Given that everyone local seems to be against it, my guess would be that something significant has been omitted from the story.
Dunning the government for money is a local tradition in Italy.
I was riding around Abruzzo with an uncle once. A long line young trees lined the road. Every other one was dead. I asked my uncle what was up with that.
“Workers cut the root balls off before planting them. They’re hoping to be called back to replace the dead ones.”