Rotterdam: Moroccans compensated for talks with mayor
Moroccans in Rotterdam were paid to meet with mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb.
About 100 to 150 participants got up to 40 euro for meeting with the mayor for about 2.5 hours and talking about their success stories or problems. This happened during five so-called "Moroccan tables" [meetings] in which Aboutaleb mainly listened. Recently Antilleans in Rotterdam got similar expense returns.
The compensation came to light after angry Rotterdam residents saw a letter about it hanging on shop windows and Muslim butchers all over Rotterdam.
The Rotterdam municipality ordered the letter removed immediately from shop windows. "Those people are giving up two and a half to three hours of their time to speak with the mayor. It's only normal that we compensate them for the trip and parking costs or for the baby-sitter. These are often people who are hard up, therefore it's not so crazy to compensate them for it."
Ronald Sorensen of Leefbaar Rotterdam thinks it's 'too crazy for words'. He says it's idiotic that you get compensation for something which should be your moral duty, namely touching on problematic points in society.
Source: Telegraaf 1, 2 (Dutch)
No comments:
Post a Comment