Next Wednesday, approximately 8 foreigners, who will be stationed aboard a vessel, have been authorized to invade Naples: fit, healthy young men who are not fleeing any war or persecution.
Let's talk about the athletes for the Universiade.
A special regional agency, ARU, was established for them, controlled by the President of the Regional Transparency Commission, Ciarambino (M5S). The financial coverage for the interventions planned and implemented in preparation for the sporting event amounts to €278.909.448,42.
Of this, a significant portion was spent on the Agency's operations, with negligible impact on the local economy.
In particular: 50 thousand euros are spent for the San Carlo Ballet Company (with determination 105 of 26 July), approximately 10.000 euros to support some trips to Almaty, Kazakhstan (4.320 euros for overnight stays plus 3.126 euros for flights and 1.500 euros for miscellaneous expenses).
Then, 36.900 euros plus VAT for 18 months, is the cost of the Maritime Station in the port of Naples, to which must be added 22.692 euros for furniture rental and 5.349 euros for the purchase of a "safe and curtains".
Furthermore, €40.000 was spent on catering for the Universiade press conference on October 11, 2017. A fund of €367 is earmarked for consulting services, and Resolution No. 26/2017 authorizes an additional €39.000 for consulting services provided by the CUSI Technical Commission. Finally, there are €1.572 in cell phone expenses, €30 in accounting consulting and payroll management services, €46 for the purchase of desktop computers and laptops, and €23 for travel expenses to Taiwan.
In short, a fair bit of money, and no one is complaining (improperly, but as usual) that this money hasn't been allocated to Italians.
Well, but these 8 thousand foreigners will benefit the Neapolitan economy, hoteliers and restaurants will have something to eat, their arrival will have channelled public spending aimed at long-lasting intervention projects from which Naples will continue to benefit for years to come…
Or not?
As for accommodation, approximately 4100 athletes will be accommodated on cruise ships, including the MSC Lirica: the large ship will be docked at the Stazione Marittima starting in July.
The hotel facilities will benefit for the remaining part: the Organizing Committee has in fact exposed the plan for the reception that foresees about 2000 athletes lodged in the hotel facilities of Avellino, Caserta and Salerno; another 1500 athletes will be hosted in the campus of Fisciano; the residences of Pozzuoli will be able to accommodate between 300 and 500 athletes while those of via Brin a maximum of 144.
For the arrival of these foreigners, a new traffic plan has been implemented between Chiaia and Fuorigrotta, with parking restrictions, road closures, and traffic reversals. 260 municipal police officers will be on site, the National Association of Magistrates (ANM) is increasing the bus service to three lines (151, 196, and 502) and is aiming to open the metro until 1:00 AM throughout the entire duration of the matches.
However, this traffic plan risks damaging many Neapolitan entrepreneurs cut off from the expected tourist flow due to the new traffic system: "Yesterday was a Friday in June, the height of summer, we had zero revenue. If it continues like this we will be forced to close in a short time" reports Giuseppe Vesi, owner of a pizzeria on the Naples seafront, "this plan has not only disrupted the movement of cars, but risks closing some commercial activities that have remained completely isolated. Without alternatives we can't even get suppliers to unload. No alternative has been offered to us and the closest parking lot remains Piazza Vittoria".
Meanwhile, the Court of Auditors is investigating the legitimacy of the management contract and the use of Universiade funds to renovate the Collana stadium.
The hypothesis is that «the concession fee of approximately 3 million euros per year that Giano srl should pay to the Region was instead cancelled at the time of the signing of the contract, which took place recently, in exchange for the company's renunciation of managing the external spaces».
While all this is happening, 49 migrants are left for 17 days off the coast of Lampedusa, a 2018 decree takes away funds from reception facilities intended, on a permanent basis and not limited to a sporting competition, to promote the social inclusion of foreigners to make up for the 27 million Italians who have emigrated in 120 years, and by taking away funds it leads to the closure of many of the 877 SPRAR projects, which had involved 754 local authorities, 1.200 municipalities and 35.881 operators currently unemployed or at risk of unemployment.
A decree that stems a migratory flow that in 2015 generated €11,5 billion in social security contributions, 5,2% of the total, creating an added value of €130 billion: 8,9% of GDP.
A legislation, a legislature, an ethic that will force this country to bury its head in the ground for many years to come, when it becomes clear that what makes a country great isn't the way it welcomes the rich, the glitz and glitter it decorates its streets with upon their arrival. It's not the unhealthy idea that the city can be reborn in 11 days, or worse, that a rebirth must be flaunted for the duration of the spotlight.
When it becomes clear that the true victory that makes a country great is knowing how to combine the welcome of the rich foreigner with that of the poor and its own citizens, a nation that fills with pride is one capable of valorizing its human resources, one that learns to distinguish between emergencies and everyday realities, and one that bases its legislation on this distinction.
8 thousand foreigners for whom 278.909.448,42 euros were spent, will arrive in Naples
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