A few Years ago, during a time of austerity, over a 10 month period, the city of Orihuela spent over 130,000 euros on events for the young people living in the city. The May Gala de la Juventud also splashed out the staggering sum of 52,998 euros in hiring the popular singer David Bustamante to close this cultural event.
The young people of Orihuela city had been treated to several cultural events over several months in a programme of entertainment that was envied by the young residents living on Orihuela Costa.
The concert featuring David Bustamante would surely have been a great attraction to Costa teenagers who enjoy Spanish pop music, however, as usual, there was no transport provided at the time to enable coastal youngsters to travel to Orihuela, and no attempt was made to ensure that all members of the municipality could enjoy this free event.
The young people of Orihuela Costa also have to put up with substandard schools with many students spending their entire school years educated in porta cabins and in schools without the full range of facilities one would normally expect in a modern society, but there is also a total lack of any kind of provision for youth services.
This is in stark contrast to the range of facilities offered to the youth of Orihuela city, where the youngsters can visit the Concejalía de Juventud and receive a full range of services.
If just a small proportion of the extravagant fee paid to David Bustamante for one night of free music had been diverted to the coast it could have paid the salaries for at least two full time youth workers with change left over. However, as most Orihuela Costa residents are aware, there was no youth centre or even one proposed for this area, and the coast is still without one today.
While a purpose built youth centre on the coast is an option, there is no reason why a Cultural Centre couldn’t be opened which could then incorporate a youth centre. The excuses that the centre needed council employees to open would be invalid if the youth workers were employed by the council who would enjoy the responsibility of running the centre.
Most small towns and villages in the Orihuela municipality have youth clubs and services for their young people, but the coast, with a population of over 30,000 has again been totally neglected by the politicians living 30 kilometres away in Orihuela City.
Until Orihuela Costa has a sufficient number of elected representatives from the area, the needs of all sections of the coastal community will continue to be ignored, and the people discriminated against by politicians.
All residents of Orihuela Costa need to ensure that they are registered to vote in local elections and ensure that they then cast their votes at election time. The residents of the Costa can make a difference to local politics and ensure that this region gains the services that enjoyed by residents living in Orihuela city.
Orihuela Costa has the power to dictate its own future, there are sufficient numbers here on the coast to make a real difference.
IF THE COSTA PUBLIC WERE TO VOTE THE REGION COULD BECOME A COALITION PARTNER, OR EVEN A MAJORITY PARTNER.
BUSINESSES, GROUPS, ASSOCIATIONS AND RESIDENTS CAN NO LONGER SIT ON THE FENCE, THEY MUST REGISTER AND VOTE.
Press Release by: PARTIDO INDEPENDENCIA ORIHUELA COSTA.
