São Paulo governor candidate Tarcisio de Freitas ensures “freedom of choice” in vaccination

Tarcísio de Freitas, a Republican candidate for the government of São Paulo state, defended the parents’ freedom of choice regarding children’s vaccination in an interview with G1.

“This [publicity campaign] will be more effective than the obligation itself, and we have to always care for the freedom that each citizen has to choose,” he said, who declared himself against the mandatory immunization of children.

In an interview with SP2, Tarcisio de Freitas said he would not adopt retaliatory measures against parents who do not vaccinate children. However, he didn’t answer when questioned if schools would stop notifying the guardianship councils.

In São Paulo, a state law from 2020 determines that parents must present the vaccination card at the time of school enrollment.

Students can attend classes even without the complete vaccination scheme, but schools are now responsible for notifying the guardianship council if parents who do not present the updated portfolio fail to meet a deadline to apply the overdue doses.

It is up to the council to take the appropriate measures with the parents and guardians of the students and notify the competent authorities.

The former Minister of Infrastructure also said that privatizing Sabesp (Basic Sanitation Company of the State of São Paulo) to accelerate the universalization of basic sanitation “is a possible way, but not the only one”.

According to him, the state control over the company does not affect the value of the tariff passed on to the consumer.

About education, Tarcísio de Freitas said he intends to maintain the budget transfer to public universities in São Paulo at the same level as before the limitation of ICMS (Brazilian VAT), adopted by the government of his political godfather Jair Bolsonaro (Liberal Party – PL, right), on items such as diesel, gasoline, electricity, communications, and public transport.

The ICMS is a state tax, is part of the price of most products sold in the country, and is responsible for most of the taxes collected by the federative units.

G1 interviewed the two candidates for the São Paulo state government. De Freitas’ interview was recorded on Thursday, October 20.

Fernando Haddad’s interview (Workers’ Party – PT, left) was on Friday, October 21.

G1 asked ten questions to each, seven of which were identical and three specific. The candidates had 20 minutes to answer.

In the first round of elections, de Freitas received 9,881,995 votes (42.32%). He is running against Fernando Haddad (PT), who received 8,337,139 votes (35.70%).

The candidate said that “showing the importance of vaccination and the importance of adhering to the national immunization plan, in addition to the importance for the health of families and children,” is more effective than the obligation itself.

“I am sure that, with this, we will achieve a large adherence,” he added.

In an interview with SP2 last Thursday, October 20, he said that parents who do not vaccinate their children would not suffer retaliation.

When asked about the absence of public policies for the LGBTQIA+ population in his government plan, de Freitas said that the document’s guidelines contemplate “society as a whole”.

“We want speed in health care for everyone. We want to reduce bureaucracy for everyone, which will make them [the LGBTQIA+ population] have better care,” he said.

The candidate guaranteed that he would give support and speed to services such as social name recognition.

Inspired by the privatization of Eletrobras, the candidate said he could do the same with Sabesp:

“Privatization to accelerate the universalization of sanitation is a possible path. Is it the only one? No, but it is a possible way. Our priority is to improve service provision, to invest in sensorization, universalization of the sewage collection and treatment service, and water reuse,” he explained.

“It is a false premise that the low tariff is in public management. If you increase efficiency, reduce the operational cost, reduce the cost per connection, take the surplus generated with the renewal of the concession contracts in the sales operation, you can reduce the tariff,” he said.

TIETÊ AND PINHEIROS RIVERS

Tarcísio de Freitas said that he intends to reduce by five years the goal of universalization of water and sewage treatment is foreseen in the sanitation framework, besides “increasing the quantity of treatment plants and improving the quality of the water that is put into the springs that reach the Tietê and Pinheiros”.

“We need to invest heavily in the cleaning of these two rivers. It is not a question of aesthetics but water safety. To reduce the pollution stain, we need to invest a lot in the connection of collecting and intercepting networks,” he said.

PUBLIC STATE UNIVERSITIES

The Republican candidate assured that his government will support and finance research of interest to the state and that he intends to maintain the budget transfer to the public universities of São Paulo at the same level as before the limitation of ICMS in the states.

“It is possible to constitutionalize this financial transfer, but I understand that the best moment to do this is after the tax reform”.

According to him, it is also important that São Paulo “be the cradle of the new automobile industry, the one that will invest in the hybrid car, the car powered by electricity and powered by ethanol”.

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

De Freitas said he wants the Technical Schools (Etecs) and Technological Colleges (Fatecs) to be partner institutions of the high schools.

In addition, he said he intends to increase the number of openings in Etecs and Fatecs according to the “economic vocation of each region of the state”.

“For example, to be competitive in the shoe industry, we will not be in volume, but in design, in the material. So, I need to train professionals in design, in materials, and offer these vacancies that will meet this demand,” he explained.

SÃO PAULO METROPOLITAN TRAIN COMPANY (CPTM) AND SUBWAYS

The former Minister of Infrastructure said there is a need to expand the supply of trains and subways: “Over time, we are seeing that this expansion leaves much to be desired, so it is essential”.

The candidate said that sanctions should be applied when services are not offered as the contract provides. “Including fines and even the death penalty, which is the penalty of forfeiture,” he said.

PRISONS

The main proposal brought by Tarcísio de Freitas is the creation of new specific prisons for semi-open regime prisoners.

“The inmate gets a sentence progression, but he doesn’t go to the appropriate facility, according to the progression he obtained. We force a semi-open regime inmate to live together with a closed regime inmate.”

MUSEUMS

If elected, de Freitas promised to invest in conserving the artistic heritage, in acquiring new pieces and collections.

He also said he intends to bring the schools closer to the museums: “It is to have a cultural program and make it so that our students in the state network can have contact with works of art, understand history through art, understand the evolution of events through art”.

GOVERNMENT’S MARK

The candidate affirmed that the main mark of his government would be efficiency.

“It will be about taking advantage of opportunities so that we can generate many jobs. I want to promote a social transformation through entrepreneurship and employment and rescue many young people.”

De Freitas also highlighted that he plans to invest in health to, for example, reduce the elective surgery queue and said that his government plan “has a solid social pillar”.

“We want to show that it is possible to make social transformation politics,” he said.

With information from G1