Moratorium on tunnels
2010-02-26
Remember what Miroslav Kalousek said about the privatization
of public authority? What he meant was that private interests are
making decisions that should be the domain of elected
government. In the extreme form, expensive projects are
dreamed up with the primary purpose of stealing money, not for
achieving the stated goal. Michal Voráček's Opencard project
comes immediately to mind. Sazka Arena, another PPA project,
was in a league of its own in terms of the pilfering possibilities,
but at least something was left standing. Calls by politicians to
celebrate and add to Martina Sáblíková's gold medals in
Vancouver by building a Kc 1.5bn speed-skating rink fall in the
Sazka category. It would no doubt be a beautiful rink, and the
country might even objectively need it, but the timing is wrong.
Not merely because the budget is in crisis, but also because
theft from the budget is booming. Until this changes, there
should be a moratorium on tunnel jobs, and Martina should be
sent off to Germany to do her training.
[Czech Republic speedskating Winter Olympics Canada tunneling
tunnelling corruption]
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