EVA - Los Verdes: we believe that the current economic and political situation is ripe for real change. On one hand, political ecology has always been very critical with economic models based on sustained growth which we do not understand as being viable in a finite planet. We do not accept the tremendous imbalances in the sharing of wealth between countries nor between individuals. The criterion that inspire us are to:
Relocate: basic means of production
Restore: our damaged natural systems
Preserve: our natural and cultural resources
Change fiscal policies: to penalize waste and careless use of resources
Redistribute: seeking social justice
Bring new social ethics: in politics and social life
The upcoming municipal legislature will be strongly conditioned by the worldwide social reality and in particular, by that of our own municipality which has one of the highest rates of unemployment in Spain. We believe that it is absolutely necessary to transform our current economic and social situation in order to overcome the drawbacks and make it compatible with the preservation of the planet, and with ourselves as a culture and as a species. It is a process that, without rushing the issues nor putting them off, we need to initiate as soon as possible. With that end in mind, we propose to the citizens three lines of work that we consider to be absolutely necessary: to restructure our economy; to pay special attention to cultural and educational needs; and to generate an atmosphere of mutual trust. We call this the EFE Solution: Economy, Formation (education and training), and Ethics.
The Economy: change from a construction sleep-over city to an agrarian one, with fishing and tourism.
We believe that the restructuring of our economy must consist of placing more value on our own natural resources and making better use of them. We plan to reactivate and revitalize the rural environment viewing as being worthy in an agrarian and touristic sense (and not that of "urbanizing and construction") by means of the creation of large natural parks, such as "The Nicio and los Molinos Cultural Park", "The Fluvial Parks", or "The Agrarian Guadalobón Park", thereby solving the problem of "los campitos" (houses illegally built on small country plots) by generally using the legal description of "Disseminated Rural Habitats". Also we want to promote commercialization of the fruits of the season and handmade objects in Country and Craft Markets. We want to reinstate services for the small land owners in a Center of Agrarian Services, and recover "La Colá" route for hikers, bicycle enthusiasts, horse riders, etc. This will generate improvements in the countryside and employment associated with rural tourism with construction and with agricultural activity itself. We will foster areas which are associated with the sea by promoting both water sports and our own local fish products such as the "volaor" (dried flying fish) and the development of "water culture" on land. We will promote employment in the equestrian world as a differentiating element in our touristic possibilities, favouring riding and the practice of other equestrian activities in the entire municipality, encouraging companies to participate in this project. We will take advantage of the geographical position of Estepona in the center of the area of Protected Natural Spaces which have already been declared in order to become specialised in nature tourism, cultural tourism as well as that dealing with culture, health and sports in natural surroundings.
We actively support the declaration of Sierra Bermeja as a National Park and the Dunes of el Saladillo as a Natural Monument, at the same time that we promote changes in local regulations to give more protection to our natural surroundings. We will make progress in giving the old town centre sufficient accessibility in order to promote businesses and the hotel and catering areas, eliminating physical obstacles and implementing a plan to gradually have more pedestrian streets in order to make the centre more attractive and useful. We will change the regulations in order to foment the creation of "attractive boarding houses", Bed & Breakfast, etc. in the old part of town. We will enforce regulations for differential use of the beaches so the nautical activities, beach sports, bathing areas, and pet areas may coexist without problems. We will demand solutions to the problem of untreated waste going out to sea and complete the Plan of Integral Cleaning Up. We will reduce municipal energy consumption and promote the use of renewable energy. We will reform municipal fiscal norms in order the stimulate private investment and penalise the disuse of basic resources such as housing, commercial premises, agrarian land, etc. We will reduce the cost of municipal staff to conform to what is specified by the law.
Education and training
We will turn over land to the Junta de Andalucia for the construction of new schools and two new secondary level institutions devoted to professional training, in which we are currently far behind other towns on the coast. We will propose to the autonomic administration the implementation of 11 new professional degrees related to local economic sectors, most of which can not be studied in the province of Malaga, and we shall also increase the available offering in professional occupational training. We will redefine the rules for use of the bull ring, favouring cultural activities and we will direct the emphasis of "las Escuelas del Padre Manuel" towards music and culture, and will add a stage to the site's building. We will foment the preservation of archaeological discoveries and visits to the sites both during the excavation and afterwards. We will stimulate appreciation for paleontologic, geological, and ethnological sites, and we will establish educational visits for both students and tourists. We will try to implement the foundation of a Basic Conservatory of Music and Dance.
Ethics
We will eliminate from the list of town council businesses and providers all those who do not respect equal rights in salaries between men and women. We will promote the creation of daycare centers in businesses with more than 50 employees and we will establish this in the urban rules for newly constructed buildings. We will foment the creation of associations dealing with "Time Banks", "Favour Exchanging Networks" and "Exchange Markets". We will promote legislative changes in order to compensate municipal taxes with hours of work in the community. We will reduce the work day for municipal workers in accordance with the "21/21 Solution", favoring the sharing of available work. We will make all municipal information for the public available on the Internet, and make it possible to do most municipal administration related tasks online. Once the necessary reforms for this are in place, it will be easier to decentralise local administrative procedures which involves the outlying areas of the municipality. And we will maintain, as we always have and have proven with actions, our fight against corruption.
