Il sindaco di Castel San Giorgio, Andrea Donato, assessori e consiglieri comunali, rappresentanti dell’Arma, i vigili urbani con il gonfalone del comune, hanno reso omaggio a Luigi Guerrasio volontario, «combattente per la libertà d’Italia» deponendo una corona di alloro davanti alla lapide, in via Piave, rievocandone la figura. A questa prima cerimonia erano presenti il figlio del partigiano, Gennaro, i fratelli professori Mario e Aldo, alto magistrato presso il Tribunale di Salerno, da qualche mese in pensione.

Il corteo si è poi recato al cimitero per deporre davanti al monumento dei caduti di tutte le guerre la corona listata con il tricolore. É stato il parroco di Castel San Giorgio, don Graziano Cerulli, a rivolgere nobili parole ai presenti intonate alla pace nel mondo e tra coloro che ogni guerra divide, ma che, questo giorno, deve unire. Il sindaco Donato ha parlato della «universalità nazionale della guerra di liberazione» perchè, «quel grande avvenimento, fatto di sacrifici e morti da ambo le parti, ha rappresentato il ritorno alla democrazia e alla libertà per tutti. Questo è stato ed è il grande significato della guerra di Liberazione».

Alla manifestazione sono stati presenti il vice sindaco Ubaldo Rescigno il presidente del consiglio Comunale Giampiero Coppola, gli assessori Marsillo, De Simone, Sammartino, Fasolino, Di Leo, Rescigno, i consiglieri Apostolico, Lamberti, Sellitto, Iemma, Amabile e Altomare.

É stata accolta con grande favore la iniziativa della CIA (Confederazione Italiana Agricotori) che ha visto l’apertura a Castel San Giorgio, del «Mercato del Contadino». É stata una iniziativa gradita anche dalla gente perché ha avuto modo di recarsi a Villa Antonietta e comprare frutta e verdura, latticini e salumi genuini. L’ organizzazione è stata tutta della CIA provinciale di cui è responsabile Domenico Oliva.
Dire che è stato un successo, è poco. Nel giro di qualche ora, tutto lo spazio «Largo Angelo Grimaldi, costruttore» un artista dell’edilizia deceduto pochi anni fa, donato al comune dai suo figlio Gaetano, è stato riempita dalla gente che è accorsa ed ha comprato tutto. A ruba le mele annurco, carciofi, broccoli di rapa, finocchi e latticini. «É l’inizio di una iniziativa – ha detto il sindaco Andrea Donato – che porterà una vera e propria rivoluzione nel settore del commercio».
Sul posto è arrivato anche il vicesindaco Ubaldo Rescigno, gli assessori Salvatore De Simone, Pasquale Sammartino, Marcello Marsillo, Domenico Rescigno, Antonio Fasolino, Carmine Di Leo e i consiglieri Ciro Altomare, Francesco Iemma, Antonio Apostolico, Rocco Amabile, Andrea Ferrentino, Vincenzo Lamberti e il presidente del consiglio comunale Gian Piero Coppola.

Le aziende agroalimentari presenti: Ls Campanile di Nocera Superiore, Iaccarino di Pagani, Cirillo di San Valentino Torio, Di Lieto di Nocera Superiore, Milite e Capuano di Castel San Giorgio, Landi di Fisciano, Madonna della Neve, di Campagna, Valitutto di Palomonte e Ferruzzi di Capaccio. Il Mercato tornerà ogni ultima domenica del mese a Villa Antonietta.

4 Feb 09

Si è gridato al miracolo. Sin dal mattino, cielo plumbeo, pioggia fitta e sottile. Tutto faceva prevedere la «non uscita di San Biagio», la qual cosa significava che la processione del Santo non si sarebbe svolta. Invece: alle l3.15 esatte, in concomitanza con la fine della messa la pioggia è cessata e la statua di San Biagio è «uscita» e la processione si è svolta regolarmente. Mons. Gerardo Pierro, accolto da tremila persone e con la chiesa gremitissima, ha ricevuto un fragoroso applauso. Ha concelebrato la Eucaristia con Mons. Gennaro Apostolico, assistente al soglio pontificio, i parroci don Giovanni Merola, don Graziano Cerulli, don Francesco Massa ed altri sacerdoti della Forania.

Omelia vigorosa: excursus del martirio del Vescovo di Sebaste, rievocazione della scoperta delle radici cristiane nella peregrinatio di San Biagio, ma soprattutto un forte richiamo alla difesa della dignità della persona e nei riguardi di quanti nel nostro paese sono ospiti e lavorano. «La persona deve essere rispettata, quale che sia il colore delle sua pelle – ha detto Mons. Pierro – non dimenticando che anche il nostro è stato un popolo di emigranti». Poi, le felicitazioni a quanti hanno contribuito alla imponente manifestazione di fede: al comitato, alla Provincia, rappresentata dall’assessore Guerrino Terrone, al sindaco, Andrea Donato, agli assessori presenti Marcello Marsillo, Salvatore De Simone, Domenico Rescigno, ai consiglieri Antonio Apostolico e Francesco Iemma. La reliquia di San Biagio è stata seguita da decine di medici che si sono alternati nel portare a spalla la statua di San Biagio. Insomma, nonostante le incertezze del tempo i festeggiamenti dei 700 anni della presenza delle reliquie del santo, sono stati un trionfo di fede e di folklore.

Amnesia gets a nice mention in today’s Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) technology page. A front page story about how the Downfall clip is being mashed up and repurposed.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/09/29/1222650965028.html

Ad ottobre torna “La Gru – Portale di Poesia e Realtà” www.lagru.org

Chiunque voglia proporre propri testi, interventi o riflessioni di carattere storico, filosofico o letterario è invitato a mettersi in contatto con la Redazione.

* L’annuario 2007/2008 (La Gru n.5, 307 pagine)

con interventi di:

Boscarol, Cardellini, De Angelis, D’Elia, Di Salvatore, Fabiani, Ferri, Iemma, Lago, Mancinelli, Marano, Marotta, Monti, Monville, Nota, Ortenzi, Pascali, Pulsoni, Sanchi, Sanchini, Stramucci, Tarquini, Zattoni

è acquistabile a soli 15 euro presso
http://www.lulu.com/content/2686101

is this the best news NSW has heard in a long time? these guys were a f**ken circus. most inept, ludicrous idiots ever. hasta la vista.
nathan rees studied english lit at usyd, carmel tebbutt seems decent…i might even be able to vote for the ALP next time. how excitement.

The Australian has some interesting articles on public sector reform in Australia, centred around the privatisation of the NSW electricity industry, so as to ensure investment and security of supply.

The links are:

here – The Elephant in the Room

here – Power tears ALP apart

here – Rudd has a stake in this

here – Iemma staring into abyss

They reveal how unions and factions dominate the ALP and frustrate attempts at reform.

If anyone need to see what Roger Douglas freed us from, it is here. In NSW a few thousand electricity unionists hold the state and indirectly the country to ransom.

It is interesting to think that in NSW they want to sell off the electricity plants and companies in the interest of being able to invest more in other areas.

This what Clark and Cullen appear to want to return us to.

This is an extract from one of the articles linked above:

KEVIN Rudd has a lot riding on NSW Premier Morris Iemma’s having the courage to defy Labor’s state council and push ahead with the $10 billion privatisation of the state’s electricity industry. To his credit, Mr Iemma says he is standing firm. If he were to back down, despite having already made overly generous concessions to minority interest groups, it would send the message to all Labor premiers that difficult reform is not worth the effort. This is precisely the wrong message for Mr Rudd, who has staked his reform credentials on his ability to foster federal and state co-operation through a revitalised COAG process because of the Labor brotherhood. If electricity privatisation can be defeated because unions representing a few thousand electricity workers don’t like it, how difficult would it be to stare down union interests to overhaul health and education?

Preferring to bask in the rock star adulation from federal Labor’s nil-cost symbolic actions in ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and saying sorry to the Stolen Generations, Kevin Rudd did not refer specifically to electricity privatisation in his address to yesterday’s NSW state Labor conference. But there was nonetheless an unmistakable coded reference in his speech. Mr Rudd warned delegates, as The Australian has noted, that Labor did not win the November election by a landslide as many mistakenly believed and could lose government with just a small swing against it at the next election.

Much of the economic strength of Australia stems from its’ minerals not from any intrinsic competitiveness or labour freedoms.

The unions believe they can dictate to the ALP. Sound in any way familiar?

They have significantly more say in the running of the party than their actual membership numbers would suggest. Sound in anyway familiar?

Their problems could be our problems.

The articles referenced and others should sound a warning to all new Zealanders.

Rudd will need great testicular fortitude if he is to succeed with any reform, albeit that it is necessary.

Similarly, National will need the same, as despite the fact that Key is committed to certain policies, that does not mean he is committed to waste, incompetence or failure to achieve quality outcomes. Therefore, there is much reform that ca and should be undertaken.

Ken Moroney and Martha Jabour to join Judicial Commission as community representatives
Released: Monday, 3 March 2008

“Ken Moroney, former NSW Police Commissioner, and Martha Jabour, Executive Director of the NSW Homicides Victims Support Group, will be appointed as community representatives to the Judicial Commission of NSW to hear complaints about judicial officers.

“Ken Moroney and Martha Jabour are highly respected figures in the law and order establishment, and the community in general,” said NSW Attorney General John Hatzistergos.

“Together they bring decades of experience to the Judicial Commission and will help ensure it continues to carry out its works with the utmost integrity and professionalism.”

Mr Moroney and Ms Jabour will take up the newly created positions of community representatives on the commission’s Conduct Division. The division investigates complaints made to the commission about matters concerning the ability or behaviour of judicial officers.

Previously, the division was made up of a panel of two serving judicial officers and a retired judicial officer. The position of the community representative will replace one of the serving judicial officer positions.

A new panel is set up for each complaint referred by the commission. Either Mr Moroney or Ms Jabour will sit on the panels as their schedules allow.

“These appointments will strengthen public confidence in the process for dealing with complaints relating to judicial officers, and in our legal system,” said Mr Hatzistergos.

The appointments of Mr Moroney and Ms Jabour will be approved by the NSW Parliament, as will be the practice for future community representatives chosen for the commission.

To ensure a different perspective was brought to bear on judicial misconduct matters, people who are legally qualified or serving members of the Judicial Commission will not be eligible for the position of community representative.”

NOW:

I have no complaint to make about either Mr Maroney or Ms Jabour. Let me make that clear!

My beef is with the politicians who think there are votes in their attempts to “get tough” with Judges and who appear to be forcing or attempting to force Judges to bend to the will of that enigmatic group now called “the community”. This euphemism is as absurd as the still to be defined term “terrorist”! It means whatever politicians want it to mean!

What they forget – if they ever knew it – is that in a democracy the Judiciary MUST be independent – not ruled or intimidated by politicians of any persuasion – or anyone else for that matter!

Do the politicians express the “will” or the “values” of “the community”? Which politicians achieve this? Those currently under investigation for corruption? [Anyone been to Wollongong lately?] Those who have appeared or are yet to appear before the criminal courts? Those who hand out “jobs for the boys (and girls)”?  Those with all-time low public opinion ratings? Mr Bush? Mr Iemma? Mr Howard?

 Do the police?  The police commissioner, perhaps? We could always advertise for a community representative from the KGB or its successors? Surely a representative of the police force (hundreds – maybe thousands – of whose officers give evidence in criminal and civil courts all over NSW every week) is even less appropriate than having someone who is “legally qualified”!! 

So what’s wrong with being “legally qualified”? 

Do you have deaf people judging musical talent and the blind judging works of art?

What IS going on?

Seems to me the “community” of New South Wales might be well advised to get a BILL of RIGHTS – and QUICKLY – while there are still some rights to enshrine and before we become a Police State!

I always thought the police were there to uphold the law, investigate (fully and objectively) crime, and bring alleged offenders before the courts for trial by a legally constituted court. All along THEY are the font of “community” values!

Do the “polls” conducted daily in the press and on line establish “comminity” values?

Has the ‘community” expressed a desire to replace one of the serving judicial officers with the former NSW Police Commissioner? Has the community expressed a desire to replace one of the serving judicial officers with the Executive Director of the NSW Homicides Victims Support Group?

Where was this “community” desire expressed? Was some secret vote taken? A crystal ball viewed in the light of a rainbow, perhaps?

And where was there expressed any lack of “…public confidence in the process for dealing with complaints relating to judicial officers, and in our legal system.”?

There is a serious issue here!

The INDEPENDENCE of the JUDICIARY is of paramount importance in ensuring that the STATE - by far the most frequent litigant in our court system – and its servants, the POLICE – do not have the power to influence or intimidate OUR JUDGES!

IF OUR JUDGES ARE NOT INDEPENDENT – WHO PROTECTS US FROM ARBITRARY POWER?

The Daily Telegraph confirms this. I reckon a few of her fellow Labor parliamentarians should be thanking Morris for his apparent inconsistency.

News is filtering through that a Labor MP from Wollongong has directly been implicated in the ICAC corruption scandal. On his 2GB radio show, Ray Hadley has made mention of Noreen Hay being recorded speaking to one of the main parties being investigated, and ensuring fast tracking of a development.

I’ll add a link as one comes to hand. All in all though, this only gets worse for Morris Iemma and he can’t brush these controversies off for much longer. He must act now, and make examples of thos of his cohorts whose behaviour is looking very dodgy indeed.

Following on from the continued furore over the ICAC “sex for development” scandal, which has reached into the NSW Labor cabinet, reports suggest that former state rural fire chief and current Environment Minister Phil Koperberg will stand down from his portfolio due to ill health.

I tend to agree with Barry O’Farrell’s statement that Koperberg has been at his least comfortable since winning the seat of Blue Mountains last March and being immediately promoted into Cabinet. During the past decade, at the times that Sydney faced fearful summer conditions and bushfires threatened to engulf suburban homes, Koperberg, in his position in the Rural Fire Service magnificently coordinated efforts to rescue homes and lives. Sadly because of the presence of innuendo and scandal, he hasn’t had the chance to properly deal with the many important issues relating to the environment.

With the report suggesting the slightest of reshuffles to cater for Koperberg’s stepping down, perhaps Iemma should consider a cleanout or mass reshuffle. The corruption scandal, the fallout from the Bathurst Hospital and T-card fiascos, and numerous other State government issues presided over by incompetent ministers should be a clear signal that change is to be made if Labor is to start to gain the trust of NSW citizens.

A patient amid scaffolding at the new $98 million Bathurst Base Hospital yesterday. Doctors say the hospital fails to meet safety standards.

I am not a Liberal supporter and I don’t get any pleasure from pointing out Sydney’s shortfalls. But the Iemma Government has shown that it is out of depth to run the country (Australia’s) largest economy. I am not sure if the lack of governance is widespread across the ministries or simply due to the Premier’s ability (or lack of) to take charge of the state.

The entire NSW state is falling apart under Morris Iemma’s feeble leadership, policy and ideas deficiency and lack of accountability and empathy for the people who vote them into office. My focus now turns on to the latest event on the on-going NSW Health system woes: “Hospital building problems worsen (SMH)”.

The new Bathurst Base Hospital got the redevelopment so wrong that it failed to meet national patient safety guidelines. The (NSW)Department of Health also remained silent on how the Bathurst plans were approved when some areas in such acute services as intensive care and emergency were too small to function adequately.

Even the hospital’s paging system had broken down several times a day, the alarm system and backup were inadequate and the situation was so desperate that inquiries were made about whether the fire alarm system could be connected to the switchboard as a public address system.

“It’s a bloody scandal,” a Bathurst doctor, who did not want to be named, said yesterday. “Somebody somewhere has to put their hand up and say they caused this mess … heads are going to roll.”

—

BERNO: How can Sydney compete effectively in the global economy if the State Government can’t even handle the basics?

Bad grammar, I know, but the only title I could think of in the context of an exclusive Sydney Morning Herald poll. In a nutshell, the people of NSW (as represented by 550 polled residents) are losing trust in the State Government in the key areas of transport, hospitals and roads. This, of course, has been on clear display as reports of the terrible state of the health system continue to surface, and traffic gridlock reminds motorists that they are patrons of a transport network with more problems than one would care to mention.

If there is any consolation, results imply that the State Opposition, led by Barry O’Farrell (a name that only a handful of the participants seemed to know), are faring even worse. This isn’t really surprising, given that when a perilous situation surfaces, there’s rarely the sight of an Opposition spokesman to prompt the Government into more urgent remedial action that doesn’t just invove word spin.

All points to the fact that Labor still have a lot of work to do, and are either still where they were last March, or heading backwards as opposed to the right direction. And the Coalition need to pull their finger out and do what an effective Opposition should do.

(3 Nov 07)

“Il sindaco di Castel San Giorgio vuol fare il deputato, e non pensa alla Solofrana che straripa e allaga i campi”.
Anche questo è stato detto nel corso della riunione consiliare svoltasi sulla casa comunale, durata oltre si ore, per prendere atto ed approvare le risultanze della conferenza dei servizi riferite alla variante al Puc approvata dalla Regione Campania. Il dibattito è durato oltre sei ore. Ma i punti all’ordine del giorno sono stati tutti approvati, dopo aver chiarito anche che la Solofrana è gestita direttamente dalla Regionee non dal sindaco di Castel San Giorgio.
Toni duri da parte delle opposizioni,argomenti “molto chiassosi” sono stati definiti dagli esponenti della maggioranza gli assunti dei consiglieri della opposizione espressi dai diversi rappresentanti. Nel dibattito sono intervenuti i consiglieri Giuseppe Alfano, Manuel Capuano, Walter Longanella, Vincenzo Capuano ed altri.
In precedenza il sindaco Donato aveva ampiamente relazionato e con dovizia di particolari sulla variante al PUC affermando che essa possiede aspetti comprensoriali perché al suo contenuto sono interessati ben sette comuni, “e perché il parere espresso dall’assessore Giuseppe Nocera contiene visioni e aspetti responsabili che rappresentano presupposti di sviluppo e soprattutto motivi di lavoro“.

Oltre al sindaco sono intervenuti il capogruppo del Pd Rocco Amabile il vice sindaco Ubaldo Rescigno, Ciro Altomare, l’assessore Marcello Marsillo, il consigliere Francesco Iemma. I lavori sono stati introdotti dal presidente del consiglio Gian Piero Coppola. Sul piano tecnico è stato il segretario generale Raffaele Maldini a guidare la seduta.

Most democratic nations hold open elections regularly – usually every three or four years. Most democratic nations also only have two major parties vying to form government. As democratic nations mature, the two major parties tend to move from a traditional left-wing/right-wing battle to an almost converged state where on many platforms there is little to distinguish the parties.

In countries where voting is optional, most of those people that do vote are lifelong single-party followers. They are either Republicans or Democrats. They are either Labour Party or Conservatives.  In countries such as Australia, voting is compulsory for those eligible to vote. This brings about another class of voter, the Swinger. Australians don’t have to urge (or beg) people to vote like is done in the U.S. and Britain, instead, politicians campaign to convince the swingers to vote for them.

Many people think swinging voters are indecisive, but this if far from the truth. In fact, swingers are probably the more intelligent voters who care more about the future of their nation than the future of any political party. On Saturday, March 24, the state of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia is voting in a critical election. Not so much critical for party politics, but critical for democracy and for the future of Australia.

The most important lesson any democracy must learn is that they must never re-elect a bad-government. Democracies have three and four-year terms of government for a reason: to allow for change, when change is necessary. The current NSW government has had three terms to prove itself, and over this time the only thing it has proven is it’s a bad government. Services have been continually eroded and the state’s economy is no longer the jewel of Australia – it now runs second-last. Public transport, health, education, water, policing and infrastructure are all in decay following twelve years of neglect and wasteful management. But while these all sound like clear grounds for a change of government, the spanner in the works has been the less-than-convincing campaign by the opposition.  A strong and sustained negative campaign aimed at the opposition has also raised doubt in the community. All polls leading up to the election have indicated that this election will result in a fourth win for the incumbents.

OK. That’s democracy. What’s wrong with that?

The point is, if NSW re-elects this government on Saturday, they are validating and endorsing their previous government’s record. They are forgiving and willing to accept a lower standard of services for themselves. Elections are there specifically to throw out bad governments and maintain a high standard of services that we all expect. By voting to oust an obviously bad government, voters are saying what we have is not good enough and we expect better. We are also saying, “Mr Opposition Leader, you’d better fix things like you say you will. If you don’t, we’ll throw YOU out in four years’ time.” This is the only way we can keep our politicians accountable and working for US – not for THEMSELVES.

People of New South Wales: DON’T LOWER YOUR STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS from your Government. 

To the world: WE MUST THROW OUT ALL BAD GOVERNMENTS wherever they are, no matter which party they belong to. Nations should always work to improve standards of living for their communities – not to lay down and accept lower standards. We are quick to invade non-democratic nations that have bad governments to get rid of them, yet we hesitate when it comes to simply voting out our own bad governments.

YOU can make a difference. Come join me on the swing!

NSW Election update: The sitting government needed a swing against them of over 12% to be ousted. In the end, a swing did eventuate, but it was not far enough at only 5%. It looks like community expectations in NSW just declined.