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melbert
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Post by watching Mon 15 Aug 2011, 07:15

Villages hit by Italian austerity drive

James Bone
From: The Times
August 15, 201110:30AM

THE millionaires' playground of Portofino on the Italian Riviera is one of almost 2000 villages that, for official purposes, may cease to exist under the country's austerity program.

The Ligurian resort, a favourite destination of celebrities such as Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones, is crowded at this time of year with luxury yachts. However, the former fishing village, founded by the Romans, may be legally abolished because its winter population is just 479.

The Government wants to cut the cost of its bloated bureaucracy by consolidating municipalities with a population of less than 1000. Also at risk are the wine-making villages of Barolo, with 728 residents, and Barbaresco, with 674, both in the northern Italian region of Piedmont.

The home of the actor George Clooney in the town of Laglio, Lake Como, may also be cut adrift unless the Oscar-winner can move several dozen friends in to his Villa Oleandra. The town has just 957 residents.

The mayor of the island of Capraia, which also falls short, suggested that his municipality may prefer to join the French island of Corsica, 25kmaway, rather than be consolidated with mainland Livorno. The village of Lorenzago, outside Venice, felt particularly aggrieved because its mayor is Mario Tremonti, a distant cousin of the Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti, the architect of the austerity package. Mayor Tremonti joked that his village should join up with the Vatican.

The cuts will affect 8100 municipalities. About 29 of Italy's 110 provinces will also disappear, including Giulio Tremonti's home province of Sondrio, along with 51,000 jobs. The cuts are aimed at saving a total of €45.5 billion ($62.4bn) over the next two years to avoid a sovereign debt crisis.

Italy's debt is equivalent to 120 per cent of GDP and the goal is to balance the budget in 2013, a year ahead of schedule. However, politicians fear that the markets will not be satisfied with the austerity package when they open today.

Before retiring to his estate in Sardinia at the weekend, Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister, told a press conference in Rome that he was "pained" to have to announce the emergency budget. Measures include raising the pensionable age of women to 65 - the same as men. Cigarettes will be taxed more heavily and parliamentarians will have to fly economy. Mr Berlusconi said his "heart was bleeding" because he had broken his long-time pledge not to raise taxes.

A three-year "solidarity tax" will be levied against high-earners: 5 per cent for those making above €90,000 and 10 per cent for those on more than €150,000. Capital gains tax will rise from 12.5 per cent to 20 per cent.

Despite the taxes on high-earners, however, the head of Italy's largest trade union is threatening to call a general strike to protest against the austerity plan. The CGIL union is angered about changes intended to liberalise the labour market that it believes will make it easier to make workers redundant.

"Once again it's the weakest who are being hit and those who pay taxes," Susanna Camusso, the union's general-secretary said. "We will confront this budget head on: a general strike."

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Post by melbert Mon 15 Aug 2011, 14:58

"Before retiring to his estate in Sardinia at the weekend, Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister, told a press conference in Rome that he was "pained" to have to announce the emergency budget."

Then why doesn't the slimey bas*ard cough up some of his ill-gotten billions to help "his" country???!!!!!
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Post by pattygirl Mon 15 Aug 2011, 15:05

melbert wrote:"Before retiring to his estate in Sardinia at the weekend, Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister, told a press conference in Rome that he was "pained" to have to announce the emergency budget."

Then why doesn't the slimey bas*ard cough up some of his ill-gotten billions to help "his" country???!!!!!

The same reason that those in power in any country don't give back some of their $$$, they don't care about the people who are the backbone of the country, who make their countries tick at low wages.
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Post by ladydi Mon 15 Aug 2011, 15:09

I don't understand how this would affect George. He'd be living in a town combined with another to save on administrative fees and he may have to pay higher taxes but I don't think "The home of the actor George Clooney in the town of Laglio, Lake Como, may also be cut adrift."

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Post by lucy Mon 15 Aug 2011, 15:10

Melbert, he's to self centered, selfish, and just plain greedy, besides all that think of all the working girls that would be out of a job if that ass had to do something like you are suggesting.
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Post by melbert Mon 15 Aug 2011, 15:56

Actually girls, my comment on that ass were pure snark. He's going to continue his bungabunga ways and probably rake in more money with the increased taxes. It'll pave his slimey path rather than help the people of Italy.
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Post by MM Mon 15 Aug 2011, 17:12

lucy wrote:Melbert, he's to self centered, selfish, and just plain greedy, besides all that think of all the working girls that would be out of a job if that ass had to do something like you are suggesting.

Berlusconi is a "vitellone" ("fatted calf, the equivalent of a "fat cat" in American English), who likes to stab people in the back whenever he can in order to get what he wants. Well, I hope the Italian nation unites against him, and knock him off his high horse before he brings the entire country down to the gutter. Gunslinger
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