"Grab the brush" could be the Santa Cruz adaptation of the meme with which users on social networks accuse themselves of not working, the famous "grab the shovel."
Claudio Vidal
, governor of
Santa Cruz
and until recently leader of the
oil workers
' union , since mid-January has headed the "School Operation" by which the entire cabinet is obliged to paint educational establishments and has already fired two officials who did not go.
"In mid-January we began to work on accommodating educational establishments. This is the province with the fewest days of classes on average in the last eight to 10 years. Unfortunately, the Kirchner government always had a very negative view of the teaching sector and considered it opposition. Based on this fight between the teacher and Kirchnerism, unfortunately the ones harmed were our children. The average class some years was 70 days, 90 days," Vidal assures Clarín
after
uploading a video to social networks with a roller in hand at a school in Río Gallegos, the provincial capital.
"To this we have to add the lack of maintenance of the school establishments. A lot has to do with corruption, budget items were allocated for maintenance and construction plans for schools, and the truth is that there was no maintenance plan. maintenance because
everything was stolen during all these years
. The works were put out to tender, started, but never finished," says the provincial leader who won against Kirchnerism after 32 years.
Vidal lists that different football clubs, civil associations and even the Argentine Army joined - through an agreement -.
"It is a great pride that our soldiers are accompanying us in this Operation School, as we call it. It is very nice to be able to see on a Saturday that many of the schools in my province have neighbors, representatives of different associations, presidents and board of directors of clubs, unions that joined", stands out at the top of the painting.
Regarding the agreement with the Army, he explained that the soldiers collaborate with the labor force and the province buys the supplies: "The economic situation in our province is critical, and not only because of the national economic condition but also because we had many years of looting and have led our province to have the highest poverty rates. In the provincial capital we have
more than 50% of society that is within the poverty ranges
. My province moves forward with effort, with work, with not depending so much of the State and give a little more strength to the productive sector through the private sector and I understand that that is the way out.
On the other hand, Vidal says that the entire cabinet is obliged to carry out the tasks: "There are localities that have 25 degrees below zero in the winter and many of the schools do not have heating. For the first time in the history of this province we see a "The governor and all the ministers, all the secretaries, undersecretaries and political officials have to come to work on the weekend to paint the schools.
Otherwise I am requesting the resignation to be available to see what we do
."
In the midst of the demand for the teaching incentive from the Government, the governor of Santa Cruz went out to paint schools in his province.
─Have all the officials gone to paint so far?
─They are all complying to the letter.
There are two who have not been accompanied by the secretaries.
A secretary and an undersecretary and we have also requested their resignation.
─Did he kick them out?
─It's what has to happen.
It seems to me that it is the only way for everyone to understand that it is responsibility, first to work.
In my province and in my country we have to recover the work culture.
Many talk about how difficult the economic situation is, which is true, but few understand that to get out of this difficult economic situation we must start producing, understanding that production is the basis of the economy.
If we do not produce with everything we have to extract and produce, we are complicated and we are going against what the world needs.
In turn, he argues that it is
"everyone's responsibility to accommodate educational establishments
. "
"The basis of a society is education and I also believe that in this province the time has come to start doing things well and always seeking the benefit of everyone and not just a few as has been happening until now," he remarks.
This Saturday he posted a video in which he comes down from a ladder that he uses to paint the wall of a school.
With a stain of paint in his hair, he thanks everyone who collaborates and leaves a message for those who criticize him.
Showing a brush to the camera, he states:
"This is simply my recommendation: get to work."
─What do they criticize you for?
─There are people who find it ridiculous that a governor goes out to paint.
I come from a culture of effort, sacrifice, and work.
For me it is a pride to be able to collaborate as one more.
If I can do this on Saturdays and Sundays I will continue doing it.
My origins are as a worker, I worked all my life, I had to be in charge of a union that I rebuilt and which is one of the ones that provides the best benefits to its members.
He built schools, grocery stores, a textile factory, we built a feedlot, a breeding ground, and the largest sports centers in the province.
Everything I ever did in unionism I want to do, improve and overcome today in the government within the provincial State.
I have full confidence that with work and effort we will move forward.
In the midst of the demand for the teaching incentive from the Government, the governor of Santa Cruz went out to paint schools in his province.
On the other hand, Vidal left a message to the Santa Cruz Justice Department: "There is no more stealing in this province. We have made progress in several complaints for mismanagement of public funds. I
hope that the provincial Justice, which has always been closely linked to the "Kirchnerism, act as you have to act and condemn
as you should condemn all those who benefited from the money of the people of Santa Cruz."
The example of the governor of Santa Cruz was taken by another provincial leader.
In Entre Ríos,
Rogelio Frigerio
, from the PRO, also took up the brush to paint schools.
"I'm not ashamed to ask for help, especially with something as important as education," Frigerio remarked in a video in which he asked people to join in the tasks during the next two weekends "in all schools." entrerrianas.
Video
The governor of Entre Ríos spoke of a "crusade for better education."
Teaching parity and Governor Vidal's request to Javier Milei for the teaching incentive
According to the Santa Cruz school year, classes should start on February 29 and being a union member and governor, Vidal referred to joint negotiation.
"There is dialogue, there is a lot of dialogue and that already makes the difference with respect to the previous management. We do not see the teacher as an enemy, we see him as the great possibility we have of educating our children, who are the present and the future that we want to improve in our province. There is a lot of dialogue," says the president.
And he left a request to the government of Javier Milei: "I understand that the situation is difficult, that there is a demand that is totally genuine, that is why I have asked several national ministers to reconsider regarding the teaching incentive. Unfortunately, the economic situation of the province also has to do with corruption and it is going to harm us a lot, so we are not going through the best moment. At least I ask that at the end, the National Government takes us into account and collaborates with us, helps us with the Incentive Teacher".
Weekend and we continue working.
We have little time left until classes start.
And for those who criticize us, my recommendation is to get to work… pic.twitter.com/PEmueK84ak
— ClaudioVidal (@ClaudioVidalSer) February 17, 2024
"In a province where we have an average of 60, 70 days of classes, it is everyone's task and everyone's commitment, provincial and national Executive, to accompany us to recover educational normality for our children," concludes Vidal.