PLACES WE VISIT

 ‘PLACES WE VISIT’

 Expansion of the Valencian Parliament. Everything that is happening in the city of Valencia and in its community is decided in Les Corts and is approved by an absolute majority that has now been held by the Partido Popular (The People’s Party) for three terms.

 From Les Corts to prefabricated classrooms, via CIEGSA (Construcciones Infraestructuras Educativas de la Generalitat Valenciana ). This company – CIEGSA – was created to build schools and therefore complete the ‘Scholastic Map’ of the Valencian Autonomous Community (the province), but they did not achieve this goal. More than 30, 000 students are still studying in temporary classrooms. Visit to College 103.

 Church of the National Cross. The controversial construction of a catholic church dedicated to Nationalist martyrs (supporters of Franco) during the Civil War, in a building with industrial, architectural heritage (Naves Cross)

 The America’s Cup and the image of luxury and elitist leisure. Visit the nautical moorings left empty after the America’s Cup, ”Mission statement: “Regatas at zero cost”

 Urban expansion of the Patacona beach. Wasteful construction of housing at prices that few people can afford. The result being that there are hundreds of empty apartments and an endless line of buildings right beside the sea.

 In Cabanyal, residents resist. The unusual story of a unique seaside neighbourhood, popular for its modernist architecture,,damaged by the Council’s urban redevelopment project,which required the demolition of more than 1,200 homes. Lunch with “Chorizo-sausages Al-infierno” in the company of local members of “Save Cabanyal-Canyamelar”. (In Spanish “infierno” is hell and the sausages are very hot, but “chorizo” is colloquially used to describe a thief, thus the meal is the gastronomic symbol of our trip).

 Formula 1: they win very little, we all lose. New Nazaret: urban expansion fails, empty streets, abandoned plots of land. La Punta: a model of sustainable living destroyed by the expansion of the port (ZAL).

 For the Pope’s visit, whatever it takes! For this grand event the government didn’t spare any expense, as confirned by commissioned police reports.

 EMARSA, a scandal that “stinks”. There was a criminal investigation into 30 offences allegedly committed by this public company in charge of Valencia’s waste-water treatment. This included charges worth millions for services never delivered, luxury gifts and travel payments to politicians and businessmen. Total fraud :over €30 million.

 The closure of the “Principe Felipe” Research Centre, the Ágora and the overrunning costs of CACSA (City of Arts and Sciences Valencia). In addition to the closing of the research centre and the dismissal of more than 100 scientists, they cancelled the regenerative medicine program due to put Valencia at the cutting edge of this type of research. The City of Arts and Sciences cost four times more than budgeted (€1.3 billion),  and is a symbol of an epoch of extravagance and the grandiose delusions of the Partido Popular.

 The future and uncertain Official Language School. Theoretically this should have opened its doors three years ago, according to the promises of the Department of Education. With each passing year they deny their capacity to more than 10,000 students. It is the only opportunity for public school students to study languages at an affordable price.

 A “New Faith” in times of privatising Public Health. Many mistakes have been made in its design, a huge waste of economic resources and various dangers threaten this new hospital, which was supposed to be one of the largest and best in Europe.

The Loft Ros-Casares urban development. Designed to house a number of businesses and homes, today it is no more than the result of a terrible miscalculation, with apartments, lofts and offices that nobody is using and, nobody buys, all paid for with the public money used to rescue the banks that financed them.

 “SOCIOPOLIS”, the deception of a false social housing policy. A futuristic complex of 2,800 homes built for low-income residents. After the Council’s Valencian Institute of Housing went bankrupt, only 15% of the project has been completed.

 The “Four Sad Skyscrapers” of La Modelo. Visit the new 9^th October Administrative Development, which has damaged the historic architecture of the old jail. An unnecessary increase of facilities to accommodate Housing Department officials, in a time of drastic reductions in public expenditure without compensating services in the community.

 The ruins of the “New Stadium” for Valencia FC. An excessively speculative urban development in aid of a privately owned sporting club, that has reduced the amount of public space in a very crowded neighbourhood.

 ¡Channel Nou. Broadcasting Valencia (RTVV). A massive hole of €1.2 billion in public funding  caused by mismanagement and the irregular practices of the Partido Popular. The result being the impending redundancies of 1,200 employees in the main Valencian public broadcasting organisation.

 (Translation by Grace Essex: grace.essex@gmail.com)