Barcelona’s Mayor, Mr. Jordi Hereu, is about to close a terrible 2010 in charge facing a countdown to next May election. According to polls, he will be the first socialist to lose a local election since 1979.

The last setback suffered by Mr. Hereu took place a few days ago, as he realized that .BCN internet domain that he encouraged to approve was refused by ICANN. This initiative was in fact a clear attack to weak the success of .CAT internet domain, approved by ICANN five years ago. The .CAT domain identifies websites related to Catalan language and culture. Currently, it is used by more than 43.000 clients. Mr. Hereu had spent 150.000 euros to promote .BCN candidature. This amount of public money have gone directly to the trash.

In times of economic crisis, Mr. Hereu has promoted a number of failed initiatives such as this last one. A few months ago he sponsored a local referendum on the remodelling of Diagonal mainstreet. This cost 3 milions euros of Barcelona’s taxpayers. At the end, participation only reached 12% of the census, and 85% of those who cast the vote, rejected the alternative more closely associated to Mr. Hereu preferences.

A third flawed initiative, that has cost public money, is Barcelona 2022 Winter Olympic Games candidature, that after much hype, it seems now shelved for ever. A Mr. Hereu headed delegation was in Vancouver 2010 to promote it, provoking media and citizen outrage due to its cost.

Author : daguer
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