from Station.lu
Poverty in Luxembourg: STATEC has just released figures on poverty in Luxembourg (today is World Day Against Poverty). In 2005, 13% of the Luxembourg population was affected by poverty; in 2004 only 12.3% were affected. The poverty threshold in Luxembourg is fixed at 1,423 Euros/month income for a single-person household.For the record €1423 is equivalent to Lm612.95. And just when you begin to justify the high threshold with cost of living you begin to think... Why are most essential items practically the same price in Luxembourg as in Malta? Why does petrol cost less than in Malta? Why does a night out in a restaurant in Malta cost practically more than the equivalent in Luxembourg? Why are the roads in Luxembourg so damn near-perfect while the poor Maltese is constantly taxed for the upkeep of potholes? Why does furnishing an apartment in Luxembourg not cost an eye and a tooth like in Malta? Free health service? - think Caisse Maladie.
Meanwhile it is expected that in today's budget the magnanimous government will compensate cost of living expenses with an additional Lm2.25. That solves the travelling problems then doesn't it?
from the suitcase #1:
Unpacking my thoughts from Malta I remember the news item on the radios last Monday. Some geezer at MZPN was angry that some other labour geezer had suggested that we are getting less tourists because our cigarettes were too expensive. Fair's fair I say. What really miffed me was the "Demand for an Apology" issued by the Mullahs at MZPN. What is that exactly? Apologise or have a blue-eyed fatwah issued by the towers of the blue party line? What ever happened to disagreeing? What happened to pointing out that what the other side said is a load of bollocks and that's that? Can someone please explain what they will get out of requesting an apology? From Islamic Cartoons to Tanti Burlesque to MZPNag... the comedy continues.
8 commentaires:
Please dont mention MZPN...your name will be on the Nazzjon..maltarightnow or better on the Independent since the newspaper is publishing all the MZPN`s news releases...(aka Rubbish)
they publish news releases on this and on that...and demanding apologies to Alfred Sant and god knows who else...
the guy (unmentioned) is joe sammut...Labour MP...now I dont tend to share many common thaughts and ideas with this chip..i mean his vision and statements is not my bag of chips...but hey...hat he said is that tourists are no longer visiting malta to buy tax free cigarettes and thus we should add value to our services...he never said that smoking is healthy...
MZPN is joe saliba`s toy...no wonder the actions they take...
Here's the MZPN press release. Can't see a "demand for an apology" anywhere.
You've too busy standing up to the establishment to care much about the facts, m'dear.
Well dear.
I heard the X FM news a couple of times on Monday. Each time some geezer from MZPNag was interviewed and I distinctly remember him (Demicoli?) stating that MZPN requests an apology.
No radio in the office Faust?
Jacques is right on this one re: the interview clip.
Thanks Ken. I was beginning to question my sanity.
It seems that while some are "busy standing up to the establishment" otherwise are busy getting all "apologetic" about it (if you excuse the pun).
I actually think that it's quite acceptable to start demanding apologies from politicians for treating their supporters and the public at large like complete morons. To say that tourists are not visiting Malta because they can't buy tax free Rothmans is almost like saying that they won't come to Malta because budding politico Aaron Farrugia has started up a blog.
Yeah sure.
It's like the government of Lanzarote and city of Bruxelles (not to mention Malta and a certain Houellebecq) demanding an apology from someone who decides to use their name to make his blog sound wankellectual...
u hallina!
Is that the ghost of Emile Zola that I see before me?
Seriously, it all depends how you look at the apology. In the UK they've got a fairly healthy tradition of politicians apologizing to their constituents, the public, their party, parliament...perhaps not about tax free Rothmans, true.
But I'd like to see politicians being a bit more accountable for what they say. This might raise the level of debate a notch or two.
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