Testimonials for
Ramón Garcia
Mayor of Ribera de Arriba (Spain)

The winner and runner-ups of World Mayor 2014 will be chosen based on the number of nominations in relation to the size of their cities and, more importantly, on the persuasiveness and conviction of testimonials received during this year's World Mayor Project. Below we publish a selection of comments received to date about WM nominee Ramón Garcia, Mayor of Ribera de Arriba, Spain.

Testimonials:
Comment: Ten years ago, José Ramón began a legal fight against the power station leading into their village since 1962 because he felt that it was not paying the taxes that are the responsibility under the law.

This caused him to have to face a number of problems:
• The power plant threatened to go elsewhere.
• Part of the town turned against him by the potential loss of jobs.
• He received threats and pressure from entrepreneurs in the area.
• He received pressure from the president of his own party (PSOE) in Asturias to paralyze demand.
• They threatened to take the planning powers of the municipality.
• They tried to buy him, offering his daughter a position of important work, but he said no.

The pressure caused him anxiety, not sleeping at night, until one day he had a hint of a heart attack. The doctor told him that his body had enough and told him that he should take a medical leave to recover. But if he ignored the doctor.

Finally, in 2012, a judge ruled in favor of José Ramón. As a result, the power station was forced to pay to the municipality more than 6 million euros and 700,000 euros in interest, instead of the initially planned EUR 1,650,000.

Since then, the mayor has invested that money in social policies: telecare for the elderly is free, there are grants for books and scholarships for college, there is financial aid for emergencies, free services to home, etc. In addition, the city council today has economic surplus. (By Francisco d C, Spain)


Comment: José Ramón García Saiz es alcalde de un municipio pequeño muy presionado por importantes intereses económicos. Gracias a su trabajo y tesón, consiguió importantes contrapartidas para sus conciudadanos, sin más armas que las de la ley y las del sentido común. Es un hombre honrado y valiente, un ejemplo a seguir. (By Manuel G R, Spain)


Comment: I have known José Ramón García since Mid 2013. He approached me as a representative of the regional university (I am the director for employability since 2008) because he wanted to put into good use the money that was obtained in his fight with the electric power company located in his municipality. He was seeking for ideas and told me about his fight against the company and the good financial situation of the municipality. He stressed that this money had to be put into good use for the benefit of the municipality. He has no formal university studies, but he is very well supported by his economic and legal advisors, whom he trusts to put into practice solutions for his neighbours. As an example social assistance for the elderly is free in the municipality. He decided to support people studying at the University (wherever this university was) by opening a call to subsidize university fees. And at this moment, he is really committed to set up a scheme to finance entrepreneurs to settle in the municipality in order to create new neighbours and rejuvenate the population. He has invested in very much needed communication infrastructure in a local surrounding that has both an elderly population and is a very geographically dispersed one. Very recently he was interviewed in a Spanish TV programme and you could see the real Mr. García there, without any make up or fake on his person.

In fact, I think Mr García is the kind of local community major, well connected to his neighbours, with no more political ambition than trying to help the local community where he has lived and worked since young and who has fought for the rights of their neighbours despite many pressures not to do so.

Small city mayors, usually are hidden by the small size and resources they do possess but when compared to other mayors in larger cities, these mayors are the politicians one would like to have because they are really committed to their citizens. (By Guillermo P-B, Spain)


Comment: Mantuvo una dura lucha con una empresa eléctrica para que pagara unos impuestos justos. Ganó en instancias judiciales y como consecuencia hubo en el Ayuntamiento un aumento importantísimo de ingresos. Como consecuencia se prestan a la población unos servicios sociales muy importantes que no se podrían lograr sin esos ingresos adicionales conseguidos. (By José M)


Comment: José Ramón Garcíais the best mayor in the world for fighting against the great economic power that damaged our city no matter what the personal impact. (By Carmen M R)


Comment: Por estar durante todos los años dedicados a la política, preocupándose por el interés general y el bien de los ciudadanos de su Ayuntamiento, alentando proyectos que generaron riqueza y manteniendo unas cuentas saneadas incluso en momentos de crisis, de corrupción y de empobrecimiento de valores. José Ramón con su buen hacer, honradez y esfuerzo nos hace pensar, que es el mejor alcalde del mundo 2014. (By Angel Mario S F, Spain)


Comment: I consider José Ramón Garcíais the best mayor in the world for his tireless fight for justice for their neighbors and against large adverse economic powers. (By Raul V Q)


Comment: Buen alcalde y mejor persona. Se merece un reconocimiento público. Siempre mirando por el bienestar del concejo y de sus gentes y eso es de agradecer teniendo en cuenta como está de corrompido todo lo que rodea a la política. La mayoría de los políticos deberían de tomar nota de Jose Ramón y seguramente cambiarían muchas cosas en este mundo. (By Lucia F M)


Comment: Ejemplo de honestidad y honradez, durante todo su mandato. Espejo donde se deberían de mirar la mayoría de los políticos. (By Belarmino F G, Ribera de Arriba)


Comment: La central térmica amenazó con irse a otra localidad.
Parte del pueblo se puso en su contra por la posible pérdida de puestos de trabajo. Recibió amenazas y presiones por parte de empresarios de la zona. Recibió presiones por parte del presidente de su propio partido (PSOE) en Asturias para que paralizara la demanda. Amenazaron con quitarle las competencias urbanísticas de su municipio. Intentaron comprarle „colocando‰ a su hija en un puesto de trabajo importante, pero él dijo que no. (By Hilario P, Spain)

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