In addition to habitat diversity, the study concludes that, when all other factors are taken into consideration, this wealth is higher in the north (Pyrenees) and the south (Straits of Gibraltar), and is relatively less in the centre of the peninsula.......................................

Biodiversity Found In Unexpected Regions: More Than 200 Plant Species Found In Semi-arid Rivers In South Eastern Spain
ScienceDaily (Mar. 20, 2009) — The prevailing belief to date has been that the streams of south eastern Spain contained nothing of interest. However, a research project by the University of Murcia has shown that these ecosystems, which are unique in Europe, are home to great plant and animal biodiversity. This has enabled the research team to explode the myth that arid systems do not contain any organisms of interest, and to call for them to be protected because of their ecological value.....................................

64% of Britons do not support joining the Euro

In a recent poll carried out by COM RES on behave of the BBC Daily Politics Show, when asked if "The current economic crisis has made me more likely to support Britain joining the euro" 64% of Britons disagreed.

84% of those asked agreed that "The British people should decide in a vote before Britain transfers any further power to the European Union".

To the statement "Britain benefits overall from membership of the European Union in terms of jobs and trade" only 44% agreed with it whilst 55% agreed that "Britain should leave the EU but maintain close trading links"

Green conference to consider "zero-carbon by 2030" option

In a week when Britain's media has been reported yet more dire warnings of climate catastrophe and looming energy shortages, the Green Party's spring conference is to consider a motion calling for a zero-carbon economy by 2030.

Proposers of the motion will argue that Britain needs a wake-up call, as scientists' warnings get louder and more urgent.

A strong lobby of delegates at the Blackpool conference will argue that a zero-carbon target is achievable by 2030, provided the country's economy is put on something like a war footing, starting very soon.

They will cite studies such as the Centre for Alternative Technology's Zero Carbon Britain report, which spells out in considerable detail one set of policies to achieve the ambitious target.

The motion will be heard on Saturday, following party leader Caroline Lucas's speech in which she will say Gordon Brown's so-called Green New Deal is hopelessly inadequate.

The zero-carbon motion, which is expected to achieve a strong degree of support, envisages both massive use of existing technology and the urgent need for further technological developments:

"There should ... be a target of a minimum of 10% emissions reductions year on year for the first ten years, by which time emissions would have declined by 65%.

"By then, safe and effective mechanisms for reducing greenhouse has gas concentrations should have been developed, and percentage targets should be replaced by numerical ones to complete the reduction to zero."

Green Party - UK

Leatherback Turtle Threatened By Plastic Garbage In Ocean

ScienceDaily (2009-03-16) -- "Leatherback turtles, the most widely distributed reptiles on Earth, are threatened with extinction themselves, in large part due to the carelessness of humans. A professor addresses the threat of plastics to this endangered species. Since leatherbacks prefer eating jellyfish, it's widely believed they mistake bags or other plastics for their meals."

Read the full article HERE .

DAM those plastic bags! Not content with littering the land with unsightly bags we humans dump them in the sea with no thought of the consequences to the marine life.

The Le@der publishes 'Save Cala Mosca' letter

On the 6th March I posted a letter received from James Longman in relation to the CLARO 'Save Cala Mosca' campaign. with the comment that I wondered, and even doubted, if any of the local papers would publish it.

My congratulations go to the editor of the Le@der newspaper who has decided to publish J Longman's letter and added the comment "Strong words James and a few points well made....let's see if CLARO respond with something to make you feel better....ED".

CLARO vs. the Opposition saga Episode 3

The 'CLARO versus the Opposition' saga continues with the publishing of the following letter in the CoastRider 10th March edition. I think David James has links to the PSOE party.

I wonder if Bob Houliston, President of CLARO, is having second thoughts about the contents of his letter published on 27th January in the CoastRider?

"Dear Sir,
All who wish to see the PP ousted from power in Orihuela must be disconcerted by the policy of Claro the expat led party (which claims to represent Orihuela Costa) of attacking the opposition parties. Questions have been posed and points raised many of which I identify with. For example J Longland wonders why Claro does not work with the opposition parties who are attacking the PP.
Claro described Orihuela’s 2009 budget as an “insult” and “disgrace” yet submitted no proposals to the Council in the preparation of the estimates. So who is to blame? The PP enjoy an overall majority of three seats and Claro bears the responsibility The President of Claro, always ready to blow his trumpet has nothing to say. Instead speaking on behalf of Claro one Jimmy Badal claims that his party won 40% of votes cast in Orihuela Costa at the last municipal election. When I wonder are they going to realise that votes are counted and not worked out in percentages. In fact 900 were cast in favour of Claro and the party failed to win a seat. In spite of flawed voter registration the Socialists gained 4 extra seats and would have benefited from those wasted votes.
In his correspondence Desmond Baxter describes Claro as subservient to the PP and he is probably right. Both parties share ideological similarities. Claro’s former Vice President defected to the PP months before the last local elections in exchange for a job with a handsome salary. Claro’s president appears happy to collaborate with the PP by attacking the opposition parties and making no budget proposals. The “insult” and “disgrace” is intended for the gallery. Claro would probably be pleased to keep the PP in office in Orihuela in exchange for a share of power and some money for the Costa.
David James"

What's the true reason behind the CLARO 'Save Cala Mosca' campaign?

I received the following letter from Mr James Longman presumably because of my involvement in local politics. I can see, from the addressees on the original email that J Longman forwarded to me, that a copy was sent to the Editors of all the local English newspapers. I am not aware of any of them publishing it. The writer puts forward a view that is worth some consideration. Perhaps only time will tell (hindsight) if his opinion is valid.

Whilst I appreciate that the Editors have a limited amount of space available in their papers I wonder if it will be published by any of them. Taking into consideration the strong criticsm expressed towards the motives of the C.L.A.R.O. party (seen by some of the papers as the only champion of the residents of Orihuela Costa) for the campaign I can understand that they might consider it best to ignore the letter. It might not be considered the 'done thing' to question the motives behind a campaign with aims of protecting the environment?

If nothing else it has made me wonder!

Hello Mr Sampford,

I sent the following letter to the local English press in the hope of it being included in their letters page. Unfortunately none of the papers has published it.

I have forwarded to you in case you may find my views of interest and perhaps wish to make use of the contents.

Yours sincerely,

James Longman

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Dear Editor,

On 3 December, 2008 the CLARO party launched a campaign "to collect thousands of signatures to Save Cala Mosca.". In it's press release dated the 1st December 2008 (available on it's website), it made the point that the party leaders are "convinced that this campaign will be widely supported by all those interested in protecting the environment and preventing the destruction of the last remaining green area on Orihuela Costa"

The statement went on further to state that, "We believe that now is the time to halt this project. It must be saved and become a natural park which would provide a fantastic attraction to those living and visiting Orihuela Costa and those who might decide to buy property and live here in the future."

I thought, yes I agree with any action that is aimed at saving the environment, especially where I live, I must sign the petition.

Then I thought, wait a minute, how are CLARO going to save Cala Mosca? How are they going to get the "Orihuela Town Hall to renounce this project and in its place create a major, natural park"?

I read every bit of information available about the campaign on the CLARO website, the press release, the December 2008 and the February 2009 newsletters in my search for knowledge.

The only plan of action that has been mentioned is the collection of signatures on a petition. There is plenty of information as to where I can sign the petition, but what happens next? In the February newsletter an update of the campaign is given with the news that "we have collected over 2,000 signatures. We have a long way to go to collect the number of signatures we aim to get." How many signatures are they aiming to get on the petition and by when? What are they going to do with it? Who is it going to be presented to and when?

What is this petition supposed to achieve? Will it frighten the Council into rescinding the planning permission for the development and 1700 homes? Will it frighten the Council into buying back the land from the Developer including compensation for the money spent on work up-to-date? Will it frighten the Developer into ceasing work and giving up a lucrative long term investment, even though the market is in recession at the moment? Will the Council use the much despised Valencia region's Land Grab Rules to grab back Cala Mosca for the general public benefit? Will the Alicante provincial government or the Valencia regional government provide the vast funds needed to buy back the land and redevelop it into a natural park and recreation area?

Regrettably I sincerely believe the answer to all these questions is a resounding NO! I sincerely believe that the leaders of CLARO must realise the answer is NO!

The battle of 'Cala Mosca' has been fought by the PSOE, the Green Party and CLARO in the past, I joined in with the demonstrations held at Cala Mosca before the development started, but as expected the PP and the Developer won. The only hope is that the name of Cala Mosca will come back to haunt them (PP) in 2011 and will appear on their headstone.

This leads me to the next question. What's the true reason behind the CLARO 'Save Cala Mosca' campaign?

The conclusion that I come to is that it is a political campaign for the benefit and survival of CLARO. It may seem cynical on my part, but it's a cleverly thought out campaign that taps into the general concern of the electorate about the destruction of the environment by the continual expansion of the urbanisation syndrome. Remembering that CLARO said in the press release to launch the campaign "We are convinced that this campaign will be widely supported by all those interested in protecting the environment and preventing the destruction of the last remaining green area on Orihuela Costa", it would seem the real intention is to capitalise on this mood for one reason only, for the advantage of CLARO.

Once more CLARO, as it has done in many of it's past communications on other matters, is misleading the residents and electorate of Orihuela Costa to try to justify it's continuation and inclusion within the political scene, all be it on the fringe, as a spectator, of the real and effective action.

False hope is being peddled that Cala Mosca can be saved in order to promote the impression of CLARO as the possible saviour. When reality raises it's head that the petition as a weapon against the PP government is an illusion and has failed, that the dreams of the signatories have been shattered, and that the development continues, the leaders of CLARO will promote themselves as the victims and PP as the villains. Yes undoubtedly the PP failed the people of Orihuela Costa over this plot of land but so will have CLARO by generating and perpetuating false hope. Of course they will bring out the old fable that only they have the interest of the residents of the coast and it's the failure of all the elected opposition parties as well as the PP. They (CLARO) are never at fault, it is always everybody else, just like it is with the recent dispute about the Orihuela Budget for 2009.

I cannot allow myself to have false hope that Cala Mosca will be saved, but I will continue to hope that people will see through the attitudes and tactics of CLARO on this issue before its too late.

James Longman,

Orihuela Costa

Lower Increases In Global Temperatures Could Lead To Greater Impacts Than Previously Thought, Study Finds

A new study by scientists updating some of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2001 Third Assessment Report finds that even a lower level of increase in average global temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions could cause significant problems in five key areas of global concern.

ScienceDaily (Mar. 1, 2009)