Another week and a half, then Jisse Otter will stop as a deputy at the province of Drenthe. His term will expire in two years, but because of his retirement age he thinks that is too long. In the Radio Drenthe program Cassata He looks back on his time as a deputy.
Two years ago he was asked as a deputy for the BBB for a portfolio with the sweet and sour: culture, and agriculture and nitrogen. “It’s not about the people who work in those sectors, but the vibe in the culture sector is more positive. It is always about nicer, and more,” says Otter. “This is different in agriculture. This is not possible, that is not possible, you will be blamed for this. That is the negative thing about it. Unfortunately, that has become worse than better.”
On what he has achieved in those two years for agriculture, he looks back with mixed feelings. “We have done a lot of beautiful things. But to my own frustration, with a number of things we are tied to hands and feet. If we were allowed to decide it in Drenthe, we would be out in a week.”
According to Otter, the reason is not the attitude of the BBB, but “because of all kinds of judicial judgments and existing legislation that lies that you can’t just put aside.” “I am very disappointed with that. I am pragmatic and solution-oriented. For example, with the PAS servants. Then you are two years later and you have not been able to solve anything. I find that very frustrating.”
The hopeful note of Otter: “Under pressure everything becomes liquid,” he says. “The pressure has since grown so great with sustainability throughout the width. The port of Rotterdam is nothing more, large companies can do nothing anymore,” he explains. “That is why I now have a lot of hope that people say:” Something really needs to be done now, also in the legislation. We have to deal with it in a different way. ” Otherwise nothing will happen in a positive way. “
The fact that Otter culture received in his portfolio had to count as a ‘sweet’ variety of the complex nitrogen file. Is there also a nasty aftertaste because of the artok in the Drents Museum? “That is a very dramatic event, but that does not detract from the fact that we have a wonderfully beautiful Drents Museum, with a great team led by Harry Tupan. That remains the same. And we have a very rich cultural life in Drenthe, happening there Very nice things in Drenthe and I have made a positive contribution to that, also financially. “
The province invested two million euros extra in the cultural sector, an amount that was too low according to a number of parties. “That was also necessary to absorb all cost increases. We went from 19.5 million to 21 million. There should actually have been more to that.”
The highlight in his time as a deputy was the purchase of one Van Gogh for the Drents Museum. “Drents landscape with farm. It cost 2.7 million, where the province has added 1 million euros. There are more highlights, but this jumped out.”
Otter will take a ‘time-out’ in the coming period. “I’m going to take it easy and I expect that something will come my way again. But I am no longer looking for a full job or daytime activities, then I could have stuck.” Otter is being replaced by member of the States Gert-Jan Schuinder.