Beppe Grillo's Blog

5 star towns

I can see just one possibility. To claim back our natural rights. Of the territory, of water, of the air, of the light, of health, of transport, of the environment. All stuff that is ours but that has been taken away from us by the parties. Start again from the towns. The parties are anachronistic. Finished and auto referential. Far from Vicenza and the Val di Susa. Far from the citizens with election laws, amnesties, conflict of interests, all ad hoc. They are in a separate world. A club that reads the newspapers and goes on TV. That thinks about Lebanon and Afghanistan. About the GDP, but not about pensions. About work but not about precarious workers. Things that have already been said, about which the national consensus is by now absolute. The parties are of the past. Romero’s Zombies hunting for voters.
Choose civic lists in every town. A programme that you take care of, your children, the future. Don’t let even one decision be taken without consulting you. And be clear about this point, hard, intransigent, with the mayors and the councillors. Your employees. Whoever disobeys the rule, out with a kick up the backside.
Today the blog is starting up the initiative “5 star towns”. A star for energy, one for connectivity, one for water, one for rubbish collection and one for social services.
For each star, the blog will put forward some real models.

I invite the mayors to tell me about their stars.

Who would not wish to live in a 5 star town?
In the blog I will give visibility to the best towns and before the end of the year I will publish the “Grillo Guide to the Towns”.
Better than the Michelin.

Comments

Hello, Beppe:

This sounds like an interesting idea. This could prove interesting for several reasons. First, you have asked for volunteers. People who respond to this idea will work toward their goals because they want to. Second, you have identified a 5 units of measure which can be measured and verified. I think there could still be some refinement in these but you have made a good start. Third, you have challenged the people on a scale small enough that the efforts could expect to be seen and noticed.

Everywhere in the world there are towns that shine like stars in the midst of towns that do not. It may not be very difficult to turn many of your towns into stars when even a few dedicated individuals go to work on the problems.

Best of wishes for the "Stars" in Italy.

Posted by: charlie willey | January 27, 2007 11:33 PM

How can we make it Beppe ...????
Civic lists ...People like me, mothers full time of course have a strong experience, raising kids in this world means being ready to fight, the eyes open wide to understand what is going on. Raising the new generation is the best job. But of course we are very busy , it is an underground work, made day by day, we cannot afford to waste our time and you need a lot of experience about public administration if you really want make it .
I would like to signal this Beyond primetime February 5-6 Time Warner Center New York (Aspen Institute , Commonsense ) they are tryng to put the attention on the fact that Media is a Public Health Issue , of course here the problem is already bigger .

Posted by: giuliana capo | January 27, 2007 06:14 PM

Bravissimo Beppe!

I've tried for four years to get the so-called progressives in a town in Le Marche to lead a movement for local self-reliance and sustainability, but they are too busy with their artsi fartsi and chats in the piazza. Would you like to see a one-page proposal I wrote to this effect? I'd be happy to send it to you.

Cordiali saluti-- Ray

Posted by: Ray Reece | January 26, 2007 11:54 PM

Beppe!

I'm waiting to see this guide!

Let's see who is good and who stinks!

Posted by: Giovanni Principe | January 26, 2007 09:36 PM

Well, i actually remember that the ozzi gov. wanted to change the already difficult procedures to enter the Australia as an immigrant!!!!
Check out the AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIAN WEBSITE .
Ta

Posted by: Maria Consuelo Spera | January 26, 2007 06:58 PM

It's the quality of life that's important for the average person. Unfortunately our illustrious politicians don't take that into account. Instead of taking the worst examples from the rest of the world they should be looking at the best examples and trying to imitate them in Italy. I recently read the following article http://www.focus-australia.it/Australia_Sociale.html and wondered why in Italy we can't have the same quality and level of organisation.

Posted by: Banjo Patterson | January 26, 2007 06:26 PM