Freiburg has to remain affordable – for all citizens of our city

Resolution auf englisch

The worldwide crises of capitalism will also make more people jobless in Freiburg. Micronas enterprise alone has announced to dismiss 460 workers. The city council of Freiburg under the rule of Lord Mayor Salomon has abolished a lot of jobs and intends to abolish more jobs worth about 3 million per year in 2009 and 2010. Hartz IV (a kind of welfare aid) and the fear of financial and social crash and social exclusion have got to the middle of society. LINKE LISTE - Solidarische Stadt (= solidary city) supports the workers’ council’s and the trade union’s efforts to maintain the jobs at Micronas and defeats reduction of jobs within the city council.

The city council has to make and present a critical review of increasing poverty situation in the city (account of poverty and wealth) as well a program fighting poverty together with the trade unions, the Runde Tisch (round table) Harz IV, Wohnen ist Menschenrecht (WiM) (dwelling is a human right) , social unions, social initiatives and city-run facilities. Straightaway the Freiburg Pass has to make it possible that all city-run facilities may be used free of charge, e.g. swimming pools and the various cultural facilities. We demand a Sozialticket (a social ticket) for busses and trams.

LINKE LISTE - Solidarische Stadt meets the challenge to prevent the urban society from further drifting apart, of taking care of the city council in order to prevent the growing partition of rich and poor and of providing all children and youths with equal chances of personal development.

LINKE LISTE – Solidarische Stadt demands all-inclusive refunding of all expenses for teaching and learning material for children of poor families up to graduation and as well as a program of social prevention for all children and youths in Freiburg. Such a chain of social prevention right from start includes nurseries and day-care centres for children, free of charge, the extension of all-day schools providing free lunch for all pupils, social work at schools and qualified mentoring in the afternoon and intensive language improvement for migrant and non-migrant children.

The city council may offer young people a real perspective with more scope of development and social projects instead of prohibition and surveillance.

A vital problem in Freiburg is the issue of rents which are too high. The citizens of Freiburg have to pay an average rent amounting to 43% - very often even more than 50% - of their income. LINKE LISTE - Solidarische Stadt disapproves financing communal programs of the construction new flats and energetic restoration by increasing rents. We also reject the clandestine transfer of the Stadtbau’s (communal housing society) profit to the communal budget. Increasing rents of public housing is out of question for us. On the contrary: LINKE LISTE – Solidarische Stadt demands a clear reduction compared to the rent index customary in place.

Die LINKE LISTE – Solidarische Stadt recects the current rent index and demands a communal program of housing subsidy and the extension of tenants’ participation.
LINKE LISTE – Solidarische Stadt does not only reject selling public housing but also any kind of privatization of public property, especially of the general public service,.

LINKE LISTE – Solidarische Stadt asks the Freiburg city council to develop a concept of a social and environmental urban planning. Not the investors of a construction scheme should determine but the citizens and their municipal council should decide what the city needs. The Beteiligungshaushalt (the participatory budget council) should enable the effective participation of the citizens. Instead of public-opinion polls we want participation starting from the different quarters..

LINKE LISTE – Solidarische Stadt asks for a transparency and public control of decisions concerning the city and of its communal corporations.

The cultural concept developed for years with citizens’ participation is in dire need for funds. This especially applies for areas of culture of the different quarters and the cooperation of different cultures domiciled in Freiburg by now but still neglected up to now. LINKE LISTE – Solidarische Stadt wants to establish a house of cultures in Freiburg in order to use and to further develop the cultural riches in town. District culture must become significant for the cultural policy of the city.

For almost 5 years LINKE LISTE – Solidarische Stadt cooperates in the Unabhängige Listen (UL) (independent lists) fraction with the Kulturliste and the Unabhängigen Frauen (independent women). We intend to continue with and consolidate the cooperation after the communal election after June, 7th, 2009.

Passed by the meeting of members of the
LINKE LISTE – Solidarische Stadt on 08.02.2009