The State we are in #1

Okay…….political rant??? I’ll try…

Ah yes…State budget will most likely pass on our Assembleia with the agreement of the biggest opposition party and the Gov. party.

Never did the political class in Portugal had a low point has this one today. All because of Socrates (i think the REAL Greek Socrates is screaming from his grave…”Why does that incompetent has my name??? He’s totally killing my rep….”

Socrates is “the” professional politician…a center – right winger controlling a socialist party. A guy that had his college degree on a SUNDAY! Yeah….you get the picture.

The results of his spell at the destinies of Portugal finally coming to show. The first reaction of denying the crisis…saying Portugal was safe from it….Then he admitted we were in crisis….After awhile he declared the crisis was over….And while he was “dancing” tango with us our crisis finally comes, and it will hurt bad.

The problem with Portugal…is structural too…We have a fat government…like….real fat…..morbidly obese. Public state institutions, partnerships between state and private companies (meaning state pays…….and get the return of the investment ..who knows…on the next century?), too much state given grants (Portuguese, unfortunately, is grant – dependent).

The result of the lack structural reforms are coming: a 8, 9, 10 % deficit (who knows really?), 10,6 % of unemployment and a stagnant economy.

In the old days we could devalue our currency and fix this rather easily…well, not anymore, we have the Euro…its the European Central Bank that defines Euro value towards the US Dollar. But you would think they would remember this. Nah…too busy with elections.

And to make matters worse….this 2nd generation of post-25th April politicians…are so bellicose…so tactical…only with elections on mind, that don’t have the guts to carry on the changes the country needs.

And now we have a killer budget….taxes raises….grants over….but in a very aggressive manner, because we were too slow and too stupid. And yet, Socrates, with the country “burning” around him still wants to build that stupid TGV railroad…for crying out loud!!!!!!! And we only have an expenditure cut budget because German Chancellor Angela Merkel screamed at him over the phone to stop jerking around and fix it.

Alas…thats the State we are in.