Doria cuts 20% of sports funding and education will not be able to complete CEUs (Unified Educational Centers).

Rodrigo Gomes, Rede Brasil Atual - The administration of São Paulo's mayor, João Doria (PSDB), has proposed a 20% reduction in the budget of the Municipal Secretariat of Sports, Leisure and Recreation for 2018. The current R$ 276 million, of which R$ 107,9 million has been spent, will be reduced to R$ 209 million in 2018. Meanwhile, the Municipal Secretariat of Education will see a 6% increase in its budget, rising from R$ 10,9 billion to R$ 11,6 billion. However, only R$ 1,4 million is being allocated for the completion of eight Unified Educational Centers (CEUs), whose construction began during Fernando Haddad's (PT) administration.

Both areas had their budgets discussed today (6) in a joint public hearing at the São Paulo City Council. The main concerns presented by the population, in sports, were the state of abandonment of municipal sports centers and the reduction of the City Games, which until last year took place throughout the city and this year were restricted to activities at the Pacaembu Stadium. In education, the lack of clarity about adjustments in the transfer to partner entities and cuts in the continuing education program for teachers were the main issues. In both, councilors criticized the lack of clarity in the data.

The low execution of the Sports budget is one of the main problems. Of the budget allocated for the renovation of nine Community Sports Centers (CDC), which serve children and young people in the outskirts of the city with sports activities, nothing has been spent. The same is true for other more specific renovations. Several events such as skateboarding championships, races, rugby festivals, basketball, Muay Thai, and long jump competitions have also not taken place.

For José Bezerra, representative of the CDC Jardim dos Manacás, in the southern part of the city, the facilities have been forgotten by the public authorities. “The CDC Jurubatuba, in that region, is closed. We haven't received any investment from the secretariat. We manage to survive day-to-day with volunteer events. But there's no way to fix up the spaces; it's impossible to live off volunteering. The secretariat is like a surrogate mother: it makes the baby and then says, 'here you go, figure it out',” he criticized.

The Secretary of Sports, Jorge Damião, justified the budget reduction as an adjustment to reality. “The budgeted amount is always higher than what is actually spent. And in this sense, there is consistency in the amount spent, year after year. In the previous administration, there was an increase in the budgeted amount, but the actual spending remained the same. This will be a budget within the realm of possibility, distributing the actions where they are most needed,” he stated.

Education

“There is a very serious lack of detail in the actions and allocation of funds. The evolution of the budget does not seem compatible with the expenses of this department in the coming years, especially considering agreements on salary adjustments for the professional staff,” emphasized councilman Cláudio Fonseca. The councilman also questioned where the funds from privatizations to be allocated to the department, approximately R$ 300 million, will be included. “R$ 1,4 million to complete the CEUs is only enough to pay for the administration of the works,” he added.

According to Alberto Henrique, a member of the Jaraguá Residents' Association, the affiliated daycare centers need an adjustment in the funding from the government to cover the 2,8% salary increase for teachers. "We meet 85% of the demand, but we're not getting an increase in the per capita funding. It's a disgrace. Where are we going to get the money to pay for this?" he questioned.

The absence of the Secretary of Education, Alexandre Schneider, made it difficult to obtain more objective answers. This was heavily criticized as a disrespect to the council. In his place, the Deputy Secretary, Daniel Funcia, attended. He explained that, of the R$ 98 million planned for investment in 2018, 91% will be allocated to creating new places in daycare centers. The Doria administration promised to eliminate the daycare waiting list by March of next year and create 85 places by 2020.

The next public hearings on the budget will address: Human Rights, Social Assistance and Labor and Entrepreneurship, next Thursday (9), from 10 am to 14 pm; Housing and Cohab, Green and Environment, on the 14th; and the last general hearing, on the 17th. Last week, cultural workers demanded that the department maintain, at least, the same budget as this year. The Doria administration wants to reduce it by 16%..