BARBATE (Agencies) Rafael Quirós is the socialist mayor of Barbate and he can't pay his 300 municipal workers either (See Algeciras, Los Barrios or La Línea, for instance). Barbate has a Social Security debt of €26millions and can't get state aid, let alone a bank loan. Quirós knows this because he keeps trying. But he keeps hitting brick walls. So, he figured that he would lock himself intop the town hall to publicize his dilemma. Thing is, Quirós is not in the habit of biting his tongue, and has on occasions raised the hackles of his fellow PSOE members in high places, from local cajas (building societies) to those in power in the Junta. "They have to something," he exclaims. "I can't just fold my arms and let everything drop on my head." He says he inherited a bankrupt corproration from his PP and PA predecessors. So having spent several days locked in, has anyone listened?>Rafael Quirós got a meeting with Social Security representatives in Madrid, which he attended while unions began to demonstrate in front of the town hall to demand their wages. The mayor also got an interview with the Secretary of State for Social Security to renegotiate the enormous debt. But he won't talk about this meeting. Last week, Diputación gave him €500,000 to pay for back wages. So far so good. (Watch this space for desperate mayors taking desperate measures prior to local elections on May 22.)
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