Tuesday, March 29, 2005
The letter sent in to El País (with 50 signatories) was published on Thursday, 24 March 2005. We are enclosing the published version in Spanish and a translation into English of the complete, unedited letter, together with a translation into English of the extract from the interview that motivated us to reply.
It is still possible to write in and give your opinion on Mr Soler's interview, or indeed any related issue. Your letter should be no more than 30 typed lines. You should indicate the name, address, telephone and ID or passport number of the authors. Email: cartasdirector@elpais.es
Published in EL PAÍS
CARTAS AL DIRECTOR
"Sin importancia"
Janice S. Batterbee y 49 firmas más
EL PAÍS - 24-03-2005
La actitud de Juan Bautista Soler, anterior presidente de los promotores valencianos, ilustra perfectamente por qué los pequeños propietarios víctimas de la LRAU tenemos que defendernos. Invitar a "no dar más importancia al asunto" es insultante e hiriente para las personas que han perdido su terreno o sus casas bajo rotondas innecesarias, o han salido arruinadas por cargas urbanísticas abusivas y desorbitadas, amañadas por la colusión de ediles y promotores sin escrúpulos.
Utiliza una argumentación simplista y superficial en defensa de una ley que no es defendible. Ni los pequeños propietarios han frenado el desarrollo, ni han sacado beneficio de él. Y, por favor, ahórrese los tópicos de siempre y el toque de xenofobia ("era muy cómodo venir aquí y disfrutar de nuestro clima, nuestro paisaje, etc."). Esta ley trata igual de mal a españoles y extranjeros. De todos modos, estamos en Europa y el clima y el paisaje son de todos.
Lo de "infraviviendas" también es inexacto. Las víctimas de la LRAU no viven en favelas. En otros países de Europa es posible elegir una vida rústica.
Somos muchos que sabemos que la LRAU es una licencia para robar a personas que no han hecho nada más que comprar legalmente una casa.
Translation of original letter:
LRAU: an "unimportant" affair
Mr Juan Bautista Soler, former President of Valencian promoters and, as such a biased party in urban matters, is the perfect example of why small homeowners like us, victims of the LRAU, have to defend ourselves. His call "not to give the affair further importance" is insulting and wounding for people who have lost their land or their houses beneath unnecessary roundabouts, or who have been ruined by abusive and excessive urbanisation costs, cooked up by collusion between municipal councillors and unscrupulous promoters.
The ex-president of the promoters, who undoubtedly possesses more money than understanding or compassion, employs simplistic and superficial arguments in favour of an indefensible law. Small landowners have not slowed down development, nor have they gained from it. They have been victims of the application of the LRAU.
And, please, spare us the usual clichés and the touch of xenophobia ("it was very convenient to come here and enjoy our climate, our scenery," etc.). Yet again that old falsehood that complaints come only from a handful of foreigners in bad faith. No, Mr Soler. This law treats Spanish and foreigners equally badly; there are many, many Spanish victims. In any case, we are in Europe and the climate and scenery belong to everyone.
A "Substandard" dwelling is an inexact description, too. The victims of the LRAU do not live in shacks. In other European countries it is quite possible to choose a country life in homes with no urban street lighting and accessible by narrow lanes. What's wrong with that? In other countries, those people are allowed to live in peace. Here, unwanted and unnecessary infrastructure is imposed with the sole aim of stealing our land and filling the pockets of "agentes urbanizadores" and their corrupt political cronies. Many of us think that the LRAU is a licence to steal from people who have done nothing more than to buy a house legally, very often in a rural environment, and all they want to do is live in peace without harming anything or anyone.
Signed by 50 people.
Extract from the interview given by Mr Soler to El País, published on 13 March 2005
Q/ What do you think about the movement against urban abuses?
A/ It is a movement centred in the area of Jávea and Dénia. It was very agreeable to come here and enjoy our climate, our scenery and yet want to have substandard dwellings with septic tanks, with no street lighting, dwellings from another era. The law set out to make it possible to reorganise all these zones, giving them sewer systems, electrical installations and, logically, the owner has to pay in cash or with land. It is too easy to refuse to pay and, on top of that, claim that you're being taken for a ride. We should give no further importance to this attitude.
It is still possible to write in and give your opinion on Mr Soler's interview, or indeed any related issue. Your letter should be no more than 30 typed lines. You should indicate the name, address, telephone and ID or passport number of the authors. Email: cartasdirector@elpais.es
Published in EL PAÍS
CARTAS AL DIRECTOR
"Sin importancia"
Janice S. Batterbee y 49 firmas más
EL PAÍS - 24-03-2005
La actitud de Juan Bautista Soler, anterior presidente de los promotores valencianos, ilustra perfectamente por qué los pequeños propietarios víctimas de la LRAU tenemos que defendernos. Invitar a "no dar más importancia al asunto" es insultante e hiriente para las personas que han perdido su terreno o sus casas bajo rotondas innecesarias, o han salido arruinadas por cargas urbanísticas abusivas y desorbitadas, amañadas por la colusión de ediles y promotores sin escrúpulos.
Utiliza una argumentación simplista y superficial en defensa de una ley que no es defendible. Ni los pequeños propietarios han frenado el desarrollo, ni han sacado beneficio de él. Y, por favor, ahórrese los tópicos de siempre y el toque de xenofobia ("era muy cómodo venir aquí y disfrutar de nuestro clima, nuestro paisaje, etc."). Esta ley trata igual de mal a españoles y extranjeros. De todos modos, estamos en Europa y el clima y el paisaje son de todos.
Lo de "infraviviendas" también es inexacto. Las víctimas de la LRAU no viven en favelas. En otros países de Europa es posible elegir una vida rústica.
Somos muchos que sabemos que la LRAU es una licencia para robar a personas que no han hecho nada más que comprar legalmente una casa.
Translation of original letter:
LRAU: an "unimportant" affair
Mr Juan Bautista Soler, former President of Valencian promoters and, as such a biased party in urban matters, is the perfect example of why small homeowners like us, victims of the LRAU, have to defend ourselves. His call "not to give the affair further importance" is insulting and wounding for people who have lost their land or their houses beneath unnecessary roundabouts, or who have been ruined by abusive and excessive urbanisation costs, cooked up by collusion between municipal councillors and unscrupulous promoters.
The ex-president of the promoters, who undoubtedly possesses more money than understanding or compassion, employs simplistic and superficial arguments in favour of an indefensible law. Small landowners have not slowed down development, nor have they gained from it. They have been victims of the application of the LRAU.
And, please, spare us the usual clichés and the touch of xenophobia ("it was very convenient to come here and enjoy our climate, our scenery," etc.). Yet again that old falsehood that complaints come only from a handful of foreigners in bad faith. No, Mr Soler. This law treats Spanish and foreigners equally badly; there are many, many Spanish victims. In any case, we are in Europe and the climate and scenery belong to everyone.
A "Substandard" dwelling is an inexact description, too. The victims of the LRAU do not live in shacks. In other European countries it is quite possible to choose a country life in homes with no urban street lighting and accessible by narrow lanes. What's wrong with that? In other countries, those people are allowed to live in peace. Here, unwanted and unnecessary infrastructure is imposed with the sole aim of stealing our land and filling the pockets of "agentes urbanizadores" and their corrupt political cronies. Many of us think that the LRAU is a licence to steal from people who have done nothing more than to buy a house legally, very often in a rural environment, and all they want to do is live in peace without harming anything or anyone.
Signed by 50 people.
Extract from the interview given by Mr Soler to El País, published on 13 March 2005
Q/ What do you think about the movement against urban abuses?
A/ It is a movement centred in the area of Jávea and Dénia. It was very agreeable to come here and enjoy our climate, our scenery and yet want to have substandard dwellings with septic tanks, with no street lighting, dwellings from another era. The law set out to make it possible to reorganise all these zones, giving them sewer systems, electrical installations and, logically, the owner has to pay in cash or with land. It is too easy to refuse to pay and, on top of that, claim that you're being taken for a ride. We should give no further importance to this attitude.
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