Ural & the regression of Western Europe...

[davide]

As several European nations struggle to keep bankrupcy at bay cutting budgets and reducing overhead in state funded programs, one of the latest news out of Umbria (a region of Italy very close to Tuscany and well known to be one of the cradles of Italian modern civilization) is that the local government no longer has the funds to maintain paved county roads.

As a result, the entraprenurial mayor of the main city (Perugia) announced a plan to return to gravel and promptly ditched his official "Blue" car (= state cars assigned to elected public officials are painted navy blue in Italy and referred to as "Blue Mobiles") in favor of a Ural!



The pic, published on today's online edition of Italian national daily Corriere della Sera, depicts Mayor Marco Vinicio Guasticchi of the Democratic Party (former Italian Communist Party) riding his hack. The mayor had this to say about his new ride:
"It is cheaper for the county to operate and maintain and gravel road certified to boot."

Right on Mr. Mayor!

[Prmurat]

That's the best excuse I heard so far to ride a Ural!!!...it's involved some power and help but great!!

[uraldog]

UMBRIA SHORT OF MONEY
The province of Perugia without money
"Forced to return to the unpaved roads"
The president of the province that runs in a sidecar:
"there is more money for maintenance»


Mark Guasticchi on his sidecar
PERUGIA - "We no longer have a dollar to pave our roads. I will bring the provincial council in a plan to return to the roads, as in the days of Coppi and Bartali. " This time is not only a provocation that of President of the Province of Perugia, Marco Vinicio Guasticchi (Pd), the coffers of the administration for the maintenance of roads in the province of Perugia ("and of Umbria," says Guasticchi) are Green day and therefore will be suspended all regular upkeep. Recently u No report had raised the alarm about the health of the Italian roads.
THE EFFECTS OF Spending Review - "It 'a hard blow not only to roads but in the safety of motorists and motorcyclists," emphasizes the administrator. Guasticchi Thursday will discuss the problem to the attention of the Presidents of the Italian Provinces, in Rome. "The spending review is creating considerable inconvenience to our institution - Guasticchi wrote in a note - which no longer has sufficient resources to invest in even routine maintenance of roads. Adds insult to injury because, according to the decree "Save Italy", traffic management should be the main delegation of future provinces. "

THE CAR WITH THE SPONSOR -If the situation is resolved, the President of the Province of Perugia has already prepared an emergency plan. Which specifically provides for the transformation of some major arteries in the provincial "roads". We earn the already magical landscape of Umbria, but traffic will be a cataclysm. Meanwhile, to cope with dwindling state transfers, the volcanic administrator Umbro has cut the blue car and replace them with machines made ​​available free of a sponsor. The president himself has replaced his car with a blue motorcycle with sidecar. "More evidence of economic and roads," says the administrator with a bitter smile.

Mark Gasperetti
July 25, 2012 | 18:37
PLAY RESERVED ©

[AlanCT]

I wonder if Bokad will be traveling in Umbria.

[Schatzman]

Originally Posted by AlanCT

I wonder if Bokad will be traveling in Umbria.

I wonder if his front brakes have returned to magical working order again?

[Sidecarjohn]

A few Hollywood celebrities, maybe political celebs, then who knows, a Brit royal, and these things could really hit the mainstream. What then for existing Uralistas, seek out another cult machine ?

Or the dreaded widespread acceptance ? Official merchandise, an accessory catalogue bigger than the bike one, and all the other paraphanalia ? Would be a shame.

[Montague]

Originally Posted by Sidecarjohn

A few Hollywood celebrities, maybe political celebs, then who knows, a Brit royal, and these things could really hit the mainstream. What then for existing Uralistas, seek out another cult machine ?

Or the dreaded widespread acceptance ? Official merchandise, an accessory catalogue bigger than the bike one, and all the other paraphanalia ? Would be a shame.

All part of the UIC (Ural International Cabal) plans for world domination and take over of transportation infrastructure.................

[GearHeadGrrrl]

Out in the Dakotahs a lot of the rural counties are threatening to quit fixing paved roads and let them dissolve to gravel. Couple weeks back I was riding on a county road in northeast South Dakota and saw this in action- when the asphalt paving "blew out", they just dumped in gravel and graded it. Road was about half gravel, wished I was riding the hack that day.

[tattoogunman]

Originally Posted by davide

As several European nations struggle to keep bankrupcy at bay cutting budgets and reducing overhead in state funded programs, one of the latest news out of Umbria (a region of Italy very close to Tuscany and well known to be one of the cradles of Italian modern civilization) is that the local government no longer has the funds to maintain paved county roads.

As a result, the entraprenurial mayor of the main city (Perugia) announced a plan to return to gravel and promptly ditched his official "Blue" car (= state cars assigned to elected public officials are painted navy blue in Italy and referred to as "Blue Mobiles") in favor of a Ural!



The pic, published on today's online edition of Italian national daily Corriere della Sera, depicts Mayor Marco Vinicio Guasticchi of the Democratic Party (former Italian Communist Party) riding his hack. The mayor had this to say about his new ride:
"It is cheaper for the county to operate and maintain and gravel road certified to boot."

Right on Mr. Mayor!

That's fookin awesome!

[madeouttaglass]

Originally Posted by GearHeadGrrrl

Out in the Dakotahs a lot of the rural counties are threatening to quit fixing paved roads and let them dissolve to gravel. Couple weeks back I was riding on a county road in northeast South Dakota and saw this in action- when the asphalt paving "blew out", they just dumped in gravel and graded it. Road was about half gravel, wished I was riding the hack that day.

Here in South Bristol NY they have just given up. We still buy new multihundred thousand dollar machinery every other month, plus pay 9 guys to watch our 33 miles of road go to shit, but hey, now they can be called cutting edge and ahead of the curve.
I just hope the other places mentioned have cut their budgets back to pass the savings to those whose vehicles are now being beat to hell. Here the budget only increases.