Marsascala Day 2005

Today, my hometown, Marsascala, celebrates another year of civic activity. This year, Marsascala Day falls on the eve of BF-Day – Big Fight-Day. In fact, a public consultation meeting will be held tomorrow at the Corinthia Jerma Palace Hotel with the topic on the agenda being the proposed development of the Sant’Antnin Recycling Plant.

Labour mayors of seven localities in the South-East of Malta continued fighting yesterday against the proposed development alleging they have the backing of residents in their localities. They certainly don’t have mine.

I find myself both against the proposed consultation process concerning the development and the way opposition against it is being carried out. The only thing these seven mayors have managed to attain is a politicisation of the debate, something which is useless and is in line with the Government’s and Waste Serve’s attitude of non-consultation with the public. Instead of advocating local public opinion, the Seven Big Boys are showing how effective puppets local councils can be in the hands of the Labour Party.

My hometown is today celebrating its day with a majority of councillors believing that the only issue concerning their locality is the proposed development. Little is being said on the need to improve community service or the number of sports facilities. Few is being done in order to seize the advantages of European Integration in education and nothing has been proposed on how to implement the concept of lifelong learning amongst the community of Marsascala.

I long for the time when the same council used to truly work for its citizens and strongly anticipate the next election where hopefully this situation will change.

Marsascala’s happy days are not here yet but are drawing at the corner.