THE LOOKOUT | The confusion between agricultural fields and golf courses and the “do it yourself” model in Salvaterra de Magos

Camarigue Manuel Serra d’Aire
“Don’t give the fish, teach how to fish”. This Chinese proverb continues to resonate and the Chamber of Salvaterra de Magos seems to be paying attention and practicing this philosophy of life with particular commitment, having adopted the maxim: “If you want a walk outside your house, get to work and take care of the ramp up”. Apparently, the municipality is telling residents who dare to complain about the lack of sidewalks that there is no money for that and that, if they want them, let them do them themselves.
It is a replica of the “do it yourself” model that calls for free initiative, the practice of DIY and literally getting your hands dirty; in this case the mass is a mixture of sand, cement and water and not euro notes. From what I read in O MIRANTE, there are those who don’t like being challenged to bend the spring to take a walk outside their house, which for me is an incomprehensible attitude and even harmful to physical and mental health and well-being, when You know that manual work is a good escape from stress.
Now here is an example of power close to citizens, enhancing the active citizenship that so many people demand. In fact, the Chamber of Salvaterra de Magos, which should be a case study, only has a defect. And this model should be extended to other areas. Do people complain about dirty streets? So, grab your dustpan and broom and try to pick up the rubbish. Are the sidewalks (where they exist) full of weeds and torn up sidewalks? Grab the herbicide and the hammer and put that on an earring. Are the roads potholed? Buy a few loads of gravel and fill in the holes. Or do they want the baby food all made up, just because they pay a few dozen euros a year in IMI?
João Moura Rodrigues, PSD district leader of Santarém and deputy in the Assembly of the Republic, was appointed Secretary of State for Agriculture, as you deservedly highlighted. The news fell in rural areas like a bomb in a china shop or a plague of locusts in a wheat field, because the target was not known to have any particular agricultural aptitude, although he had a degree in Agro-Livestock Engineering. Obviously, the bad tongues of the service, which I don’t include myself, tried to satirize this surprising appointment, saying that someone confused farm fields with golf courses, land where João Moura will be more comfortable.
The truth is that we have had so many ministers and secretaries of State of such high caliber, like the iconic Rui Barreiro that you admire so much, that it won’t hurt the world if João Moura doesn’t know about pruning and has more ability to pick up the bat golf than the handle of a hoe – as long as you don’t start inventing and give it up to reopen the blackbird hunt, as the other did. Especially because there are tutorials on the Internet for everything, which teach both how to sow potatoes and turnips and how to be a ruler in half a dozen lessons. And, if it still doesn’t work, you can ask the previous Minister of Agriculture, the Abrantina Maria do Céu Albuquerque, for explanations, who is now able to find the time to put up with it.
Revolutionary greetings from
Serafim das Neves