Dear Sir,
Sadness and astonishment is what I feel, as a Majorcan citizen, on reading the Viewpoint by Jason Moore about the spending and some points of view of the Bulletin’s readers regarding the eco-tax. I don’t understand this obsession to attack the public sector as though it was the root of all problems in our society. Believe it or not, today, in these times of massive turnover and visitor records in the hotel chains and travel agencies still there is a great number of people who depend on the councils to have, at least, a worthy livelihood. Merging the councils into one as Moore suggested not only doesn’t solve this shameful problem but it would be worse. Such measures which a lot of Governments have enforced in Europe are planned, designed and enforced to turn a blind eye to people's problems, so simple. I also don’t understand this unreasonable fear to this hideous eco-tax that our hoteliers show. It is always the same history and the same goal; to belittle and look down on the public sector. Hoteliers should have stood for election if they wanted to thwart the leftist coalition Government’s plans to introduce a tourist tax. The eco-tax not only should have been already introduced by former Governments but trying to overlook all the ecological consequences that a massive influx of tourists have on a piece of land like an island is the major mistake that any Government could make in these times of turnover, revenues and visitor records. Hoteliers, travel agencies..., are fiercely opposed to a tourist tax because it sounds like a public sector idea. An honest Goverment knows how to deliver the revenues that a tourist tax provides for a country. And at this point it’s when we can discover the real face of the hoteliers. They constantly threaten us that if a tourist tax is introduced bookings to Majorca will plunge drastically. A Government also has the obligation to invest the revenue to improve public services such as healthcare, schools and others sectors that need a public "bail out", not only the banks. The eco-tax has also to empower a major Government strategy to draw quality tourism all the year round. Year after year the extreme climatic conditions will be more extreme. Future generations will be constantly shunning these extreme conditions. This heatwave that we have undergone in Europe is only a portion of something worse to come, and I repeat. Ignoring or overlooking the circumstances is the major mistake that any Government could make nowadays in these times of records.
Miquel Estelrich Bestard
Cala Ratjada
3 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
Miquel, Mark my words. The "Tourist Tax" as it did in the past - destroyed Mallorca for 10 years ... their will be a lot of negative press about it on the television in other countries. The Ash Cloud showed this island "How vulnerable they are?" Holiday makers will go elsewhere. Yes you are a beautiful island and I have been a resident for 35 years. Sadly Mallorca is too "closed". They only promote the island with "Tourist Fairs" ... outdated !!! The funds from the Eco Tax will be misappropriated. There is a more serious "Knock on effect" - Property sales will fall ... remember this creates a huge income 10% stamp duty in Spain - plus the Ayuntamientos make a lot of money with the "Plus Valia" tax each time a property is sold. This government will "destroy Mallorca" for the next 10 years ... we will also see the damage in about 4 years time. The rest of Europe is "Out of Recession" now, the sterling exchange rate will continue to rally against the euro ..... but when things are not so great in other areas ... oh boy it will struggle. Companies here are stuck with employees in Fijo contracts which strangulates businesses. Spain sadly is behind Northern Europe by at least 25 years, Franco sadly is still alive. The season is now only 4 months ... and personally I still do not think that the island is very busy. The Borne last night looked fabulous with the chairs and tables ... however, the new government wishes to stop this ... another madness !!! The rest of Europe has gone to "Al Fresco" dining ... even London with our poor lousy weather. The ECO TAX is just Mallorca shamefully grabbing more monies to spend inappropriately.
Yes, it is a shameful problem that there are so many politicians currently languishing in jail for not having been honest when they were in their responsabilities. Corruption is a sign, amongst others, to mistreat the public sector from all those who alledgelly promised to represent us. As for his "... tourists should pay for public services..." I didn't mean that a holidaymaker have to go straightaway, just on landing in Mallorca, to the next public Health Care Center to leave an euro. That's the task of the elected governments; to deal, to manage and to deliver the revenues and taxes that any economic activity generates. Of course, everybody pay taxes. Let's give to the new politicians a chance. We are living in a democracy.
What an extraordinary suggestion from Sr.Bestard that tourists should pay for public services. They already do this in their own countries; it is called personal taxation and I suggest that Spain's residents do the same. As for his "An honest Government knows how to deliver the revenues that a tourist tax provides for a country", why not get suggestions from the multitude of politicians languishing in jail?