Vice-mayors kneel at the foot of the Holy Cross

As the elections approach, voters are informed about curiosities surrounding the municipal election, especially in Belo Horizonte, despite the lack of a real list of candidates, while in other capitals several of them are already fighting tooth and nail. The population, as proven by research, is mostly unaware of the current names used. Adalberto Dias Ferraz, in 1897, opened the mayor’s office because he was the mayor with the most votes, in an indirect election. All of the first 21 mayors of BH were affiliated with the Minas Gerais Republican Party. Due to current legislation or during authoritarian periods, the ballot box shrank to the point of purging universal suffrage.

In the vast list of 53 mayors, the Barbacense genetics, wise in gaining power from the empire, could not be missing: Antônio Carlos Ribeiro de Andrada. Otacílio Negrão de Lima, brother of the former governor of the extinct Guanabara Francisco Negrão de Lima, administered the city from 1935 to 1938 and from 1947 to 1951, being the first elected mayor. The Alípio de Melo neighborhood, Minas Tênis Clube and the Independência stadium point a finger at him. Between 1969 and 1986, the pen prevailed over the ballot.

A crop of mayors, classified as “bionic”, were nominated by acts in the official press: Oswaldo Pieruccetti, Souza Lima, Luiz Verano, Maurício Campos, Júlio Laender and Hélio Garcia. The vice-mayors of BH, anonymous in the eyes of the electorate and negligible in terms of functions, made interesting history in parallel: Délio Malheiros, Roberto Carvalho, Fernando Pimentel, Fuad Noman, Eduardo Azeredo, Célio de Castro and Paulo Lamac. Second position in the hierarchy of the municipal Executive, after all, what do vice-mayors do if they don’t pray at the foot of the Holy Cross for a long life for the incumbents?

NELORE AND GIR

A cut of the sharpest removed meat from among the products (15) in the basic basket that will suffer complete relief with the new tax reform, such as rice, beans, flour, milk and sugar. Fundamental to the Brazilian domestic dish and coveted animal protein, let’s face it, President Lula himself is the greatest propagator of the delights of picanha with beer.

STANDING OVATION

There are those who preach against the homeless who live on the streets of the capital of Minas Gerais, treating them as human trash. These helpless, despised people, called “rotos” by the writer José Veríssimo (1857-1916), the result of social inequality and made up of miserable and illiterate people, should not be blamed for their own existence. What few know is that these homeless people receive assistance from Brazilian taxpayers that all of us brothers should be proud of. A multidisciplinary team made up of a doctor, nurse, psychologist, social worker and harm reducer, called “Consultório na Rua” (SUS AND PBH), serves these outcasts of society on the sidewalks. Caring for others results in an indescribable feeling of humanity and affection. By way of illustration, following this group of technicians treating a wound, under marquees, would bring any ordinary mortal to tears.

BITTER END

The Brazilian consumer leaves home every day, if not with certainty, with the hope that they will not be left behind. Sweet illusion! A good example: a mobile phone operator (A) charged R$81/month for a basic plan to one of its customers, many years ago; he decided to migrate to another operator (B) for a price of R$54/month; company A then fired its call center at the customer, with a price match proposal; he insisted on portability, although he received a counter-offer of R$29/month for the same service. He insisted on the change, but found himself looking like a clown when he touched up his look in the mirror.

BY THE EDGES

Brazil was once the largest exporter of Brazil nuts in the world. The post went to Bolivia, a member, like Peru, of the Amazonian Hileia, a name given to the Amazon forest by the German and French naturalists, respectively, Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) and Aimé Bonpland (1773-1858). Abroad, the seed is called Brazil nut. The walnut travels to the neighboring country and returns benefited. In negotiations with the Russians and Chinese, Bolivia also outmaneuvered Brazil in terms of lithium production and marketing.

BEETLE

Former president Itamar Franco is laughing in his grave with the announcement that the Chinese factory GWM will be able to produce the electric Beetle in Brazil, once the legal disputes have been resolved. Very similar to the little car that enchanted Brazilians in the 60s, later resurrected by the honor and firm of the Minas Gerais native, Volkswagen went on to relaunch 1,500 copies of the vehicle. The new trucks will come with technological innovations and, depending on the low price, will increase the troubled traffic in large urban centers.

tuning fork

Those who are part of the festivities know the carnival march (1949), written by Paquito and Romeu Gentil: “I’m not leaving here/no one can take me from here/where am I going to live”. The person who sang the song with an air of erudition was the management of the MG Philharmonic, which was involved in a dispute with the state government, Fiemg and Codemig because of the Sala Minas Gerais, among other reasons. Meanwhile, the Palácio das Artes Symphony adjusts the metronome to keep company and not go out of tune with the morning and evening meows of the dozens of cats that inhabit the Municipal Park.

RESISTANCE

In a talk at the Rotary Club, engineer Marcus Salum, head of the SAF at América Mineiro, recognized that the fans’ passion does not find a home in the hearts of the directors of the country’s biggest clubs, as profitability requires professionalism. “The clubs were not responsible for their debts until the market was opened to investors”, he noted. Revenue, he added, comes from the sale of athletes, income from stadiums, certified products, winning titles and image rights. Salum defended the creation of an alternative league to manage the Brazilian championship in an attempt to balance the clubs’ revenues. For him, the sharing of income should be at most three times that of the biggest clubs for the smallest clubs. If the sporting level is not changed, the condemnation to a second category will be eternal.