Tarcísio management will campaign against fake vaccine news – 02/18/2023 – Politics

“I need to say that I miss hitting the hammer”, said the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), during an event last week.

To hit the hammer of concessions and privatizations again, as he did in the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), the governor ordered a focus on studies to privatize state-owned companies such as Emae (Empresa Metropolitana de Águas e Energia) and later Sabesp.

This is one of the ongoing objectives in the first 100 days of the government.

The goal is accompanied by a plan to change actions in Cracolândia, the creation of business coalitions to encourage regional economic development and the preparation of a broad vaccination campaign that will try to combat fake news against immunizers.

Tarcísio was elected with the support of former President Bolsonaro, one of the main disseminators of lies about vaccines, especially during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Bolsonaro himself says he has never been vaccinated against the coronavirus, which is the subject of an investigation by the Lula (PT) administration.

In a note in which it pointed out the first actions, the government cited the sanction of laws such as the one that obliges bars to support women victims of violence and for the free supply of cannabidiol. He also highlighted the resumption of free transport for seniors between 60 and 65 years old and the reduction of ICMS on jet fuel to encourage air transport.

The government also refers to privatizations as “advances in programs and initiatives that will reduce the cost of the service”, indirectly rebutting critics who say that the effect will be the opposite.

The privatization most desired by Tarcísio, of Sabesp, is only expected for the end of next year. The studies, however, are in the immediate plan. The governor’s idea is to sell the company’s shares on the stock exchange, aiming at the example of what was done with Eletrobras.

Although the forecast is for the medium term, the company is already studying layoffs before privatization, as revealed by UOL. The management also paves the way for the privatization of Emae, considered less complex than that of Sabesp.

The main bet in the short term in this area is a legacy of the management of Rodrigo Garcia (PSDB), the auction for the Rodoanel Norte concession, in March.

Tarcísio is also trying to convince the federal government to privatize the port of Santos, an arrangement devised by him as Minister of Infrastructure under Bolsonaro. He had his first meeting with Márcio França, Minister of Ports and Airports, on February 8th. The PT government, however, resists the model.

In Health, the portfolio holder, doctor Eleuses Paiva (PSD), has among the first objectives of the beginning of management to create a mega campaign to increase vaccination rates in the state. The idea involves educational advertisements and combating fake news about vaccines.

“The new generations were born benefiting from the vaccine. They didn’t live in a time when there was no measure against poliomyelitis, for example, they didn’t have contact with colleagues, with people who were paralyzed. When this vaccine came out, everyone rushed to take it” , says Paiva, who wants to combat ideas that vaccines would not be efficient or essential.

The government’s objective is to increase, in the first year, the vaccination coverage of the National Immunization Program to 90%. “São Paulo was already a world example in immunization, with coverage rates of 95%”, he says. “We will spare no efforts and resources for the state to have this broad vaccine coverage again.”

The focus on the vaccine occurs at the same time that Tarcísio, in a nod to Bolsonaristas, sanctioned a law that prohibits the requirement to present proof of vaccination against Covid-19 to access public or private places.

Other urgent health priorities are reducing queues for cancer patients, who, according to Eleuses, should not wait more than 60 days to be treated or operated on, and digital health projects, such as telemedicine.

Health and safety actions for the region of Cracolândia, in the center of São Paulo, were also included in the 100-day plan, although specific dates for the start of assistance programs, for example, are not disclosed.

The project coordinator for the area is Lieutenant Governor Felício Ramuth (PSD), also responsible for dialoguing with the City Hall.

At the end of January, the government of São Paulo announced a series of measures, from the hiring of professionals and the creation of vacancies in therapeutic communities to the forecast of the so-called Therapeutic Justice, an alternative in which a user approached consuming drugs on the street has the option of receiving treatment doctor instead of answering for a criminal offence.

The Education portfolio acts to change the management of teachers at the beginning of the term. According to the portfolio’s executive secretary, Vinicius Neiva, by the end of that period the secretariat will have completed the first selection process for regional leaders – which was previously done through nominations.

In addition, a public notice will be launched to choose professors who will teach their colleagues about the content presented to students, in a process of updating these professionals. “The previous government had the merit of greatly expanding comprehensive education. Now, we are going to focus on the quality of the class”, says Neiva.

The Secretariat for Economic Development, which in the past management was merged with the Secretariat for Science and Technology, prioritizes the creation of business coalitions in the 16 administrative regions of the state.

There will be groups made up of members of public authorities, organized civil society and companies to discuss new projects that strengthen production chains, industry and commerce.

“We have a strong eye on generating employment, income and regional wealth by region and by vocation”, says secretary Jorge Lima, appointed by Tarcísio for the work he developed at the Ministry of Economy under Paulo Guedes, where he worked to reduce the Cost Brazil.

In the economic area, members of the government have also been debating the need to guide tax and administrative reforms – the latter to reduce “state swelling”. The themes must go through Alesp. The main person responsible for coordinating with state deputies will be Gilberto Kassab (PSD), who heads the Government Secretariat.

In agriculture, the focus of secretary Antonio Junqueira Queiroz is to design models to help small and medium-sized rural producers, either with credit or infrastructure.

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See 10 Tarcísio government goals for the beginning of the term

• Education: change the system of management and preparation of teachers, with classes to update professionals and directors chosen through the selection process

• Privatizations: hold the auction for the Rodoanel Norte concession and prepare for the privatization of Emae and Sabesp

• Health: create a large vaccination campaign, aimed at education and combating fake news, to increase the rate of immunizations

• Crackland: change the way of acting in cracolândia with the creation of vacancies in therapeutic communities and hiring specialists in chemical dependency, in addition to the implementation of the so-called therapeutic justice

• Economic development: create business coalitions with government officials to discuss projects to stimulate the regional economy

• Agriculture: support with credit and structure in the field for small and medium rural producers

• Transport: move forward with the implementation of the Baixada Santista VLT and prepare the Intercidades Train concession project

• Collection: move forward with the Investment Partnership Program, which will have a meeting

• modernization: studies to computerize processes, with the development of an electronic information system project and the implementation of a platform for public procurement

• Culture: Opening of Pina Contemporânea to the public, handover of renovation and adaptation works for Casa das Rosas and Museu Afro Brasil