Παρασκευή 25 Νοεμβρίου 2011
HARATSI
Haratsi is a word used by Greeks to describe the latest tax grab. It is a property tax based on location and surface area (square footage) of all properties that are connected to the electrical grid. Churches and graves are not taxed but everything else is, based on location (municipality) and age. The newer the building the higher the tax. I am not sure if parking lots are included in this new tax but I do not see why not. The tax does not take into consideration income or ability to pay but is attached to the hydro bill and if not payed on time... the electric is cut off. Another world first here in Greece, people who can't pay their taxes having their hydro disconnected. You can't imagine the tumult this has brought on. The mayors who have intervened so that this is not enforced as well as the hydro union that has played cat and mouse with the riot police in an attempt to shut down the billing office. There is also a little detail of European law that forbids members from using utilities as a weapon to collect taxes. The first court hearing is coming up on December the second. The lawyers associations of various locations have taken the government to court. I withheld my haratsi from my landlord and paid it. Sure that works fine with rentals but most properties in Greece are not rentals. So pro bono takes over and we will see what happens. I do not expect a return for those of us that already paid but maybe some will be let off the hook. Funny to be living in a country with a pirate government... Pro bono Sam I am green eggs and ham... Haratsi-a head tax enforced by the Ottoman empire on all Christian citizens. I will say thanks here to the mayor of New Ionia who took action against this measure. It only makes sense since a couple of children fainted from hunger in his municipality's schools. Hunger is knocking on the door of many households these days. We are all hunkering down for the worst. I live in a rural are where the haratsi is 3 euros per square meter. In Athens I have property in a medium priced zone that is charged at eight euros per square meter. One square meter is nine square feet. This is the base price and newer homes get charged more. At the same time wages and pensions have been slashed in half over the last two years, believe it.
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re si,
einai to thikosou blog?Green eggs and sam gave it away.
Frankly though, the corruption of the new bureaucracies created since the induction to the eurozone, if not before, is really a national/ international disgrace. I´m embarrassed these days to say I´m Greek; it equates to the sentiment of being Indian in Canada. I was watching a program of how endemic (if not pandemic) the corruption is.Just one instance; Minister of Agriculture creating a division to digitize photos; had 250 ¨employees¨ who turned out to be names picked out of the phone book; buddy was pocketing 250 salaries.
Greece used to be called the Mexico of Europe for the inexpensive fun in the sun holidays. Now its called that for all the graft and rot in the system. I saw this coming the last time I was in Greece in 92 with you- how avaricious and consumption minded they had become, hypnotised by television, the ultimate weapon for the sale of impossible dreams & sick fantasy.The Terrance Queek show uber alis..
Not to mention the Greeks want all the institutions of 1St world without having to pay for them (yes here in Canada, as you know, this shit gets paid with taxes.simple fact of 1st world capital-socialist democracy). yes it absolutely wrong to cut the power off if one doesnt pay and as you stated,despicable draconian use of leverage by the powers at home and abraod. Otherwise the tax plan is par for course in the rest of the 1st world that has good hospitals(with week/month long waiting list), descent roads(that are falling apart), pension plans(which are about to flatline)and welfare (filled to capacity with native children & single ¨mothers¨leaving little for the crippled & insane as the first two have capital ¨R¨ rights¨).See how a little more balance in reportage is refreshing and lends credence to complaint?
The case is the Greeks want their baklava, german pastries and swiss chocolate too without ponying up a couple of drachs.Otherwise start living simply without debts to banks for new corrupt bureaucracies,cars,big screen tvs and go back to looking after each other on a family to family, neighbour to beighbour basis- like the good-ol-bad-ol-days.Seems uncivilized these days I know, but it did have a rustic villagelove charm to it..my regards to Terrance Queek...which was the beginning of mistakes to come...
yer ever-lovin Greek exiled frere-kin ,
Pain-ohs
p.s.
get this translated and sell it to some syndicated paper.may make a couple of ducets, who knows; everything is possible,nothing is real...especially the paper money
Silly boy, of course it is my blogg. Why do you think my photo appears on the top left of the page. Oh and Ellinomangia, what did you think that the title meant. Finaly, who do you think inspired The Alexander the Great Plan? Yes it is dedicated to you my friend even though you could never come up with even an Alex the so-so plan or Alex not bad plan or any plan. Thank you very much for your Canucklehead comment, I am still unsure of what parts are sarcasm, what parts are tongue in cheek and so on. I always thought that Indians and single mothers where the only reasons to visit Canada and a big boom to our tourism industry. I also see your point about corrupt ministers. It makes sense to punish pensioners and the working class for alowing this kind of corruption. Pensioners and little kids especialy should be forced into starvation for not stopping these illogical lawmakers from abusing their authority. Rape victims in general should be impaled and then there would be less rape. You know... the victim gets the blame. As for first world services, I am not sure what you mean my cynical friend. But because you know and I know I bothered to reply. Paper money is real enough when you don't have it. It is unreal when you stockpile it and build financial pyramids. Seven hundred trillion... a realy big pyramid indeed.
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