Mayoral Election

[JG]

I havent noticed anyone discussing the election issues in the mayors race. i dont pretend to really follow all the politics and candidates or know in detail their history. but i thought id ask expats and argentines which issues are important to them in this election. let us know in your response, if youre elegible to vote or not.
I remember early in the campaign, some candidates couldnt decide whether to run for the nations president or mayor of BA, thats how important the job is apparently.
Rather than say "security", id say, you must enforce the laws you have. New mayor should courageously impliment a no tolerance policy for enforcing the law. if it turns out a law doesnt exist lets say, for requiring all cars to have headlights at night, then pass it. If a law doesnt exist for not running people over in a pedestrian crosswalk, when they have the green light, then pass it.
But, again, back to my number 1 issue, enforce the laws without excuse. If officials dont comply, get rid of them.
number 2. seems to me crucial the mayor has control over at least some of the police force. (did you know the police you see on the street are federal, under the presidents command or the coast guard at puerto madero?)
I call on new mayor to create a municipal police force! has this been a campaign issue? it should be. new mayor should have a plan on this and impliment it quickly.
so as a year-round resident or citizen, what issues do you think should be part of the new mayors 1st 100 days?
(Im not eligible to vote in the election)

 

[MPDC]

JG -
I've been here about nine months and I find the politics in Argentina to be the best soap opera money can buy. Guess this doesn't say much for my social life. The President picking (not just endorsing but picking) his parties mayoral candidate, raids on town hall concerning skanska, a teacher killed while protesting for better wages, and so on. The reality about the mayoral elections is that there really is no news. Skanska has been the biggest election period diversion (the Santa Fe teachers strike had potential but was resolved at the final hour with K's help ~ newly found hidden funds) but has managed to be just that, a diversion in an otherwise uneventful campaign season.
From what I understand all three candidates do support the formation of a city police force. Where I see the problem in both Argentina, and BsAs, is institutions. Without strong institutions people cannot depend on the promises of any candidate for a better tomorrow.
There is also the lack of a clear plan. What is the plan for the first 100 days? OK, it's one thing to say you're going to fix the infrastucture but when, where, and with what funds? If there was a clear plan people might demand it be met. But they do not hold there leaders to task so there is no need for the road map to the future.
In my very short time here it appears to my uneducated eye that people are living for today, and maybe this is justified in the wake of a major economic crash. But if you don't care about what happens tomorrow institutions don't matter and campaign promises by politicians mean nothing.

 

[Granadaiscool]

JG -
I've been here about nine months and I find the politics in Argentina to be the best soap opera money can buy.  Guess this doesn't say much for my social life.  The President picking (not just endorsing but picking) his parties mayoral candidate,  raids on town hall concerning skanska, a teacher killed while protesting for better wages, and so on.  The reality about the mayoral elections is that there really is no news.  Skanska has been the biggest election period diversion (the Santa Fe teachers strike had potential but was resolved at the final hour with K's help ~ newly found hidden funds) but has managed to be just that, a diversion in an otherwise uneventful campaign season.
From what I understand all three candidates do support the formation of a city police force.  Where I see the problem in both Argentina, and BsAs, is institutions.  Without strong institutions people cannot depend on the promises of any candidate for a better tomorrow. 
There is also the lack of a clear plan.  What is the plan for the first 100 days?  OK, it's one thing to say you're going to fix the infrastucture but when, where, and with what funds?  If there was a clear plan people might demand it be met.  But they do not hold there leaders to task so there is no need for the road map to the future. 
In my very short time here it appears to my uneducated eye that people are living for today, and maybe this is justified in the wake of a major economic crash.  But if you don't care about what happens tomorrow institutions don't matter and campaign promises by politicians mean nothing. 
 

First, there will be a poll on the 24th of june about the police-force. Stupid Telerman didn´t do it before so that he could use it as an electoral gain.

Second people simply spend what they have as almost nobody(around 10%) can save.

P.S. 10.275 foreigners are eligble to vote. I would assume the real number is a bit higher because there are also foreigners who are married to an Argentine and are Argentinian citizen.

 

[JG]

No one said which issues they felt were important to them as a city resident. that was the purpose of my posting this thread.
i live here so i certainly have an opinion on what i feel should be done (see original post).
What are the details of this june 24 poll on the police force you mention. is it a binding vote? its certainly odd to say the least, the mayor has no or little control over Buenos Aires police. I assume, just guessing, that a change must have approval of the nations president to make a change.
So what will change on june 24th, can discos pay bribes and get break the rules, will police start doing their job? Has anything changed since the disco fire? There appears to be no trial in sight! we may never learn the truth.
Further, Ive never seen so much pollution or so much noise as in buenos aires. no matter how far you go from the city center, the pollution is incredible. will the new mayor begin to have any control over the public bus system or improve the pollution or reduce the noise.
The lack of law enforcement and complete lack of reponsibility of city officials and the police are root causes of many problems here.

 

[MPDC]

JG -
I think what Granadaiscool said was right that there will be an upcoming poll. If I remember correctly all three candidates said they wanted a city police force but as you well know that doesn't mean it's going to happen. As it seems you all know much better than I, there are many hurdles to cross before we'll see if there will be a change.
As for the rest, I don't know.

 

[MPDC]

Responding to a note:
You're right, nine months is not very long to fully understand the majic of politics in BsAs.
However, I do agree that law enforcement itself is lacking in a big way. The court system appears to not have any real teeth and the executive arm of the city has no clear plan for the future. Nothing is projected, outlined, or updated.
I could get into specifics, yes I don't like the garbage, speeding, dog crap everywhere, trash, failing infrastructure. But at the heart of these problems are poorly run institutions. I believe that in order to have a successful governement that works for its people and runs efficently, i.e. enforces the laws, you need to have institutions that work and have strong leadership.
The fact is, the next mayors needs to clean house. This may not be Washington, DC under Mayor Marion Barry in the 1980's, but the way that it's being managed, it does not look too far from it.
But what do I know, I'm new.

 

[Granadaiscool]

As I understand it will be binding and it will probally happen because a city like BA needs his own police-force under the arm of the mayor. I think ever mayor city in the world is run like that.
The first thing Macri will do is cleaning up the Riachelo and that was long due. The second thing will be probally picking a spot for the new Boca stadium with lots of space for Urban development
Just go to Cordoba to see that a major Argentine city can be run efficient

 

[JG]

the river of course is the most polluted in all of south america (hear that uruguay!) because the arg. federal, and prov. govts. allow industry and municipalities along the route to pollute it. no control. corruption.
there was a major issue about the govt. pretending to inspect discos, almost all were found to be in violation after the fire. how? corruption, no control.
discos must comply with no smoking law. the 3 ive been to lately do not, not even close. I called number govt. advertised to report violations. i wanted to see if the law had teeth. i followed my "denuncia" for months. it died of neglect. no control, corruption.
its like a pretend govt.
you said macri would do something. dont get too sucked in by a politicians promises. Oh, and making his stadium an issue sounds like self interest to me.
maybe you think cordoba is efficient. ive been there several times and been all over arg. i really have. i pretty much see the same things everywhere.
Im still curious which issues those of you living here think should be part of the campaign and the 1st policies mayor should fight for? (Please mention if youre eligible to vote).
democracy is very new here, less than a decade older than Russia. but it still warms my soul to see free expression of the will of the people. just what govt. should and must be!

 

[Granadaiscool]

Disco safety is a lot better now then pre-cromanon. Most discos have been closed for 6 months to a year as well. I was there pre-cromanon and its not even close to being the same.
Smoking law in general is enforced in general, only not with stupid Alamo and I am sure they are closed now because of it.
Cordoba is better organised, cars have head-lights. transport system works, its cleaner and in general its safe(r)
Boca stadium will be a good thing and it will help the surrounding barrios develop as well. It happens everywhere and its going to happen in Argentina as well. Macri just triggers it.