Sunday, June 3, 2018

Agenda Item Story

We are in the start-up of a political season here in Hessen....with the state election set for 28 October 2018.

I noticed that the Green Party met over the past couple of days and talked about their strategy to sell voters on the 'path ahead'.

Their chief topics in this election?  More emphasis on organic farming, another flat-rate rail ticket (you have the Hessen student ticket up for sale now at 365 Euro for an entire year....where you can go anywhere in Hessen as a student), and more climate goals.  Oddly, they decided they would emphasize cleaner toilets in schools.

Yes, dirty toilets ended up on the Green Party discussion table.

Back fifty years ago, every school had some janitor who'd make the rounds and ensure the whole school building was sanitary and clean.  Most of those jobs disappeared over the years, and contractor teams now appear for an hour at some school to carry out the clean-up task.  Kids, parents, and teachers routinely complain about the sanitary condition of these bathrooms in the schools.

I know....it's an odd thing that a political party has to make this one of their hyped-up agenda items, but that's the way that things have gone in Germany. 

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