Postimees Digest, Tuesday, February 19
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Postimees.
Editorial: voter in pothole – does the politician care?
For leaders, elected as they may be, our sufferings remain a thing distant. As potholes keep battering cars and family budgets, only a tiny part of the pain reaches the road owner i.e. local government or state.
Laid down by legislation, the condition of roads used for traffic is clear: no holes wider than 20 cm or deeper than 2.5-5 cm (ca 8 and 1-2 inches, respectively) allowed. It is explicitly stated, who’s responsible for this to be the case: road owner. Not the weather, for instance. Nor Father Frost, some other mythical figure or natural phenomenon.
Us having to navigate these huge holes, therefore, is caused by elected politicians – in town or countryside – not setting enough budget money aside for keeping roads fit and/or letting unqualified people build/maintain them. If we don’t demand payment for damage caused, then the talk may ever continue about «every spring» and «poor weather», babbling on and on about, for instance, Helsinki having streets and Finns 80 km south «potato fields» for traffic purposes.
Competition fails to find new head for PPA.
The inspection board charged with finding a new director general for the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) has decided not to nominate any of the three candidates who made it to the second round and to move on with a personal approach instead.
Candidates who made it to the second round were internal ministry deputy chancellor Erkki Koort, PPA deputy director general in charge of law and order maintenance Tarmo Miilits and deputy director general in charge of border guard Tõnu Hunt.
Chairman of the inspection board Leif Kalev said that while the three candidates are no doubt recognized experts in their respective fields, the position of the head of PPA needs to go to an executive who has enough experience and aptitude to head Estonia's largest state agency. The three candidates said they believed their competitors were highly qualified and experienced and that the decision came as a surprise.
Vaher planning more extensive powers for security police.
Minister of Internal Affairs Ken-Marti Vaher said in the Riigikogu that the ministry is planning to give the Security Police Board more extensive powers in combating corruption. The minister said that the agency will have extended powers over institutions that have not been subject to serious supervision so far.
"Primarily I am speaking about commercial associations and societies and perhaps some other types of institutions," the minister said. Vaher also said that the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) will continue to develop independent anti-corruption capacity.
Registration of new electric cars in decline
Last summer, over 30 electric cars a month signed up at Motor Vehicle Registration Centre. Since fall, however, the number has been in rapid decline – until, in January, a single Nissan Leaf was registered.
Jarmo Tuisk, head of the Kredex Electric Mobility Programme (ELMO), admits that in January, the number of applications for grants was low as well. However, he warns against drawing too far-reaching conclusions on dwindling popularity of electric cars. In February, Kredex has received over 20 applications, already.
Estonia to celebrate "freedom solstice".
State institutions and several non-governmental organizations encourage people to celebrate March 27, 2013 as the day beginning from which re-independent Estonia will have existed longer than its original counterpart was allowed to by hoisting national flags and wearing national colors. Several speeches and events have been scheduled for the day.