gasification
Small-town politics are the same everywhere -- it's all about who you know, or how loud you talk.
Singerei, thanks in part (okay a huge hefty 90% part) to an EU development aid program, is getting gas to heat homes and buildings. Whether this is an advancement in terms of pollution and natural resources, I'm not sure -- but it is definitely easier than the chopping down wood / lugging coal process that is necessary for the sobas (stoves Moldovans use to heat their homes). And it is faster. You cannot turn on the soba to heat your house while you are at work -- it is too dangerous and will burn out without being tended. Gas heat works better when it is cold... and it is cold.
The pipeline bringing the gas to our village has been in place since September. Why, then, does no one have gas? Because no one can decide who will get the gas first.
The past two town council meetings, as well as the emergency meeting declared last week, have led to no results-- only screaming matches (screaming by the way, becomes more interesting the more languages involved -- I counted 4 at the last meeting). Construction keeps starting and stopping, moving, starting again. Holes supposedly for pipes keep getting covered in by dirt, mud and snow. Everyone wants gas before the winter.
But it is winter, already. Today I saw workers return to the original spot where they started installing gas piping in September -- down the main street of our town. The word on the street is that it was settled under the table, so to speak. But who knows for sure.
The mayor threatened to turn off the gas for good if an agreement wasn't accepted by all. Yes, that's right -- just another form of a -- if you all don't behave none of you get desert parenting policy.
maybe he's onto something...
Singerei, thanks in part (okay a huge hefty 90% part) to an EU development aid program, is getting gas to heat homes and buildings. Whether this is an advancement in terms of pollution and natural resources, I'm not sure -- but it is definitely easier than the chopping down wood / lugging coal process that is necessary for the sobas (stoves Moldovans use to heat their homes). And it is faster. You cannot turn on the soba to heat your house while you are at work -- it is too dangerous and will burn out without being tended. Gas heat works better when it is cold... and it is cold.
The pipeline bringing the gas to our village has been in place since September. Why, then, does no one have gas? Because no one can decide who will get the gas first.
The past two town council meetings, as well as the emergency meeting declared last week, have led to no results-- only screaming matches (screaming by the way, becomes more interesting the more languages involved -- I counted 4 at the last meeting). Construction keeps starting and stopping, moving, starting again. Holes supposedly for pipes keep getting covered in by dirt, mud and snow. Everyone wants gas before the winter.
But it is winter, already. Today I saw workers return to the original spot where they started installing gas piping in September -- down the main street of our town. The word on the street is that it was settled under the table, so to speak. But who knows for sure.
The mayor threatened to turn off the gas for good if an agreement wasn't accepted by all. Yes, that's right -- just another form of a -- if you all don't behave none of you get desert parenting policy.
maybe he's onto something...
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 at 2:07 PM.
