Hans-herbert hartan (CSU) speaks of a "shop window application", and thomas nowak (SPD) finds it simply "impossible": the chairmen of the two largest factions in the coburg city council yesterday reacted to the motion of their colleague klaus klumpers (odp) by shaking their heads.
Not only had he questioned the city's subsidy for the samba festival – as he did two years ago – and demanded a correct accounting of all the city's services related to the big event. Klumpers wanted all city councillors to return the festival free tickets sent to them – two per councillor – to the organizer, so as not to expose themselves to suspicion of bribery.
"I will keep my cards and also buy more in addition", nowak told the tageblatt yesterday. In his opinion, the committee cannot decide whether the city council members should return their cards: "that is up to each individual."
"More important issues in coburg"
Hans-Herbert hartan has a very similar opinion. In fact, he considers this issue "so banal", that he does not want to comment on it at all. "We have more important things to discuss in the city!" In principle, he only raises the question of where to start and where to stop – with regard to alleged corruptibility: "what if, for example, the mayor is served a beer at a festival that the organizer pays for??"
Nowak and hartan also argue very similarly in the matter of samba subsidies. "The city has a contract with sambaco and it must be honored, stressed the CSU faction leader. In 2014, when the current regulation expires, everything will of course have to be "reviewed" again and, if necessary, it must be renegotiated. "But we can't decide now to get out of a current contract", says hartan – and adds two more remarks: "as chairman of the audit committee, mr. Klumpers had to know that, too!" And: "we're not in the EU, where people are always breaking treaties because of!" Sambaco finally needs planning certainty.
"Yes", nowak also emphasizes that "when the contract with sambaco expires next year, there will have to be a new discussion." But not now. He also questions whether the city's advertising subsidy for the samba festival is justified: "I can't do more for tourism than to bring 200,000 people to the city on a weekend.000 people to the city on a weekend!"