Forget ‘fancy’ projects, Mr. Ebrard, build sewers that work
“Fancy” public works projects win elections but don’t solve problems.
Those who live in the east side of Mexico City had to live with raw sewage in their neighborhoods for two weeks, after a levy broke down.
Residents are asking, demanding that Mexico City government president Marcelo Ebrard stop doing “fancy” public works projects and instead, direct his energies to sewer improvement works.
People say no to the three ice skating rinks, including the one at the Zocalo, which earned the credit of being the largest one in the world and entered the Guinness Book of World Records.
They also say no to the tallest Christmas tree which made it into the Guinness Book as well.
• No to the touristic train, which runs from the historical downtown area to Buenavista station.
• No to the artificial beaches.
• No to the enormous costs of converting Reforma Avenue into a Formula I racetrack, even for a short period of time.
• No to the announcement that for the first time Mexico City will have a carnival and a samba school.
• No to free Internet access in the historical downtown area, which will cost 50 million pesos and will be paid by the government.
• No to events like the tribute to Michael Jackson, which entered the Guinness Book as the one with most people dancing “Thriller” at the same time. The event took place at the Monument of the Revolution and gathered 12,937 people.
• No to the largest cheesecake in the world, made with almost a ton of cream cheese and yogurt, 250 kilos of sugar and 150 kilos of butter.
It took almost 60 hours to finish this monstrous cake of almost two tons that was cut into 20,000 slices.
• No to the Guinness record of the most people kissing at the same time. About 40,000 people kissed on Valentine’s Day at the Zocalo in Mexico City.
The previous record was held by Great Britain since 2007, when 32,648 people participated.
These are shiny projects.
Empty projects.
Unnecessary projects that only cause distraction, and give a false idea of modernity.
People are asking: Does the whole city have drinking water?
Are all the streets safe? Are all the potholes covered?
Is unemployment eradicated?
Is there a new and adequate landfill?
Are there better police officers, with better training and equipment?
Was it necessary to broadcast in national TV the closing of the ice skating rinks, which promoted Ebrard’s image?
The populism is a stepping stone.
But now Ebrard is asking the federal government for money to build a deep sewer system.
What a beautiful irony!!
Humberto Carrillo y Colón is a retired professor of the School of Journalism at the Universidad La Salle del Bajío, in León, Guanajuato. Opinions and questions: hcarrilloycolon@mexico.com
