Is it Halloween or April Fool’s Day?

It’s like Christmas has come early for me today. I have been handed facts and figures that state that Al Gore’s visit to Gibraltar (I include Verde and the whole shabbang as one thing) has cost the taxpayer, €200,000... Errrr sorry, what was that... €200,000 to have someone tell us we should be more environmentally friendly... NICE!

Now, once again, I can understand the need to have some entertainment in Gibraltar. A fine Stand-Up comedy act like Al Gore, sorry, I mean an expert in Global warming and profiteering, sorry, someone such as Al Gore coming to Gibraltar is a big deal. I think it may even have made website news outside of Gibraltar for a couple of hours... Put us on the map! Not unlike the Wikipedia scandal, which no one seems to be talking about too much at the moment.

So, a quick recap here... Chrand, a Marbella (<---- that’s in Spain by the way) based company were paid €200,000 euros to organise the event and I’m guessing the appearance fees etc. are included in that. Not sure what the Sponsors’ money went on... and to be fair we don’t know how much sponsorship they donated to such a “worthy” cause either.

Now I have some good friends that went to the event and thoroughly enjoyed listening to the jolly fat man talk. I also have some other friends who feel that the mere thought of paying someone like that to talk is a travesty, especially when the man makes more “green” talking about this than he does making the world green...

Now back to this payment the Government made to a Spanish company... Was there no company in Gibraltar that could have helped and or facilitated this kind of an event? I like the thought that we always try to buy here in Gibraltar before we head out to Spain, except for furniture in my case, there is no Ikea here and well I like my furniture “CHEAP” like the budgie!

In summary, I’m not really making any kind of point here, just a nonsensical rant about the enormous waste of money and, unfortunately, oxygen (when Al talks) that we as taxpayers have spent this year so far on “feel good” events. Jesse J (rumoured to be some £600,000) and now add insult to injury, an additional approximately £166,000 on Al and his merry green men!

That’s nearly £800,000 this year on entertainment style events... What about infrastructure? Where is the E Government we were promised? Why don’t we up the street cleaning budget so that some street corners aren’t covered in dog piss and tobacco wrappers? Like I said, just a bit of a rant... but if you think about it, that’s a lot of OUR taxpayers money going on the feel good factor now, instead of the live well factor later.

Written by Eddie, whilst planting trees and trying to replicate Photosynthesis within his own body!