Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Espe's Baggage Handlers

You're probably going to think I've been affected by altitude sickness or the sun while I was on the mountains, but I've decided to break new ground for this blog by writing a post in favour of something done by the Comunidad de Madrid. I saw yesterday that our regional government is threatening to take on those airlines that charge for baggage in addition to the cost of the flight. I read somewhere else recently that this practice is probably not legal so it will be interesting to see the outcome. Buying a ticket online with some of these companies is just becoming so complicated as you try to uncheck all the boxes for additional charges which they try to pass on so they can sell "cheap" flights. I can't help being a bit suspicious though, our regional government protecting the consumer against the operation of the free market! Doesn't sound right, there has to be a catch to this somewhere.

They obviously don't have much else to do, Espe's administration has recently decided that spending money on public services is unecessary; instead they are buying a huge amount of space in the press for advertisements telling us how good these services are. No information, no facts of any kind, just that Madrid has wonderful services. We are used to this around election time, but now it seems that autobombo is a permanent state of affairs. When she beheaded the traitors in her government recently, Aguirre invented the cynical explanation that the move formed part of an austerity drive. It now appears that the, probably enormous, salaries saved in this process have been redirected into the only budget that really counts - propaganda.


6 comments:

Colin Davies said...

One of the things I never got round to asking Paul Preston when I had lunch with him last month - did I mention this? - "Was there anything at all that you admired about Franco?" After 850 pages, I still wasn't sure there was anything.

Mutatis mutandis, I'm putting the same question to you . . . There must be something. Even if it's just her legs.

PS Blogger has a box in which you can chose your language. In my case, even though I elected Eng UK, I get a US spell check. Despite my main Google settings as well. But at least Blogger's language is English.

Graeme said...

I think you did forget to mention it - namedropper.

More than admiration, I am in awe of Aguirre's ability to say one thing and do another. I know people will say all politicians ar elike this but she has a certain style in doing it. Anyway, isn't it enough that I (sort of) praise one thing that her administration has done?

Colin Davies said...

She called called me to thank me for flushing out this praise from you. She said she'd quite given up on you. But she probably meant something else. . .

Graeme said...

If things carry on like this Colin, she´ll be taking you for a spin in her helicopter next. That's when you have to be careful, remember what happened to Mariano Rajoy when he went for a ride with Espe.

Colin Davies said...

Yes, the earth certainly moved for him. In direction.

Colin Davies said...

God! In his direction!