The Union of Local Authorities in Israel is continuing to fight against the 2009-10 economic arrangements bill. Tomorrow, it will send a convoy of garbage trucks and pick-ups to Yerushalayim, where they will join a demonstration by heads of local authorities at 9:30 am at the protest tent across the street from the Prime Minister’s Office. At 10:30 a.m., mayors and heads of local authorities will hold a press conference. The local authorities will place placards today on the garbage trucks that will make the protest journey.The Union of Local Authorities said it advises residents to refrain from travelling along main roads tomorrow, in order to avoid traffic jams. “We advise anyone planning to travel abroad tomorrow to stay overnight near Ben Gurion Airport, so as not to miss their flight,” it stated, in a broad hint about sensitive pressure points.
The Union of Local Authorities chairman and Maalot-Tarshiha Mayor Shlomo Buhbot added, “Inconvenience may be caused to Israel’s residents for one day, but we’re saving the local authorities for them, and the local authorities take care of them every day. We will prevent the prime minister’s intentions, which will ultimately raise arnona (local property taxes) paid by all residents, in order to paper over the government’s own failures.
The Union of Local Authorities is protesting the opening of criminal proceedings against several mayors and businessmen, unless they pay salaries on time, and other sanctions. The Union of Local Authorities claims that if the economic arrangements bill is passed as is, local authorities will be forced in the coming months to fire 6,000 employees.
Buhbut says that if the across-the-board cut in ministries’ budgets and the cutbacks in the equalization grants to local authorities are carried out, 80 local authorities will collapse.
The Union of Local Authorities is also demanding that the government and the Water Authority withdraw their plan to levy a drought tax.
{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israe/Globes}
