Work, health and livelihood for the people of Tampere!

I am a 54-year-old executive director from Tampere. Work experience has been gained from Valmet, Lokomo, Metsä-Serla Corrugated Board, United Paper Mills Raflatac and Tampere University of Technology Student Union. Then 25 years as Executive Director of Tampereen Insinöörit ry and today five years as Executive Director of Tampere Work Coaching Foundation Syke (www.tampereensyke.fi).

Advocacy experience in student organizations and the Akavala trade union movement for 30 years

20 years of organizational experience on the board of the national patient organization Crohn and Colitis Association, of which seven years as chairman

Deputy Member of the Board of the Unemployment Insurance Fund for Engineers, Architects and Economists (IAET) 25 years

Membership and chairmanship of the Board of Directors of Tampere-based housing companies for 30 years

Chairman of the Board of Tasalämpö Oy, a commercial real estate company of China Wall housing companies 2012-

Member of the Board of the City of Tampere Hospital Rehabilitation and Services (former Board of Specialist Nursing) 2008-2016

Chairman of the Board of the Career Factory 2009-2017 (employment project for engineers, M.Sc.

Chairman of the Hakametsän Social Democrats Association 2013-2017, 2020

Member of the Supervisory Board of Tampereen Seudun Osuuspankki (TSOP) 2017-

Chairman of the SDP Tampere Municipal Association 2018-

Member of the Board of Tampereen Insinöörit ry 2019-

Member of the Board of YH Kodit Oy 2019-

Opinions

Are you worried about the unemployment of the people of Tampere?

Tampere residents must have a job and a livelihood. Almost a fifth of Tampere residents are unemployed. Improving employment must be a top priority for the city as a whole. Tampere must create the conditions for growth for new jobs. The city's business policy must preserve existing companies in Tampere and attract new companies to Tampere, both nationally and internationally. The University of Tampere complex creates opportunities for success in the city.

In the treatment of long-term unemployment, the municipal experiment in employment care enables rapid changes in employment care. The city must allocate sufficient funds for the municipal experiment to implement sufficient various measures for employment management. By solving long-term unemployment, the city's economic problems will also be solved when the annual fine payments of EUR 20 million to the state fail to materialize. City subcontractors must commit to employing long-term unemployed people.

How do you improve the housing of Tampere residents?

Tampere residents must be able to live at a reasonable cost. There must be an adequate supply of affordable rental housing. Clearly more owner-occupied dwellings and rental dwellings need to be built in order to even out the price development of owner-occupied dwellings. The plot rent of old apartment building areas (such as Tammela, Kaleva, etc.) should not be increased, as in recent years, so that the share of the plot rent is EUR 1,000 per apartment building per year. In addition to better availability of detached house plots, rents should be reasonable. The city’s yield target for land rents is calculated from four percent first to 3 percent and then to 2 percent. This is possible during low interest rates. Property tax should remain the same or be calculated like other items that indirectly affect the cost of housing. The renewal of the suburbs will be continued and the differentiation of different districts will be avoided, for example in terms of the income level of the residents, etc. The elimination of homelessness will continue.

The segregation of residential areas must be prevented. Different forms of housing must be available in all residential areas. Zoning is used to guide the construction and better availability of family housing in particular. Suburban services are developed and a high-quality and equitable service network is maintained throughout the city.

How do you build Tampere?

The downtown area from Kaleva Park Road to Hämeenpuisto must be built with a clearly higher level, ie 12-16 storeys. Otherwise, there will not be enough land in the city center for the needs of the coming decades and the price of land will rise sharply, raising housing costs unnecessarily. As an example, Technopolis' three five-storey buildings could have been built twice as high, leaving room for additional construction on the site.

In addition to housing, office towers should also be built near the railway line and in the vicinity of the railway station, with jobs located at the end of good public connections.

How do you develop city traffic?

With all access to the center. The city center must be developed in a balanced way, taking into account the different modes of transport. The center should be well connected by private cars, public transport, bicycles and on foot. Ratikka offers tremendous opportunities for the development of public transport. Cycling should be supported by assigning separate routes for cycling in the downtown area, such as Tammela-Rongankatu-Patosilta-Puutarhakatu. Electric buses replace diesel buses. Hämppi Park will be extended to the west of Tammerkoski.

The tramway must be continued to Härmälä and the North-East Center, commuter train traffic must be increased and the main line must be upgraded. In order to increase capacity and speed, the Finland line must be implemented. In order to improve Tampere's internationalization, the goal is also to open a direct and fast train connection from Tampere to St. Petersburg. Flight connections from Tampere-Pirkkala airport are needed to arrange onward connections to 2-3 air traffic hubs.

How do you balance the city’s economy?

The main problem of the city of Tampere's economy is the betrayal of the income base. The most important thing is to improve employment. Now the city pays the state 20 million euros a year in fines for the long-term unemployed, which means that the city must immediately take measures to avoid fines for the long-term unemployed. Growth in other expenditure will be curbed by improving productivity.

Enabling the growth and development of companies. Investments will be kept at a reasonable but sufficient level to secure the growth and development of the city. The appropriate level of investment is probably 100-150 million per year. Expenditure developments are considered moderate. Digitalisation will be promoted, administration will be further streamlined and the city’s unnecessary space assets will be sold.

What do you think about Tampere's social and health services?

The nursing dimension must be in order. Client fees must not prevent access to care. Social and health services must not be outsourced to private companies, but their efficiency and competitiveness must be improved. Hatanpää Hospital is a high-quality and cost-effective hospital whose special medical care should not be combined with the Pirkanmaa Hospital District. If the functions are combined, it will clearly increase the costs of special medical care for the City of Tampere.

Kindergarten places need to be added. Human living conditions must be guaranteed for the sick and the elderly in all situations. The quality and availability of service housing and enhanced service housing must be improved alongside home care. The availability of hospice care in nursing homes must be expanded to ensure humane conditions for the target group of the service.

The importance of education?

Tampere needs better schools. The development of inequality in students must be stopped. The subjective right to day care is maintained and group sizes are not increased. Road safety in the vicinity of schools and kindergartens needs to be improved. Particular attention will be paid to eliminating indoor air pollution.

How do you see Tampere from the perspective of the environment?

From Tampere carbon neutral by 2030. Greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 80% compared to the 1980 situation. The use of renewable energy sources in energy production will be increased to 80%. Developing the city's parks and nature areas. Access to the nature of the surrounding area must be accessible to everyone in Tampere.

What kind of city of culture is Tampere?

The diverse cultural offer increases Tampere's attractiveness. Sports and cultural services are a key part of Tampere's well-being. User fees for hobbies for children and young people will be phased out.

Why should you vote?

I can contribute to a better Tampere. As the chairman of the SDP Tampere municipal organization, I have been involved in the meetings of the SDP's city government group and council group for the last three years, which means that I am well acquainted with current issues. I have 30 years of experience in the trade union in monitoring the interests of members. I am currently working in employment management positions for the long-term unemployed. In addition, I have experience e.g. advocacy for students and patients with intestinal inflammation.

I can think of things from the perspective of an ordinary Tampere resident. In my ways, I am determined to achieve results. I don’t just get involved as a button press but as an influencer.

Other current opinions

In future, the mayor will be elected by direct election. A tax increase is a better option than cutting services and social benefits. The power plant must not be sold. The city's operations may no longer be incorporated. As a rule, the city should produce sote services itself and not buy them from private companies.

Train traffic in the Tampere region must be increased and expanded so that, for example, there is a regular train connection from Tesoma and Vehmainen to the city center.

In the Kauppi-Niihama area, premises for companies in the field of healthcare and health technology can be built along Teiskontie. The Ruotula golf course can be used for residential construction and the tram line to Atala-Linnainmaa can be extended.