Bust the Myth ... Caruana: God or Comedian?

There are those blind supporters, usually of great religious faith and fervour, which is a significant character trait, that believe that Peter Caruana can do no wrong.  He is the infallible mind, body and soul of Gibraltar to them.  It is surprising that he was so insistent on re-introducing the commercially doomed Algeciras ferry, when he could so easily have walked on water and crossed the bay!  These people are so set in their ways that it is pointless to even cross swords with them in an argument on the issue.

Thankfully, Gibraltar is blessed (and it is Gibraltar that has to be blessed not Caruana or any other past or future Chief Minister) with many open minded and free thinking voters who can and, this blogger is convinced,  will make a wise decision for change at the next election.  We do not need to put up with self styled "gods". Thankfully the power of the ballot box (because the power of the press is so stifled, see blog "Independent News Media?"  of  20th April 2010) allows us to disavow those who think that they  are "gods" of that idea.  It is this myth about Caruana that needs to be shattered at the next election.  Anyone else cannot be any worse and guess what!  4 years later the electorate can chuck out that new lot, were they also to grow too big for their boots.

Let us consider one or two issues that help to bust the "Caruana deity myth" (in addition to the age of consent fracas of Caruana's making, which does so, so admirably and is already the subject matter of earlier blogs) .

We all know what has been spent on the theatre that never was or will be: the Theatre Royal. Did he not for one moment think how the world has changed since the original theatre was built?  At that time, performers, sets, equipment, musical instruments were likely delivered by mule and ox drawn cart.  That all this now gets delivered by travelling companies in articulated lorries that cannot navigate the road to the Theatre Royal site seems to have been one fact that was never considered by Caruana or his ministers; or was it just that the concrete mixer lorries could not get there, so it could not be built economically? Thankfully (for small mercies) that mistake cost a few million pounds but, what about the tens of millions spent on the new Air Terminal?

Caruana has justified this expenditure on the ground that it is an investment for the future, for 50 years, he says.  Not only god but now Nostradamus? Lets see, consider, for a moment, what form of transport was in general use  in 1910 in this part of the world, mule and ox drawn carts perhaps, and how the world of transport, especially air transport, changed  in 50 years from 1910? Having done so, give a moments thought to what the main form of transport might be in 50 years time, will it be air travel and will Gibraltar be a suitable hub for it? Possibly, but there again the changes between now and 2060 might be as great or greater than those that took place between 1910 and 1960.

Of course we needed a new air terminal but did it have to be so big and expensive without there being use for it now or in the foreseeable future?  Could the future not have been catered for by planning for a second and even a third phase?  Or is its size down to the air terminal being a political sop to Spain?  Is it that the size of the air terminal was dictated, not by need,  but by the political desire to have it adjoining the border fence in order that Spain could attach its own terminal to it ? Now that there are no flights to Madrid, will Spain build one at all, certainly Spain has yet to lay a brick?

A god or something else ... a comedian to perform in the non-existent theatre maybe, or perhaps we could convert part of the new Air Terminal into a joint use theatre? Certainly he spends our money now for the benefit of our grand and great grand children whilst more worthwhile and immediate social needs go unfunded, like housing for the Moroccan community and social services generally.