LOCAL: NEW CUTS IN ANTICIPATION OF FEDERALISM
by Cesare CAVA
The corrective action approved by Parliament by a vote of confidence, he finally ended
to repeated conflicts between the various levels of government in the country.
In recent weeks we have witnessed a well will have readings of the effects of maneuver, to disperse the paternity
see where he showed the evident unsustainability.
several times in front of the objective impossibility to download the "correction of accounts
institutional levels further away from the centralized state, but closer to the communities and citizens, the answer
simplest and most popular was:" compels us to Europe. "
This answer has often been used in the face of multiple complaints received by the regions, from
provinces, municipalities, but especially from all the territories regardless of the local political coalition
called to administer the various institutions.
The questions are, in fact, many are left unanswered:
1) Europe asked for an adjustment of accounts public, but who has established the distribution of sacrifices
between state and local governments;
2) as a logical sense to attribute to a policy of indiscriminate cuts, affecting in equal measure
local authorities mismanaged and virtuous;
3) what benefits are allocated to municipalities that have maintained a low taxation and
provided quality services, being forced to reduce the quantity and quality of services
not having autonomy on taxation, still suspended by the Government;
4) compliance with the Stability Pact achieved with great sacrifices by almost all
Italian Municipalities, it is also certified in the management of government expenditure;
5) the indiscriminate felling of resources to local governments, the block of
staff turnover, the freezing of collective bargaining agreements, the halving of the costs
for training, the reduction in the emoluments of the staff, emptying
content of the role of small common, centralized attack on local welfare.
Europe has called for a corrective action of public finances, but left, of course,
each national government can operate independently, with serious and effective choices.
The Italian choice is the simplest and the most demagogic;
avoid increasing the tax burden and reduce the resources to local authorities, moving on themselves the unwelcome role of
spending cuts.
This choice, although simplistic, would be meaningless if you do not know the destination of
public expenditure by local authorities.
In this connection it may be recalled that on average about 60% of the budget of municipalities,
is intended to pay the mortgage repayments, the cost of personnel and operating costs
inescapable.
is therefore clear that these can not be reduced by decree, but must be seriously analyzed
to identify and punish cases of mismanagement, avoiding
a rough generalization.
It is clear therefore that about 60% of the budget not be reduced, the remaining 40% of local expenditure
, but must be examined with particular care, taking into account the individual entries
and what are the social groups who will benefit.
Who knows the local authorities, acting director, employee or citizen,
is aware that in many situations, the Mayor and the City are levels of institutional proximity, the nearest and
normally, the only reachable by a community.
You choose the Common, often in the dining hall, on various themes:
- housing allocation;
- League nurseries;
- social tariffs for canteens and school bus;
- integration of rent;
- assistance in cases of poverty;
- road maintenance;
- care for the elderly;
- social integration and immigration;
- and non-profit associations;
- health care and public health.
Over the years, municipalities have also become central, not local expertise on issues such as
issues of work, temporary employment, security, control of territory.
These are the issues on which this corrective action occurs, affecting those using
services and interventions by local authorities, further accentuating social differences between those who can afford to replace
the contraction of public services with private services
payment and who does not have this option economically.
are therefore most vulnerable social groups, employees, retirees, temporary workers, the elderly, the evictions,
large families with children, young unemployed, to pay the price of a local public presence
increasingly marginal and incapable to meet the minimum requirements of social coexistence
. It is therefore laughable
demagogic and the idea of \u200b\u200btransferring to the collective, that the maneuver
fighting waste, blue car and attendance fees, the feeling is that these issues have the
order to shift the focus from the awareness that the costs affect the operation of new
those who would have greater need help.
fragmented analysis of the operation, shows a constant presence of "indiscriminate cuts in spending
" of any type, regardless of whether it's social expenditure, productive expenditure or expense
investment.
The choice of generalization affects all local economies are many, in fact, even the
small and medium-sized enterprises and, indirectly, will be affected on their balance sheets, already hit by
international economic crisis and the credit squeeze by banks.
We're talking about businessmen, traders and craftsmen, which will be reduced opportunities
work with the government, in the service sector, the supply of goods,
maintenance. Cut
resources to local authorities therefore has a multiplier effect: municipalities, consumers, businesses, employees
. In this context
recessive locally, the request for help and social support of current and new
of poverty, can only grow with new requests for a local welfare,
heavily affected by government decisions.
There were other alternatives, of course, but to give serious implementation
needed a wisdom and a great gift of courage that no one can see the choices of Parliament.
E 'paradoxical fact that while announcing decrees on the implementation of fiscal federalism, it destroys the autonomy
Local financial institutions, depriving them of resources, representation and institutional
dignity.
The relationship between central state and local governments, is often devoid of mutual respect and sometimes
characterized by a distrust in local government, which reveals the bitterness
demonstrated little confidence.
alternatives exist, said.
In our small, Legautonomie had indicated some possible interventions that, with wisdom and courage
, could be made by the government, we are talking about the month of June 2009:
"Fiscal Federalism - Interview with Cesare Cava Legautonomie Secretary of Tuscany.
remind readers that Dr. Cesar works quarry for many years with the SPI CGIL side
inherent in the training of local fiscal policy of local taxation in particular. E '
author of the recent leadership training on local taxation published by SPI CGIL "Finance and
local bargaining," is also currently preparing a guide - always for the formation of Spi
- dedicated to the reading of the municipal budget with a focus on the social side. Cesare
Cava is one of the speakers at the national workshop that will review the SPI CGIL
fiscal federalism in light of the Enabling Act 42/09 of implementation of Article 119 of the Constitution, the
seminar will be held June 23 at the Spi CGIL national .
The interview is taken from the site Legautonomie www.legautonomie.it.
Where do we stand with the Fiscal Federalism? The proposals come from the Parliament as the
appear?
The approval of the enabling law on fiscal federalism, it is certainly an important step that shows
local autonomy at the heart of the Italian institutional landscape.
The parliamentary debate has improved the original text submitted by the Government, but the law
proxy must be filled with content which allows to give a concrete and understandable
implementation of Title V of the Constitution. Fiscal federalism is clearly an instrument which, if managed
evil threatens to split the country, emphasizing diversity economic and social links between different areas.
The principle is to be pursued rather than supportive of federalism, in the framework of strong
national unity can bring the link between local taxation and local investment,
giving the citizen "and user taxpayer" to investigate the cost - benefit
the management of local and choose through the electoral preference, if
reward or penalize the mayor and the coalition that has governed its own municipality.
Fiscal Federalism also means more confidence in local administrators, who are living the
direct contact with citizens, have the ability to respond more effectively and speed,
of the State, the needs of the people, placing greater emphasis on social groups most vulnerable
, avoiding social exclusion of new poverty.
E 'then welcomed the start of fiscal federalism, even after huge delays, but the content
real and concrete are all to be defined.
Municipalities are facing a hard reality and a precarious balance:
continuing cuts in government transfers, which blocked Decreto Tremonti rates and rates of taxes, ICI
exemption for primary residence, the Stability Pact. Given his vast experience and knowledge of local taxation
, what advice would you give to the municipalities? What, She
second, the right way forward?
The choice of the Government to suspend the fiscal autonomy of local authorities is, objectively,
incomprehensible and even a potential source of institutional litigation, because action
state appears as a blatant invasion of the field, the tasks and functions assigned to
local authorities in our Constitution. Moreover, the block tariff favors common
past years have brought the rates and tariffs to the highest level and, ironically, the most virtuous
penalizes municipalities that have maintained a modest tax burden. A common fact that
had approved the additional income tax to 0.5%, compared to another that the municipality had set
additional 0.1% will be facilitated by the blockade of the charges. Another Italian anomaly
ICI regards the exemption of the primary residence, in my opinion
the exemption should not cover all primary homeowners, but only
owners of one house. The current exemption in fact promotes social groups more rightly
weak, but also those who have the first of five home and that, through mechanisms fictitious
pretend the right to free loan to relatives, even obtaining an exemption on
second and third home. This mechanism results in fewer resources to local authorities, because the government's commitment to
return to local authorities the full child tax revenue has not been fulfilled and,
as a result, a lower provision of public services to the social groups most in need.
If we wanted to exaggerate, we could say that for every second or third house that does not pay the ICI, we risk seeing
eliminate a place in municipal day-care or addition to the rent.
In this framework, pending the state has regained its rightful confidence in local government,
restoring their right and duty to deal with fairness and common sense, local taxation, municipalities
should continue in the recovery of tax evasion, bringing out that still evades the payment
ICI, the tax Waste of the advertising of employment tax
public land. Recover tax evasion and broaden the tax base, is a measure of seriousness
administrative and fiscal equity to which nobody should ignore. About ICI
exemption for primary residence, would not have been simpler and less cumbersome
provide, for example, an income tax deduction instead of an exemption ICI
with consequent impact on municipal budgets?
Of course this solution, however, supported by the association of local governments, municipalities would
guaranteed the same tax revenue and would allow taxpayers to deduct the tax paid in their
tax return, as now happens for medical expenses
or interest expense of first home mortgage.
Clearly the choice of the exemption took effect a stronger media and someone
preferred to follow the instinct rather than reason.
For years we hear the passage of the Land Registry to the municipalities "or passage of
land management functions of the Agency of the City Territory. Although in recent years have increased
data interchange services between municipalities and Land Agency,
this passage seems to be an endless process and implementation of concrete away. What do you think?
The passage of the land to the municipalities is a reform that, and between much resistance will continue because it is
the natural evolution of the tax base of real estate taxation, fiscal federalism in the draft
is totally delegated to local authorities.
The land to the municipalities will eventually combine all the information pertaining to property,
the building permit at the end of its work up the adjustment of income and category
register, the issuance of building amnesties, to recordings of real estate cadastre
healed with the building amnesty.
Property Taxation will be the most significant component of municipal resources and, in this regard
, offices and tax revenue of municipalities should already enable
databases that are linked to objects and not subjects, the objects are static, while those tax
is moving and is easier to identify the proceeds from a property owner who
the same building, which residenza.Il sell or change the path of reform of the land is slowly and
party late, but the process is now unstoppable thanks to the new
computing methodologies that facilitate dialogue between the technical departments.
..... The fiscal federalism reform to be a "friend" of the citizens, will also compete with
these issues and make life easier for taxpayers. "
After more than a year, the budget that is presented does not introduce new concepts:
federalism, fiscal autonomy, self regulation, land management, real estate tax only on
, support the fight against tax evasion, reform of compulsory collection.
The issue of resources is actually declassified and the choice of the government only focuses on cuts,
without realizing that in the absence of new resources resulting from the fight against tax evasion, the public presence
is condemned to be ever more marginal and incapable
to ensure equal social opportunities to new generations.
Let's see a summary of the major corrective actions that affect local,
approved by the Decree 78/2010 into law.
Prohibition of companies for small municipalities
This rule requires "small towns" to get out of the society in which they are present,
forcing them to sell their shares or to wind up their companies.
The novelty seems to be very detrimental to the municipalities that faced the obligation to liquidate or sell their shares
, risk being reduced the bargaining power with respect to a possible
negotiations for the sale of shares to third parties.
Moreover, the threshold definition of "small towns", normally found in 5,000 inhabitants,
be raised to 30,000.
There are some exceptions that each institution may consider, but certainly this provision
result, decisions sometimes without logic or economic advantage. Reduced spending on outside assignments
conferences, publications and representation
E 'will be a heavy cutting 80% of annual expenditure for studies and consultancies,
conventions, advertising, representation, exhibitions, also conferred on public employees, compared to
sustained in 2009.
This is a general reduction that, in hitting advice or external mandates or unnecessary
patronage, in fact, tends to wipe out the use of high professionalism,
not exist within local authorities also due to lack of turnover.
should be assessed the direct and indirect relations consulting and collaboration
course, both with respect to relationships with individuals, both with respect to projects and assignments
enabled. Reducing spending on training
cuts for staff training, a decrease of 50% of expenditure
in 2009.
The reduction, as before, will take effect from 2011.
equity investments at a loss is excluded the possibility of increases in capital transfers or extraordinary losses
shelf company, which closed the scene for the last three financial years. I'm still
excluding transfers service contracts or otherwise essential for the
conducting services of public interest. Stop
Local sponsorship will not allocate money for their budgets, sponsorship of events or initiatives
. Auto
blue and missions
reduction of planned spending for 2011 for car service and institutional missions.
margins decline in spending, providing a reduction of 20% of expenditure in 2009 for
direct and indirect costs of cars and 50% of expenditure, also in 2009, for
missions.
Coins and allowance of
The move puts the spotlight once again, the token of presence, eliminating the possibility of
replace it, with the compensation function.
The amount of attendance fees accrued in the month, the allowance may not exceed fifth
provided for the Mayor or the President of the province.
Excluding the compensation to the directors of the mountain communities and associations of municipalities.
the phase-in allowances for local administrators, who already hold parliamentary duties
national or European. Expected
rationalization and reduction relative to the travel expenses and reimbursement of travel expenses
of directors, eliminating the concept of flat-rate reimbursement
all-inclusive. Agency Secretaries
Many institutions deemed unnecessary or useless, are removed with corrective action, including
is provided for the abolition of the Agency for the autonomous management of municipal secretaries and provincial
.
Small and managed associated
The purpose of the rule is to promote the joint management of key functions, institutions
up to 5,000 inhabitants.
The implementation phase of the conventions and modes of operation, will be subject to
special decree to be issued within 90 days after the entry into force of Law
122/2010.
Management and staff costs
Multiple interventions in the personnel costs, with the clear objective of reducing the cost to the
2011-2013.
Expected blocking three-year 2010-2012, the collective agreement to work with any decentralized
integration of fixed and variable.
reductions of between 5 and 10% in the emoluments of civil servants, with gross values \u200b\u200b
exceeding € 90,000 per year.
All these innovations, we must add the cuts to transfer national, the law already programmed into the three-year financial
approval of the Government in office.
The sum of the unsustainable and indiscriminate reduction of transfers contraction
spending could make it ungovernable 2011 budgets of local authorities.
E ', in fact, objectively impossible, considering that local authorities may approach the end of
deadline for the approval of the 2011 budgets, with no certainty of income and with so many
constraints on spending.
The concern that must be dissipated in the coming autumn, is that there is a "project
financial receivership" of local authorities, although many agitate the issue with demagoguery
of fiscal federalism.
We would like to achieving full implementation of fiscal federalism, but we would like the municipalities
we arrived alive and not institutionally marginalized by centralizing self choices.
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