Nunes’ electoral flag is in the crosshairs of rivals – 02/05/2024 – Power

The mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes (MDB), is betting his chips on the biggest asphalting program in the city’s history to qualify for re-election in 2024. Opponents, however, are working to transform the mayor’s main showcase into his large window.

Federal deputies Guilherme Boulos (PSOL), Tabata Amaral (PSB) and Kim Kataguiri (União Brasil) have explored problems caused by excessive works and, at the same time, delays and quality failures.

Some of these issues arise after inspections by the TCM (Municipal Audit Court), which puts strain on the mayor’s relationship with the court. Currently, there are 245 stretches of road in the process of resurfacing and 664 ready.

By 2024, the government plans to recover 20 million square meters of paving. For this year alone, there is more than R$1.6 billion planned for the allocation of paving and resurfacing of roads, according to data compiled on the city hall website.

The sum reserved for asphalt was exploited, for example, by Nunes’ main rival at the end of last year. Guilherme Boulos went to the east end of the capital to visit a street that did not receive this type of service.

Such as Sheet showed, neighborhoods on the outskirts of the north, east and south zones of São Paulo have the smallest areas resurfaced in the city hall program.

“The mayor of São Paulo is saying that he is carrying out the biggest resurfacing program. Well, he is doing it for the English to see on an avenue that has already been resurfaced two, three times this year”, he stated, showing the precarious situation of the place where he was.

Tabata Amaral, in turn, took advantage of the wave of publishing the playlist of the year on the networks to mock Nunes. In a post about noises that were heard most in the city of São Paulo, one of them was a “jackhammer on site without a tender”.

In another post, she also mentioned the budget for asphalt.

“The moment in which the São Paulo City Council spends more than one billion on asphalt is also the moment in which our city breaks a record for complaints about potholes in the streets. This only proves how our city’s problem is not a lack of money, after all, São Paulo has never had so much cash on hand. The problem is the billions of reais misused”, he wrote.

Tabata mentions data that shows that, with 3,224 registrations from January to August 2023, the city reached the record number of demands in the “hole and paving” category for this period since 2017.

Kim Kataguiri, who does not have a guaranteed candidacy but continues in the pre-campaign rhythm, also harasses Nunes on the subject on the networks. In November, he was on Avenida Santo Amaro, in the south zone, and made a video with the delayed work in the background.

“This work was expected to be completed last month and it was complete chaos as you can see. More than two roads closed, traffic simply cannot be tolerated, causing disruption to the lives of millions of São Paulo residents”, he stated at the time.

In the case of the Santo Amaro project, the deadline was extended by 12 months, for a price 32% more expensive.

The report found, together with campaigns opposing Nunes, that the inconvenience caused by excessive construction, with traffic and noise throughout the city, must be one of the main ammunition against the mayor. In the teams’ assessment, the concentration of works on the eve of the election would also demonstrate the electoral nature of the actions.

In the case of Boulos’ campaign, for example, part of the issues are disclosed by the deputy himself and another, by the profile of the “Movimento Salve São Paulo”, an initiative articulated by PSOL and entities that seeks to hear from citizens their criticisms and suggestions. Some of them even end up guiding the psolist’s criticisms on the networks.

Tabata should also continue exploring the topic, alongside other issues seen as priorities in the campaign, such as security.

Some of the criticism gains weight because it is based on TCM investigations, a body with which Nunes experienced moments of tension throughout her mandate.

A Sheet revealed, for example, that the court pointed out irregularities in the execution of services and the lack of supervision by the São Paulo City Council of the capital’s pothole-filling operation.

The agency has also highlighted problems beyond asphalt, such as the explosion of emergency works, which saw a growth of 10,400% in five years. One of the court’s audits carried out due diligence on 18 works and found overbilling with losses of R$67 million to the treasury and R$39 million in unjustified services.

Whether due to the asphalt or other issues being monitored, the TCM has generated irritation in Nunes.

“The Court of Auditors should first notify us rather than inform the press, because I, for example, don’t know what they are notifying. I think more ideal behavior is missing”, stated the mayor, last November, during an agenda. TCM sessions are usually broadcast online and inspections are published on the court’s website.

The mayor’s recent criticisms occurred after an attempt to approach the councilors, in the desire to inaugurate works before the electoral period and unlock tenders or avoid suspension of notices. In August, he even brought forward to the court the management’s priority projects.

When contacted, Ricardo Nunes management stated that there is no investigation into overpricing in works mentioned and that all TCM questions are responded to by the body within the deadline.

The administration also stated that the hiring follows the law and that “in all cases technical reports are carried out that prove the need for intervention”.

When asked about criticism of the inconvenience caused by the works, the management stated that “the works always take place at night, between 10pm and 6am, so as not to interfere with vehicle traffic and minimize inconvenience to the population as much as possible.”

Management also states that the pothole filling operation is supervised by city hall agents, companies that carry out technological control through sampling and the janitorial management system.

“When any non-conformity is found, the services are redone without payment from the City Hall and the companies are disallowed”, says the administration.