GOOD MORNING President Mattarella, happy Labor Day and welcome to Calabria. His presence here, on the eve of a difficult May Day full of unknowns for the country and the entire world, is a reason for hope and optimism for us at the Quotidiano del Sud. And I believe it is for all the citizens of this Region. Because yours, President, is a visit full of important meanings: it means that on Labor Day, Calabria and its many problems are in your heart and in your mind. But it also means that there are good and beautiful things here that are worth coming to see and celebrate.
Because this is still a day of celebration for everyone. His choice to visit two cutting-edge companies in the world of agriculture such as Gias of Mongrassano (frozen foods) and Assolac/Granarolo of Castrovillari (milk) confirms one of the positive characteristics of Calabria, a region at the forefront of agricultural production attentive to bio and sustainability, capable of making the best use of very advanced technologies.
Because, as President Mattarella sees, Calabria (with all the limitations we will discuss) is full of people and companies capable of projecting themselves forward and with a vision. I think of the futuristic trains that come out of Hitachi in Reggio, Entopan in Catanzaro, Callipo, NTT Data, Rubbettino publisher just to name a few in different sectors. And this looking to the future also derives from the existence of universities in Calabria (Unical in Cosenza, Magna Graecia in Catanzaro and Mediterranea in Reggio) capable of training young people at the highest levels in cutting-edge disciplines. Many of these young people leave, but it is no longer and it is not just a migratory escape: they leave like many other Italian boys and girls who travel the world seeking their fortune. Because they are good and ask for something more from life. Many stay or return and it is up to us to put them in a position to be able to develop ideas and businesses that create and provide jobs in this beautiful land. Of course, here too work is lacking or is often at risk. Here too, work is as precarious as in the rest of the country.
But this generation does not fear precariousness so much (it is used to it and knows how to deal with it) but rather the failures that shatter dreams and destroy existences. Seeing it here allows us to ask those who govern the country to pay attention and regard to these issues. Without neglecting the very difficult issue of accidents and deaths at work. But we who, every day, have to report what happens in the newspaper, feel the obligation to bring at least three other topics to his attention: healthcare, differentiated autonomy and the Strait Bridge.
Healthcare, President Mattarella, is on its last legs in a Calabria that has been trying to tackle it for 14 years through the administration of the system. The mere fact of being placed under a commissioner costs the Calabrians one hundred million more in taxes per year. We know that Commissioner Roberto Occhiuto works hard and doesn’t hold back, but the feeling is that the general system has now settled on the fact that Calabrians go for treatment (when, but not only, the issue is serious) in other regions . This generates an expense of 250 million per year which, every now and then, seems convenient for too many (here and elsewhere) to maintain. From Calabria, Mr. President Mattarella, we can clearly see that our Health Reform, built painstakingly in 1978, is close to collapse. And it is sad to think that if it collapsed or disappeared today, we would not have the political capacity (nor the strength in Parliament) to do it again. And, unfortunately, differentiated autonomy seems to appear as another boulder also and not only on our healthcare system. It is clear to everyone that, if this law passes, the South will no longer be able to hope to bridge the gap with the North of our country.
We know that it is not her we must turn to for this battle. But we wanted to tell you that we will do it (also from an information point of view) and that we hope you will see it favorably. Finally, the question of the Bridge. This newspaper, at present, takes sides neither for nor against. He sees the beauty of the work, the engineering value and the huge investment it brings. But he also sees the environmental impact, listens to the voice of those who want attention and wonders if it’s really worth it. And also listen to the reasoning of those who ask us if a bridge so far away in a region whose road and railway structures and infrastructures are decidedly not up to par makes sense. We will talk about all these pros and cons and we hope that the country, under his prudent guidance, will be able to choose the right thing.
There is no need for us to tell you about our battles against the ‘Ndrangheta and our commitment to perpetuating the memory of thousands who lost their lives at the hands of the gangs and have received neither justice nor compensation. There is no need to tell you that, as far as possible, we want to monitor and safeguard our territory even if and when large wind farms brutalize it, creating a negative energy balance for Calabria which produces a lot of electricity and none it has advantages, indeed, it pays higher bills. There is a need, however, to thank you again for this visit and to assure you of our commitment to free and careful information.
