Opera 1987 Quotes

You become a director by calling yourself a director and you then persuade other people that this is true.

Ciucci lascia l’Anas l’ultima frana travolge anche lui Il presidente rimette il mandato nelle mani di Delrio Si era autolicenziato da dg: 1,8 milioni di buonuscita Pietro Ciucci, classe 1950, presidente dell’Anas 564 parole Chissà, magari sperava di superare anche questa tempesta. Ma la verità è che c’è da meravigliarsi come abbia fatto Pietro Ciucci - classe 1950, da 45 anni nelle aziende di Stato - a resistere fino a ieri, contro la logica, contro il buonsenso. Al termine dell’incontro in cui Ciucci ha rimesso nelle mani del neoministro delle Infrastrutture Graziano Delrio il suo mandato, all’Anas dicono che «l’incontro era previsto da tempo», e che la decisione di dimettersi è stata presa «spontaneamente e da tempo» dallo stesso Ciucci. Ma sappiamo che la discussione è stata molto dura, e che Delrio ha chiesto con forza a Ciucci di fare un passo indietro, dopo il disastro incredibile della frana che ha spezzato in due l’autostrada Palermo-Catania. Ora resterà in sella solo fino a metà maggio, quando verrà approvato il bilancio 2014. Collezionista di cariche Pietro Ciucci è entrato nel sistema pubblico a soli 19 anni, nella società Autostrade. Romano Prodi nel 1987 lo fa entrare nella direzione finanza dell’Iri, di cui diventa capo nel 1993. È un accumulatore straordinario di cariche, mette un piede in tutti i Cda delle società di Stato, gestisce la liquidazione di Iri. Nel ’96 diventa direttore generale di Anas, carica mantenuta fino all’estate 2013. Nel 2002 Silvio Berlusconi lo mette alla guida della Stretto di Messina. Romano Prodi nel 2006 blocca il ponte, ma lo nomina presidente e ad di Anas. Lo confermano su questa poltronissima, nell’ordine, Silvio Berlusconi (2009), Enrico Letta (2013), Matteo Renzi (2014). Evidentemente Ciucci ha molte qualità che finora gli hanno meritato tante promozioni e riconferme. Ad esempio, lo «straordinario» risultato che riguarda la Salerno-Reggio Calabria: nel dicembre 2012 annuncia che sarà completata nel 2013. «Pensiamo di farcela», dice. In dieci anni l’Anas ha realizzato solo 250 chilometri, ne mancano ancora 100. Sempre nel 2012 Ciucci «dimenticò» di avvertire l’allora ministro dello Sviluppo Corrado Passera che stava per scadere il termine per ricusare il contratto con il consorzio Eurolink: oggi c’è il rischio di dover pagare penali per il Ponte sullo Stretto. Che per Ciucci «è un’opera necessaria». Gli stipendi d’oro Ma il suo capolavoro risale all’estate del 2013. A 63 anni di età, Ciucci sa bene che difficilmente nel 2016 verrà confermato alla guida dell’Anas. E in più teme il taglio dello stipendio a 300mila euro annui. Così, il «presidente» Pietro Ciucci firma il pensionamento del «direttore generale» Pietro Ciucci (incidentalmente, dimenticando il «mancato preavviso»). Se ne va in pensione, riceve una buonuscita di 1,8 milioni, e lo stipendio da 240mila euro annui da presidente. Negli ultimi mesi tiene duro, indifferente a tutto: indagato per abuso d’ufficio per gli appalti della statale Maglie-Lecce. Coinvolto nell’inchiesta «Sistema», che costa la poltrona a un altro superboiardo, Ercole Incalza, e a un politico che lo ha sempre stimato, Maurizio Lupi. I ministri Padoan e Delrio fanno dimettere i loro rappresentanti nel cda Anas. Nulla. Delrio non è Lupi. L’ennesima frana costa il posto a Pietro Ciucci.

It was her concern and commitment to a friend which last year involved her in perhaps the most emotional period of her life. For five months she secretly helped to care for Adrian Ward-Jackson who had discovered that he was suffering from AIDS. It was a time of laughter, joy and much sorrow as Adrian, a prominent figure in the world of art, ballet and opera, gradually succumbed to his illness. A man of great charisma and energy, Adrian initially found it difficult to come to terms with his fate when in the mid-1980s he was diagnosed as HIV positive. His word as deputy chairman of the Aids Crisis Trust, where he first met the Princess, had made him fully aware of the reality of the disease. Finally he broke the news in 1987 to his great friend Angela Serota, a dancer with the Royal Ballet until a leg injury cut short her career and now prominent in promoting dance and ballet. For much of the time, Angela, a woman of serenity and calm practicality, nursed Adrian, always with the support of her two teenage daughters. He was well enough to receive a CBE at Buckingham Palace in March 1991 for his work in the arts--he was a governor of the Royal Ballet, chairman of the Contemporary Arts Society and a director of the Theatre Museum Association--and it was at a celebratory lunch held at the Tate Gallery that Angela first met the Princess. In April 1991 Adrian’s condition deteriorated and he was confined to his Mayfair apartment where Angela was in almost constant attendance. It was from that time that Diana made regular visits, once even brining her children Princes Willian and Harry. From that time Angela and the Princess began to forge a supportive bond as they cared for their friend. Angela recalls: “I thought she was utterly beautiful in a very profound way. She has an inner spirit which shines forth though there was also a sense of pervasive unhappiness about her. I remember loving the way she never wanted me to be formal.” When Diana brought the boys to see her friends, a reflection of her firmly held belief that her role as mother is to bring them up in a way that equips them for every aspect of life and death, Angela saw in William a boy much older and more sensitive than his years. She recalls: “He had a mature view of illness, a perspective which showed awareness of love and commitment.” At first Angela kept in the background, leaving Diana alone in Adrian’s room where they chatted about mutual friends and other aspects of life. Often she brought Angela, whom she calls “Dame A”, a gift of flowers or similar token. She recalls: “Adrian loved to hear about her day-to-day work and he loved too the social side of life. She made him laugh but there was always the perfect degree of understanding, care and solicitude. This is the point about her, she is not just a decorative figurehead who floats around on a cloud of perfume.” The mood in Mount Street was invariably joyous, that sense of happiness that understands about pain. As Angela says: “I don’t see death as sad or depressing. It was a great journey he was going on. The Princess was very much in tune with that spirit. She also loved coming for herself, it was an intense experience. At the same time Adrian was revitalized by the healing quality of her presence.” Angela read from a number of works by St. Francis of Assisi, Kahil Gibran and the Bible as well as giving Adrian frequent aromatherapy treatments. A high spot was a telephone call from Mother Teresa of Calcutta who also sent a medallion via Indian friends. At his funeral they passed Diana a letter from Mother Teresa saying how much she was looking forward to meeting her when she visited India. Unfortunately Mother Teresa was ill at that time so the Princess made a special journey to Rome where she was recuperating. Nonetheless that affectionate note meant a great deal to the Princess.