Public sector revenues fell by 17% in 2009, some $30 billion, in line with the drop in sales of Spanish companies.

Private companies have carried out draconian, and previously unthinkable, cost cutting. The same has been done by citizens in their family expense . Logical, either you cut costs or you die. Our rulers, however, continue to spend. They do not make the sacrifices they ask the rest of us to make. Here is an example of sample that has been widely reported in the press, but to which our rulers have turned a deaf ear.

The issue of trusted advisors of the central government amounts to 632. Of these, the president accumulates 430 (will he have time to listen to them all?). Moreover, it increased in 2009. The cost must be around 120 million euros. The issue of senior officials of the central government was 401 in 2009 and will be 461 in 2010. They cost us around 80 million euros. The expense will increase by 7% in 2010. Many of these positions are not civil servants.

Currently, most of the directors general are no longer civil servants with experience in their respective ministries. Do we need 600 advisors when there are 2.3 million civil servants? Isn't work enough to run public administration?
The total number of advisors and senior officials amounts to about 1,000 people and 200 million euros. I know that for the deficit of the public sector (about 120 billion), these 200 million are the parrot's chocolate. And that also many of these high positions are necessary (I am not so clear in the case of advisors). The topic is about exemplarity. And what can be seen is that the individuals in the Government are not willing to make the slightest sacrifice to reduce the expenses paid by all the rest of us. And what I am saying about the advisors and high positions also applies, of course, to the autonomous communities and city councils. The Generalitat spends 30 million in advisors and high positions.

Another button from sample. The Generalitat spent 50 million on 2,500 reports in a year of crisis like 2009 (EXPANSIÓN, 9/12/09). The Barcelona City Council spent 13 million on 1,000 reports (La Vanguardia, 12/11/09). Perhaps some are justified, others are clearly not. And of course, aren't there any civil servants who can make these reports? In times of crisis we have to cut costs no matter what! And maybe this is not the time to make reports. It is the time to work and really tighten the belt. Gentlemen in government, set a good example of austerity and cut expenses.