Mayen. Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote the action alliance “For the Dignity of Our Cities” because the situation in financially weak municipalities is deteriorating dramatically. In their letter, those affected describe to the head of state that they are increasingly being confronted with the question “Why?”
“For the Dignity of Our Cities” is an alliance on local finances, but in exceptional cases the representatives do not use numbers at all. In their letter to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, they report on the everyday consequences of the unfair distribution of finances in Germany and the lack of help for financially weak municipalities. “There is a lack of money everywhere, we are tormented by high levels of old debts, we can hardly finance our mandatory tasks and, despite announcements, the promised help is not coming,” says the letter that the alliance wrote on behalf of its 64 member municipalities from seven federal states . More than 8.5 million people live in these cities and towns.
The senders got into trouble largely through no fault of their own. They are characterized by structural change and therefore suffer today from far above-average social spending and below-average tax revenue. The affected communities have made great efforts in recent years to improve their situation. Current developments (price increases, interest rate increases, collective agreements) are destroying these hard-won successes. All efforts and privations threaten to remain ineffective.
The fact that they find themselves in a futility trap is becoming increasingly clear to representatives of the municipalities. In this context, the word “why” plays a central role: “Why do our streets and schools look like this? Why can’t I get a place in the daycare center? Why do I pay so much in property taxes and fees here? Why do I have to wait so long for an appointment? And, and, and,” reports the action alliance in its letter.
The result is a dangerous loss of trust in the first level of the state and ultimately in the entire system, the letter continues: “We are massively concerned not only by the frightening increase in support for extreme parties, but also for extreme statements. Social peace and basic democratic values in our cities are on very thin ice. From their perspective, people experience that the state levels are failing, as current surveys confirm. Even the trust in those involved on site decreases dramatically.”
“For the Dignity of Cities” has been campaigning for fair financial distribution and a regulation of old federal debts for years with public campaigns and in many discussions in the Federal Chancellery, the Bundestag and the responsible ministries. Despite a corresponding announcement in the coalition agreement, there is currently no proposal from the federal government on this topic. What needs to happen is obvious: “We have to put the cities and municipalities in a position so that they can fulfill their tasks to a reasonable extent. They must be able to secure local public services such as medical care or mobility and to make their contribution to good education and climate protection.”
“It is gratifying that the state of Rhineland-Palatinate is fulfilling its responsibility regarding the old debt problem with its program “Partnership for Debt Relief of Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate (PEK-RP)” and half of the liquidity loans as of December 31, 2020 are in particular highly indebted municipalities. But now it is also the federal government’s turn to follow up on the promises made in the coalition agreement with action,” said Mayor Dirk Meid from Mayen.
That is why the action alliance is now turning to the head of state: “We need your help. Your words are strong signals; your signal to those responsible in the federal government could cut through the Gordian knot that is currently preventing old debts from being helped and adequate funding for municipalities. We ask you for nothing less, so that “the house doesn’t collapse on our heads” and so that we can give answers to the “why” that strengthen the trust of citizens in their communities and our state as a whole.
To the background:
64 municipalities from seven federal states, in which around 8.5 million people live, have come together in the action alliance “For the Dignity of Our Cities”. Members of the action alliance are Bochum, Bottrop, Castrop-Rauxel, Cottbus, Cuxhaven, Dietzenbach, Dinslaken, Dorsten, Dortmund, Duisburg, Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, Essen, Frankenthal, Geestland, Gelsenkirchen, Ginsheim-Gustavsburg, Gladbeck, Hagen, Hamm, Hattingen, Herne, Kaiserslautern, Koblenz, Krefeld, Lahnstein, Leverkusen, Löhne, Ludwigshafen, Lünen, Mainz, Mayen, Mettmann, Moers, Mönchengladbach, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Neuwied, Oberhausen, Obertshausen, Offenbach, Pirmasens, Recklinghausen, Recklinghausen district, Remscheid, Saarbrücken, Salzgitter, Schwerin, Schwerte, Solingen, Trier, Unna district, Voerde, Völklingen, Waldbröl, Waltrop, Werne, Wesel, Wesel district, Witten, Worms, Wülfrath, Wuppertal and Zweibrücken .
“For the dignity of our cities” has nine speakers: Dr. Rico Badenschier, Mayor of the City of Schwerin, Dirk Glaser, Mayor of the City of Hattingen, Burkhard Mast-Weisz, Mayor of the City of Remscheid, Prof. Dr. Uweschneidewind, mayor of the city of Wuppertal, Barbara Meyer, 1st mayor and treasurer of the city of Saarbrücken, Andrea Pospich, treasurer of the city of Cuxhaven, Christoph Gerbersmann, first alderman and city treasurer of the city of Hagen and Martin Murrack, city director and city treasurer of the city of Duisburg.
Press release from the city of Mayen
#Cry #municipalities #lack #money
