Feed support for the Viennese Fiaker horses in connection with the COVID-19 crisis
Vienna (OTS / RK) – GRin Yvonne Rychly (SPÖ) stated that Vienna was “the cultural, political and economic center of the country” and in normal times a popular destination for city travelers from all over the world. For many tourists, a carriage ride is “a high point, which for many guests is part of Vienna”. The aid package put together with the Vienna Chamber of Commerce includes 250 euros per month per horse. “Nowhere do the horses look better than in Vienna, nowhere is there a stricter animal protection law than in Austria,” Rychly quoted a Viennese fiaker in conclusion.
GRin Julia Klika, BEd (ÖVP) praised the animal welfare referendum and found the number of declarations of support for it “considerable”. Many of the concerns of the animal protection referendum can already be found in the Federal Government’s program. Nonetheless, the Greens would not agree to the motion brought in because this motion was a “party-political game” for Klika.
GR Ing.Udo Guggenbichler, MSc (FPÖ) remarked that the Greens are “responsible for animal welfare in the federal government” and therefore the concerns of the animal welfare referendum can be implemented “very simply” by ordinance by the responsible Minister of Social Affairs, Rudolf Anschober, and that there are no applications in the Vienna City Council.
Amendment of the waste collection tax regulation 2002
GR Ing. Udo Guggenbichler, MSc (FPÖ) said that 100 percent of the sales proceeds from the “48-Tandler” used to go to animal welfare, but now “only a fraction” of it. Guggenbichler applied that the entire proceeds should be made available to animal welfare again, and another application to suspend the Valorization Act.
GR Mag. Manfred Juraczka (ÖVP) announced that he would approve the amendment to the ordinance because it would not result in a “fee increase through the back door”. Juraczka brought in two motions: The Vienna Valorization Act should be reconsidered and suspended, because fee increases would hit the socially weak “massively” in particular; and the employer tax for small and medium-sized enterprises (“The engine of this city”) should also be suspended in 2021. “Mr. City Councilor, surprise us with the fact that you have made a good idea yours,” Juraczka appealed to City Councilor Peter Hanke (SPÖ).
GR Ing.Christian Meidlinger (SPÖ) said that the change to the regulation aims to reduce the number of trips to pick up half-empty rubbish bins in the interests of the environment. The reform is not about an increase in tariffs, but a change, according to Meidlinger. Behind all the fees would be services, Vienna is in the federal state level with the residual waste rate “very good”. On the valorization: Corona-related deferrals of fees had resulted in high underpayments for the city. Meidlinger demanded in the direction of the federal government that the cities and municipalities of Austria should be compensated for the shortfall in income “just as businessmen and women should be compensated for their losses”. Meidlinger submitted the motion that the Vienna City Council should campaign for the increased collection of cans and plastic bottles and a mandatory quota.
GR Markus Gstöttner, MSc (ÖVP) said that circular economy and recycling would find the unreserved support of his group. But it is just as important that politicians set a good example in order to increase the return rate for plastic waste in Vienna. Gstöttner brought in the application to significantly increase the number of delivery points in Vienna.
GRin Dipl.-Ing. Huem Otero Garcia (Greens) found the problem of the collection rate too complex “to be solved by simply increasing the number of collection points”. The large food corporations in particular are against the deposit system, “the small traders are not allowed to kiss the hand here,” says Otero.
Promotion offer and transfer of income from the local tax to the Vienna Tourist Board
GR Ing.Udo Guggenbichler, MSc (FPÖ) said that the Vienna Tourism Association had so far generated income primarily through local taxes. A “mistake” in the past was that the city only focused on international and not on national tourism. He brought in the proposal to promote national tourism in the future.
GRin Yvonne Rychly (SPÖ) contradicted her previous speaker Guggenbichler from the FPÖ. “Right now, Vienna must not be forgotten internationally, because schoolchildren from the federal states will not be able to replace the turnover from congress tourism,” said Rychly. Vienna has a lot to offer in terms of tourism, from culinary moments of pleasure to guided street experiences. Rychly is looking forward to “when I can again welcome tourists from all over the world to Vienna”.
GR Markus Ornig, MBA (NEOS) also contradicted FPÖ councilor Guggenbichler. Because there is already an initiative that Austrians can stay three times in top Viennese hotels at “very affordable prices”. “This is a great initiative to make Vienna palatable again for guests,” said Ornig.
Increase of an already approved framework amount in the field of music
GR Dr. Josef Mantl, MA (ÖVP) called for “more transparency in the appointment of advisory boards in culture. Because they would make recommendations for subsidy approvals and funding, but it was unclear “who decides what where”. The influence of advisory boards should be controlled. Reasons for funding decisions are often missing, but these are “important” for those involved in culture. Mantl called for a “central office in the city that publishes all the criteria for decision-making and the reasons for the funding agency, for example on the City of Vienna website”. Mantl applied to make the award of cultural funding even more transparent and to develop it further. “Don’t be afraid of transparency”, Mantl concluded his speech to the city government.
GR Petr Baxant, BA (SPÖ) was pleased about “the additional funding for Vienna as a music location”. In contrast to the previous speaker, Baxant has so far not noticed that the arts and culture professionals in Vienna need more transparency when it comes to funding, “but that this topic is probably only a problem of politics”.
GR Dr. Gerhard Schmid (SPÖ) asked for understanding that decisions for funding would be made in a “certain confidential framework”. Publication of rejected applications could “damage the future of artists,” said Schmid.
Funding of literary and drama grants as well as approval for work grants
GRin Mag. Ursula Berner, MA (Greens) will approve the funding, but the twelve grants per division “are not enough”. Because the situation for cultural workers is still unclear due to the pandemic, “Indoor events may not be possible until the end of the year”. Last year there were 2,300 scholarships that secured the economic livelihood of cultural workers. Berner called for “thinking about the entire cultural landscape,” because the promotion of culture bends more and more to neoliberalism due to the constant desire for new things. Resumption of art projects could counteract this and promote more sustainability. Working grants would also be necessary in 2021 in order to preserve art and science and make it possible, said Berner. She submitted the application to enable 3,000 working grants for Viennese cultural workers and scientists in the first half of 2021.
GRin Mag. Nicole Berger-Krotsch (SPÖ) stated that the art funding line will be expanded with the present application. 432,000 euros would be subsidized for 24 people from the fields of literature and drama this year. The offer will be negotiated in 2022, and the areas of theater, dance, performance, media art, film and composition will also be funded next year. The funding will be awarded in January 2022. (cont.) Nic
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