Lynn R

The Junta de Andalucia has agreed recently to meet the cost of connecting the electricity supply for the Guadalhorce Hospital de Alta Resolucion, and carrying out other works needed before the opening licence can be issued, and has gone out to tender for contracts to supply various services:-

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2013/0...379610844.html

As the building (which cost over €30M) has been standing empty for two years after construction was completed, it's good to see something moving at last and not only will the people of the area get a much needed improvement in services, but the extra business generated for whoever gets the contracts (expect a run on brown envelopes in local stationery suppliers) will be good for the economy too.

Dick Dasterdly

Excellent,
though unlike you to be so cynical about such a positive report.

I hope you're not suggesting that there could possibly be any of those dreadful B & C words involved.
In the absence of our Stevie, at present you appear to be Rajoys final line of defence, so please don't go changing your spots.

There's a huge sign for a designated new hospital next to a new shopping mall in my area.
It's been there from long before the crisis hit. Since then the only section of the new shopping mall that managed to open has since failed, leaving only two shops struggling to survive on a huge deserted oasis of roads and services prepared in advance, now in a derelict state.

The Valencian authorities have probably squandered more money than any other area, yet the chief perpetrator walked away from court a free man no doubt with zillions stuffed in his back pocket.
I imagine his slice of the pie alone would have gone well on the way to help out with the much needed new hospital.

Being the eternal optimist, I'm guessing that the whole project, hospital and mall, will successfully spring back to life one day, though I doubt very much if I'll still be around to see it.

Lynn R

I don't think I can be accused of glossing over the bribery and corruption issues in Spain nor denying they exist - I've just said in the past that the majority of Spaniards seem to have been fatalistic about it and say it has always been that way, so there hasn't been any irresistible pressure for change. There's more legal action taking place these days, but as with tax evasion many Spaniards seem more concerned with finding ways around the measures being taken to crack down on it, rather than supporting them.

I post some threads about things that are not so positive, as well (new charges for medication, for example) , but unlike some I don't concentrate on the negative whilst ignoring or rubbishing developments of a more positive nature.

Dick Dasterdly

Fair enough, I like to think that I do likewise, hence my present concern about on-going UK privatisations and Lord only knows how many in the past about such things as dodgy UK MPs and their endless variety of scams.

Lynn R

Yes, I noticed that. I don't believe in sticking political labels on people as anybody with a modicum of intelligence is not going to be so doctrinaire as not to be able to see where things are wrong when proposed or actually done by a Party they would support on other issues (I never supported the abolition of the grammar schools. for instance, and have had some very heated debates within the Labour Party about it in the past - although some Tory Education Secretaries went along with comprehensive education as well - as I think it has done more to set back social mobility than almost anything else). We should all be able to call it as we see it without people resorting to stupid stereotypes to try to defend the indefensible, purely on tribal lines.