The concerns and needs of the youth are increasingly growing in an inflationary panorama and with difficulties to emancipate themselves. The mayor of La Laguna and candidate for re-election for the PSOE, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, held a meeting with a group of young people to find out, first-hand, their concerns and proposals for the election on May 28. The ecological transition or actions in the field of housing, sports and employment were some of the topics addressed.
-What would you say to those who vote for the first time in these elections? Why do they have to go vote?
“First of all, because democracy is at stake in the next term. On May 28, the citizens of the municipality are playing to go back or look to the future. We have verified that the municipality needed a change after almost 26 years of the same political color, that it worked with its back to the requests of the population. So I ask all the lagoons and lagoons to go vote next Sunday and to do so for the project that I represent because we have managed to make La Laguna a benchmark for the Canary Islands and a fairer, more egalitarian, more sustainable municipality. and more participatory. I especially ask young people, who must participate and help consolidate the democratic life for which our fathers have fought so hard”.
– Do you think there should be a councilor or councilor who listens and attends to the requests of children and adolescents?
“Not only do we need to have an area that promotes and listens openly and actively to adolescence and childhood, but I believe that, within each of the responsibilities held by a councilor, they must have an open window to feed on the opinions of the youngest. In the end, those of us who are in charge of the administrations are developing projects not only for the present, but also with a vision of the future. If the young person does not identify with the management that is being carried out in the administrations, the work we are doing is of no use to us. We also have to give prominence to the elderly”.
-What actions do you propose from the local level to fight against climate change?
“We were the first municipality in all of Spain to decree a climate emergency in 2019. Over time we have shown that our policies are aimed at energy regeneration, sustainability and decisive support for clean energy. We have promoted the installation of photovoltaic panels in public buildings and we have also worked with energy communities to provide those homes in the most impoverished environment”.
-When will a bike lane in La Laguna?
“The bike lane is already projected. Right now we are working with different experts who have been studying this idea for a long time. For this project we have taken as a point of reference a pioneering city in the implementation of bike lanes such as Seville. Bearing this in mind, we have worked hand in hand with neighborhood and business representatives so that everyone can understand the complexity of the matter. The implementation will be done in a first phase from the Las Mercedes roundabout towards the entrance of Camino de Las Peras, to the University, specifically to the Faculty of Fine Arts”.
-What policies would you address to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere?
“We work to avoid the use of the individual vehicle. With this, what we are trying to do is offer viable alternatives, betting on collective transport. For example, we want to transform the fleet of taxis in La Laguna into a more environmentally friendly model. We are also promoting with the Cabildo the implementation of fully electric buses. Another very ambitious project is to completely eliminate all the environmental impact of the area that supports Anaga. We are talking, therefore, of clear alternatives, such as the La Gorgolana tunnel, and that joins the rest of the alternatives in terms of transport and mobility, such as the extension of Line 1 of the tram from La Trinidad to the Los Rodeos airport. ”.
-What measures are included in your electoral program to facilitate the emancipation of young people?
“We want to create a rental housing bag for young people. At the same time, we are going to create an office to diagnose the situation and the prices of housing, above all, on a rental basis. Likewise, the Council of Ministers has already approved the financial sheet to build 300 social housing in La Cuesta. We also make a firm commitment to modular homes in the northeast region of the municipality, with low-cost rentals that, in no case, would exceed 250 euros for a single-family home. In general, we want our program to allow young people to find an alternative to their life projects”.
-As for sport, do you plan to improve management and facilities or create new ones?
“We have a firm commitment to continue improving the management we have had in this mandate. It must be taken into account that La Laguna is one of the top ten municipalities in all of Spain with the largest number of sports facilities”.