Daily Archives: November 4, 2012

Dubious Law Reform

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One of the most controversial points included in the coming reform of the law dealing with Citizen Safety appears a little sinister, some feel.

Basically it will become illegal to “capture, reproduce or process images, sounds or other data on member of the security forces (police) whilst carrying out their duty, when it could put at risk their lives or the operation that they are performing.”

In other words, and to put it bluntly, if during a street demonstration you record with you phone camera, for instance, a riot policeman beating the crap out of somebody on the floor, you would be committing a crime.

The Ministry for Justice said that this law would mainly be about controlling individuals, rather than the press, which is where the proposed bill becomes even more controversial because it means that TV channels and press photographers could also be liable to arrest.

The law reform started out as an idea to be able to fine demonstrators who took part in street protests with their faces covered and wearing hoods, but after the protests on the 25th September, when the social media called for people to “surround the Parliament,” ending in a controversial police charge, the Government decide to include other ‘facets.’

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Why Politicians Are Losing Credibility

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Whilst the present Prime Minister was in opposition, he roundly criticised the then Leader of the Government, Sr. Zapatero, for using the official aircraft on party business; i.e., using an aircraft set aside for official state affairs and not such business as attending party conferences, for example. Yet barely ten months after taking up the post of Head of the Government, Mariano Rajoy has been doing precisely the same himself.

Prime Minister Rajoy used the governmental Flacon 900 to fly from Brussels, where he had been assisting a European Council meeting, to Vigo in Galicia to participate in two party rallies as part of the regional elections there. So what happened between his criticism of Zapatero in May 2009, where he described the PM as “arrogant” for using this aircraft for precisely the same thing, and his inappropriate use of it now?

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Water and Electricity Should Go Up

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he Association of Engineers for Roads, Ports and Canals (ICCP) foresees a 25% increase in the price of domestic water and 30% in domestic electricity. This is not imminent, but ‘necessary,’ the association considers.

At present, the Spanish consumer pays between one and two euros per cubic metre of water, whereas in the rest of Europe the price is between three and seven euros, for which reason, their reports reads, “We must expect a minimum increase of 25%.”

The Association’s Spokesman considers that the ‘undercover subventions’ on the price of water should disappear and that instead there should be a social voucher the same as there is for electricity.

This report is mirrored by one from the OCU (Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios), which considers that the liberalization of the electricity utility sector and the disappearance of the Controlled Tariff for the majority of consumers will provoke a 30% rise in cost for domestic electricity supplies, bringing the average, per-annum, domestic, electricity bill up to 1,000 euros (up from 753 euros).

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