Playground@Landscape

Bärbel Dieckmann: Ich vertrete nach 15 guten Jahren für
Bonn die Überzeugung, dass jetzt der richtige Zeitpunkt
für einen politischen Generationenwechsel ist. Es ist
keine Entscheidung aus persönlichen Gründen, sondern
eine persönliche Entscheidung aus politischen Gründen.
Demokratie verleiht Macht auf Zeit und lebt vom Wech-
Playground@Landscape: How much is
earmarked for Bonn in the economic
stimulus package II?
Bärbel Dieckmann: We will be getting some 47
million Euros. This is our opportunity to increase
investment in Bonn.
P@L: What measures are planned? What
criteria were used when preparing the list?
Bärbel Dieckmann: We applied five criteria
when selecting projects. The projects needed to be
capable of being rapidly implemented and have
a good chance of stimulating Bonn’s economy,
they needed to be new – in other words, not already
budgeted for – they also needed to be
energy-friendly and thus provide for lasting cut
backs in the budget, and they also had to be such that they could continue
to be used over the long term.
P@L: What is the purpose of the ‘municipal economic offensive’
in this context?
Bärbel Dieckmann: We hope that we will be able to increase the rate of
orders that are placed by making the allocation rules less strict, the aim
being to help local and regional enterprises benefit from the stimulus package.
We are already talking with the Chamber of Trade and local trades
people and manufacturers. Our ‘municipal economic offensive’, with
its advisory and information services, is designed to help our local economy
participate in the programme.
P@L: The core sector education will be receiving a very generous
slice of the funds. Why?
Bärbel Dieckmann: There is a good mixture of proposed measures in this
sector; schools, day nurseries, structural renovation and other projects in
all parts of Bonn. As stipulated by the Federal Government, the money
will be divided into two large tranches for investment. The educational
infrastructure will get 26.3 million Euros. We have decided to assign the
larger proportion of the funds here because we are investing in the future.
The remaining 20.6 million Euros will be available for investment in
the rest of our infrastructure. There will even be an extra 3 million Euros
for private-sector schools (of which 2 million Euros is for ‘Ersatzschulen’
– private schools which provide an equivalent education to public-sector
schools), although they will be expected to find 12.5% of this total themselves.
This is equivalent to the percentage that Bonn will have to contribute
towards the economic stimulus package, although we will only
have to actually find the money after 2012.
TOWNHALL
sel. Davon bin ich überzeugt und das muss auch für mich
selbst gelten.
Das Interview führte Thomas R. Müller
(Playground@Landscape)
Fotos: Stadt Bonn, OK
Economic stimulus package II for Bonn
Investments planned for Bonn include a 26.3 million for schools and kindergartens.
An interview with Bonn’s Principal Mayor, Bärbel Dieckmann.
P@L: What projects in the school and
kindergarten sector will be receiving
special backing?
Bärbel Dieckmann: Our list of planned measures
includes:
Care facilities for young children: we plan to
extend the day nurseries in the Gerhard-Hauptmann-Straße
(1 million Euros), Am Sonnenhang
(1.8 million Euros) and Schlesienstraße (1.4 million
Euros) – nearly 9 million Euros will be invested
here in all.
Schools: a new school building to replace the
container classes at the Elsa/Paulus school (1.54
million Euros), extensive renovation of the Friedrich-Ebert
school (1.3 million Euros) and 1.5
million Euros to fund various projects proposed
by parent-teacher associations. So a further 5 million Euros is earmarked
for schools. Another 3.5 million Euros will be used to update the science
facilities at ten schools. We consider this to be an important investment
in our future, particularly in our region where we have a lack of engineers
and scientists. A full list of the planned measures can be found on the
net at www.bonn.de.
P@L: Could you tell us what kind of sums will be made
available for the construction and renovation of playgrounds?
Bärbel Dieckmann: We have already put together a playground requisition
plan. 1 million Euros have already been put aside in our two-year
budget for 2008/2009 for the upkeep and construction of playgrounds.
None of the resources from the stimulus package will be assigned to this
sector.
P@L: : You have significantly contributed towards the
direction Bonn has taken during your term of office.
Why have you decided to step down in the near future?
Bärbel Dieckmann: After 15 years of serving Bonn and its citizens, I have
decided that this is the right time for a change of generations at the political
helm. It is not for personal reasons that I have decided to quit, but
my decision is a result of my personal political beliefs. As far as I am
concerned, any political power can only be temporary in a democratic
system, and it is change that keeps democracy healthy. This is my firm
conviction and so I must necessarily abide by these principles in my own
case.
The interview was conducted by Thomas R. Müller
(Playground@Landscape) /// Fotos: Stadt Bonn, OK
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