With recent political debates, a lot has been said on television broadcasts and social media about polemic discussions and scandals surrounding the five most expected candidates for mayor in São Paulo. However, what do they actually plan to do for the biggest city of Latin America? Here are their stands on the most important issues: safety, healthcare, education, floods and transportation, according to a recent Datafolha research, that interviewed 1.090 voters in March 2024.
SAFETY AND VIOLENCE
Both Guilherme Boulos (PSOL) and Ricardo Nunes (MDB) defend an increase of policemen on the Metropolitan Civilian Guard (GCM), as well as more school rounds, with at least one vehicle on each public institution during entrance and exit of students.
Similarly, Pablo Marçal (PRTB) argues that GCM’s personnel needs to be tripled, which specialists and the candidate have said it might be impossible to do. He will also invest more on “intelligence, monitoring and an integrated center of data”, connecting several levels of law enforcement, a measure related to Smart Sampa, current video monitoring system of Nunes’ municipal government. Tabata Amaral (PSB) proposes further on this idea: an Integrated System for Management of Results in Public Safety, based on goals set to reduce crimes, a partnership with the State government and periodic meetings to discuss data between police and district councils.
José Datena (PSDB) plans on strengthening the CGM and investing on more lethal and non-lethal weapons, along with the use of body cams. The journalist has said in a recent interview for Globonews he won’t detail numbers on his electoral promises because “it is the most effective way to deceive people”.
HEALTHCARE
Nunes promises to build new UBS’s (basic unit of healthcare), but doesn’t measure how many, and invest in modern infrastructure and more municipal hospitals. Boulos, in contrast, says he will create “Poupatempos da Saúde”, in a model like the system for civil administration, to optimize diagnostics and medical appointments.
The use of Artificial Intelligence to support health matters is mentioned in three candidates’ plans. Marçal suggests using it to create a single and digital medical record for all procedures and exams, whereas Tabata defends it to manage lines for medical tests and remind patients of next check ups and vaccination campaigns. Also, Datena plans to introduce AI to offer telemedicine assistance.
The PSBD candidate and Amaral also argue a similar proposal to extend UBS’s opening hours.
FLOODS
Nunes, Boulos, Tabata and Datena all plan to focus generally on the same efforts to prevent and reduce floods: build constructions capable of draining water, expand green areas to distribute porous soil across the city and update studies that detail the danger of collapsing hills in risky areas.
Marçal’s plan doesn’t mention any measures related to flood risk though.
PUBLIC EDUCATION
The five main candidates plan on expanding full time study to students from High School to Elementary.
Other than that, Nunes’s proposals for education are the permanence and expansion of policies already part of his government, for example with the guarantee of no lines to enroll children in kindergarten. Boulos, alternatively, promises to build 22 new CEUs (Unified Educational Centers – scholar institutions that combine libraries, sports infrastructure and theaters) and to lead a collective effort (a so-called “multirão”), along with civil organizations, to teach adults to read and write.
Marçal suggests creating a system to recognize teachers and school workers through extra pay based on their results, such as frequency of students in classes and the achievement of goals of literacy skills. In a similar way, Tabata defends a bonus for workers based on their performance and a continuous mentorship to stimulate their development.
Datena states he will focus on professionalizing study to prepare young people for the workforce and invest on the improvement of schools by installing internet, computers and appropriate research laboratories.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Nunes, Boulos, Tabata and Datena all plan to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that worsen global warming through public transports. Proposals range from transition from fossil fuels, including a substitution to buses moved by renewable energy, to the increase of bike lanes.
Besides that, Nunes and Boulos also promise to build new bus lanes and BRTs (Bus Rapid Transits) to reduce travel times and encourage the use of public transport. Tabata says she will not only increase the maximum speed of bus circulation but also install electronic panels on terminals and stops to inform arrivals and delays.
Differently from other opponents, Marçal suggests unique proposals. For example, the creation of parking lots next to subway stops and bus terminals in order to ease the access to public transport. He also defends the construction of over 80 kilometers of cable cars “connecting the outer parts of the city to strategic points”, an idea that has been criticized by Urbanism specialists.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When analyzing a candidate’s plan, it is possible to get a preview of what their government might look like and also to hold them accountable in the future for their promises. No matter if you’re more conservative or more progressive, it is an essential part of democracy to research what political figure might represent you the best and be capable of establishing a common ground with other beliefs. Afterall, it is only with a diversity of thoughts and opinions that a free and just government for all can be made.
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The article above was edited by Duda Kabzas.
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