Open letter to the Belgrade City Manager
Dear City Manager:I don't know who you have planning your street constuction in the City but I think you need to have a little talk with him or her.
I have seen countless streets and sidewalks in Vračar, Dorćol and Stari Grad that are in perfectly fine shape - without potholes, cracks, buckles, ništa - being dug up and reconstructed - and usually ending up in worse shape than they were before the reconstuction. Meanwhile, there are streets with serious problems (potholes, sections missing) that never receive any repairs - and they are usually just parallel to the street being re-done. I don't pay income tax in Serbia, but I pay VAT through my everyday purchases and I have certainly given enough in parking tickets and towing fees to have earned the right to be angry about how money is being spent on road construction in Belgrade.
I'm all for improving the roads in this town because they certainly need it. The construction at autokomanda is a welcome use of taxpayer funds and the plan for a new bridge to replace the aging Pančevo bridge is a good one. But I'm not in favor of tearing up of perfectly good side streets. It's a complete waste of everyone's time and money.
I am really starting to believe what some of my cynical friends say about how the government just does things so that citizens think they are taking action. Citizens are not stupid (even the ones who barely speak Serbian). We know a waste of resources when we see it.
If I were you, I would review your plans for re-construction of the city's sidestreets. Go visit some of the streets yourself and you'll see that they are in fine condition and whomever is in charge of roads for the city is fooling you into believing that he is really accomplishing something.
And, then, after you realize how much money is being wasted, redirect it to higher transportation priorities. I have a few ideas. Instead of spending money on digging up perfectly good sidewalks and resurfacing streets that don't need it, put the money towards more parking garages. God knows that the entire city is in desperate need of more parking. Better yet, send all the men, money and equipment being wasted on sidestreets over to autokomanda to help them finish the job faster. While you're at it, perhaps you should have a little chat with the head of the roads department about the amount of alcohol being drunk by the construction guys - I think there is a reason that the newly resurfaced roads are worse that the previous ones...
I don't fault you for trying to improve the living conditions in Belgrade, but somehow the priorities for projects has been messed up and I encourage you to step in and fix it!
Brooke - resident of Belgrade
posted by Brooke @ 8:13 AM
8 Comments:
very good brooke. but also some streets are completely torn apart not just to repair its looks but at the same time to fix the water and heating pipes problems. so they do it all together.
but anyway, good point. we need more people like you in this city and everywhere else. cheers!
You should know that most private road construction companies doing the work are owned by the mayor's relatives, friends and campain contributors (Bogdanovićevi kumovi, as we keenly refer to them). In fact, one could trace probably about 80% of city's investments to the same dozen or so companies, all close to the democratic party.
I'm not saying it's bad per se, I'm just saying the democrats are getting filthy rich off of it.
As a soon-to be-architect, and serbian i think i should give you two appropriate serbian words:
- Inkompetencija
- pranje novca
At least some of the time the streets are being dug up are not for reconstruction at all.
Its to fix burst water pipes, to install the cables necessary for cable tv, its to install gas pipes for household use etc. And the problem is of course, those hired to 'relay' the concrete are not required to return the road to its former standard.
But yes I'm sure there are cases of digging up streets for no reason that we can understand as well.
The topic you alluded to about the men reconstructing the streets was one touched upon by B92 last week. Their team 'spied' upon a group of workers at seperate locations in Belgrade. The men arrived and no work was carried out for hours and they had all manner of excuses when confronted about it. B92 then went to the city manager to present him with their report. He was not a happy bunny and lashed out at the TV station.
The city manager Stanojevic actually, (unless he is in foul mood as he was with this report) his door is pretty much open. If you were to request a meeting - perhaps after sending him this / a letter he might give you a reply in person. Of course he might never do the same for an ordinary Serbian citizen but an American... better chance.
I've just scrolled down the page to see that an anon has already mentioned the pipes... oh well.
I know some of you have been asking if Belgrade has any University that teaches on English, well---University of New York Belgrade has recently moved to Serbia too! any interested to study there: www.unyb.edu.yu
good luck.
Dear Brooke,
I am planning to move to Serbia after I get my nurse practitioner's degree. I am learning Russian with the plan to learn Serbian when I get there. There are no Serbs to practice with here in Eugene, and I already started learning Russian. I am also learning Spanish as well, because Im hoping to come back to the United States and open a clinic.
But I'm interested in whether you can bring pets. I have two cats, one I've had since it was little, and another that once belonged to a woman who is now an Orthodox nun.
Do you know what the policy is for pets entering into Serbia from places like the United States?
xenia
Dear Xenspirit3 -
I don't know the precise regulations, but I do know one ex-pat who brought a cat into Serbia and another who brought a dog. So, it is possible...
Maybe you can check with the Serbian Embassy in DC. Someone might be able to tell you what the rules are.
Dear Brooke,
That's great. Serbia needs a bit of American energy and optimism.
A useful word to know is HOHSHTAPLER (German in origin, but very much used in Serbia) -- meaning a "wheeler-dealer," a person trying to take advantage of other people (or of his position).
Good luck, and thank you from all of us who care about BG.
Milica
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