Story Archive

Missing Person

Joaquin Garcia worked for the municipal water company in Cadiz, Spain. More accurately, he held a position there, supervising the construction of a waste-treatment plant. There was, he said, no work for him to do. He had held a different job, but said he was harassed over politics and moved to the water company before discovering it didn’t actually have work for him. So he stayed home, and read philosophy. When he was to be given an award for “at least” eight years tenure, it was discovered the water company (whose boss had an office opposite Garcia’s and hadn’t seen him in years) thought he worked under city supervision, while the municipal authorities thought he reported to the water company. Garcia was fined 27,000 euros (US$30,000); he was paid 37,000 euros per year. (AC/BBC) ...On the bright side, local citizens did not get all the government they paid for.