VicenzaPiù - Notizie, Inchieste, Analisi su Vicenza e provincia

As the cold spell continues, you might feel like giving a beggar a euro to have a coffee in a bar in order to thaw out. Well, think again. In Vicenza, not only is it illegal to beg, but the local police boast of their prowess at enforcing the anti-begging law allowing them to confiscate the money a beggar has in his or her pocket. Indeed, Councillor Dalla Pozza declares himself proud of their actions.

Last week, according to ‘La Città', the vast sum of 42 euros was confiscated from local beggars. An effective measure indeed. Some of you may remember Daniela, the little blond girl injured in a car accident so badly that she can walk a few hundred yards slowly on crutches. She used to sit outside PAM in Piazza Castello. After being picked up by our heroic law-enforcers so many times, she has given up. In this bi-centenary of Charles Dickens, at least in Vicenza, the spirit of Scrooge is alive and kicking.
42 euros, given presumably by us, which will doubtless go to make up for the enormous losses incurred by AIM during its mismanagement under the former mayorship of Hüllweck and under the continued management of Vianello. That very AIM which provides 90% of us with our gas, electricity and water, and if we're lucky, very lucky, with a bus to avoid us polluting the atmosphere with our cars. In fact, I don't have a car, so having been offered some work in Bolzano Vicentino, I consulted the morning bus timetable. Between 9a.m and 11a.m you had better hitchhike. I tried cycling, but the stretch between Anconetta and Ospedaletto was too much for my nerves as the endless queue of trucks sped past me. Whilst on the subject of pollution, I haven't noticed any of the so-called ‘ecological' Sundays recently. (Sundays without traffic)
Well, AIM for years provided its profits for use by the community. Until it was put in the hands of a certain Mr. Rossi, nominated by Alleanza Nazionale. He quickly bought a platform at Port Marghera, already under investigation for illegally getting rid of toxic rubbish. Hitherto owned by another shadowy Vicentine figure, the surveyor Carlo Valle. The acquisition, along with many others, seemed to enrich the sellers at the expense of the local council.
Vicenzapiù is looking into the matter, and AIM's current Managing Director does not approve. Mr. Colla has seen fit not to say something to the effect that we've got it wrong, followed by his own version of events; instead, arrogating to himself the dubious ‘honour' of running AIM, he has sent a letter to Mr. Coviello, our editor, saying that he shouldn't write articles running the management down, and that by doing so, he risks legal proceedings. This, against the backdrop of the magistrate's investigation into Rossi and Co's expensive misdeeds.
According to our colleague Marco Millioni, the matter only came to light at all, because the Venetian magistrates intervened. In his opinion, if the illegal rubbish at Marghera had not been involved, the Vicenza magistrates would almost certainly have turned a blind eye to public money disappearing into private hands. He hints that the local judicial machine might be working hand in glove with local politicians.
The then leader of the DS and former local head of the CGIL, Ubaldo Alifuoco, reveals in an article, that when in opposition he tried, with what arms he had at his disposal, to try and keep tabs on Rossi and the others, but unfortunately with little support. Hovering behind the scenes, there always seems to linger the multinational building company Maltauro, and the local industrialists' association.
Well, now is Carnival time, so let's try to strike a cheerful note. I saw the first carnival mask of the year in Corso Palladio on Friday afternoon, and indeed it cheered me up. And this year Mr. Monti has allowed us to go to Auchan instead of our local pastry shop of a Sunday to seek those Carnival delights such as ‘chiacchiere', or ‘bugie'. Backchat and lies. A familiar, rather depressing litany perhaps. On reflection, perhaps ‘fritole'- frivolities, those delicious Carnival fritters might be a better bet to cheer us up. Come on, Beppe Grillo, we admire your crusade against the backchat and lies, but in this gelid run up to Carnival, give us a few scatterbrains to laugh about. Who knows if a little Carnival frivolity might not melt the heart of Mr. Dalla Pozza towards the Berican beggars?
Well, on Saturday night my wish was realised. ‘The Barber of Seville' graced the planks of the Teatro San Marco as the 24th edition of the Maschera d'Oro gets underway. And they've managed to keep the ticket price under 10 euro. It was a brilliant mix of Commedia d'Arte with bits of the original. With some salacious cracks about Mr. Berlusconi. And I was able to afford a ‘piccolo spriz macchiato campari senza ghiaccio' for a euro on my way home from the theatre, at the twice-cited Drive-In in Via Volta. My powers of patronage have already led to a couple of free glasses in the establishment, albeit of their draught Traminer (80 cents a shot). May the good life go on!