” This summer is a landmark for the next few years of life on our island.”

” This summer is a landmark for the next few years of life on our island.” We disagree with the policy memorandum. But from now on we will live with its limitations, and its rigidities and distortions. One of the vices, the most important is self-denigration, self-destructive acceptance of the collective unreliability and incompetence, and responsibility of the Papandreou government.

 Today in Europe the great interests and populism of the political forces that have an interest in enforcing the policy memorandum in Greece, have implied that we are a country full of corrupt, lazy and maladjusted citizens. This has consequences for our economy.

 European consumers who, when they hear about Greeks and Greek products, turn the other way. Today the biggest political issue is liquidity and competitiveness. It is the restoration of the prestige of the country, workers, production and general society and its institutions.

This will be tested on the first level. It will not solve the problems in Kos, but we have a duty to participate as individuals, as producers, as entrepreneurs and as a municipality in the narrow economic contexts of all of us to improve the products and services we offer. This will happen on an individual, production and company level.

Where the problem lies, is in politics, in our case the City Council. We walk to the harbour. The lack of organization, renewal of facilities and equipment, urban environment, cleanliness, order and functionality dominates. Next to this: broken pavement slabs, broken Pillars, overgrown green areas, illegal parking, broken lights, indefinite lack of maintenance, so let’s keep the light of the picture.

The spotlights which illuminated the castle have been broken since last year with the wires hanging and tied to a makeshift rusty iron pole which has no lantern, the bulb is missing with electrical wires hanging in the air. The picture is like this for the last 2 summers!

This image helps to confirm the dissolution of the country’s image. It costs little to change. Less than cost allowances of the chairman and board members of the Coastguard fund. The municipal forest recreation area in Pyli in Koniario between Ammaniou and Lagoudi: Just 5 years ago money was spent to convert it into a recreation area. Today the plants are unmaintained, abandoned and rotting contributing to the negative image. It costs little to change and is less expensive than two municipal councils.

The castle at Antimachia: In 1992 a lot of money was spent to improve and enliven the space including cleaning, arrangement of internal pathways, information signs, toilets and refreshment area, area events, fencing, lighting etc. The abandonment, lack of basic respect for history and public money and disrespect to the visitors of the site is criminal. Great! Blame the archaeology department! It costs very little from the annual maintenance allowance of the City! Just a little patriotism is needed!

 Today the situation is outrageous and should be changed. It costs less than the participation of the City in a tourism conference. Let the words of the municipal authority and the silly initiatives such as the road to Therma be left and skip over to the real problems with logic and careful thought.

 This summer is a landmark for the next few years life on our island. In the neighboring island of Kalymnos, from August to date 50 families have emmigrated to Darwin, Australia.

(Hope for the coalition  Political Party in Kos) -

N. Milonas

Translated from local news by Donna Hatzizacharia