Default by Greece Inevitable - Update : Heave to Oust Greece From the Eurozone

[C. Flower]

More tax collection adventures in Greece.

As part of the drive to "save more money", the Greek government has re-introduced the Labour Reserve. Basically it's a half way house for civil servants who are found to be surplus to requirements. Instead of being layed off like anybody else, they are put into the "Labour Reserve" for up to 3 years, keep 60% of their wages, are allowed to work elsewhere without any deductions, and are officially on "stand-by" for when they are needed again. A pool of willing, able and capable workers who know the job and don't need training up (sic)...

The Greek revenue, who turned down the assistance of German tax inspectors as totally unneccesary and ridiculous, have now revealed that they have to go out, collect more taxes from less people, dodge yoghurt, eggs and frappes in the process, and have to do this with 9,826 tax inspectors instead of the promised 15,372. A good chunk of those 9,826 will now be put on the "Labour Reserve". They have also revealed that 83 newly appointed tax collectors refused to take up the job because of the low pay of 680€ a month, before tax...

A toxic measure, as it leaves them needing to make up the missing third, and enables them to undercut other people by taking lower wages/ fees.
So they will put other people out of jobs/ work, and may be better off than they were before being laid off.

[Ephilant]

A toxic measure, as it leaves them needing to make up the missing third, and enables them to undercut other people by taking lower wages/ fees.
So they will put other people out of jobs/ work, and may be better off than they were before being laid off.

I suppose it would even be possible for a tax inspector to end up on the labour reserve, collect 408€ a month for the privelege, and then go working for the revenue as a tax collector earning 680€... And it would more than likely even count as a part of the "sacking" of 150,000 civil servants, as required by the Troika...

If nothing else, it is "creative"

[TotalMayhem]

Samaras today "personally" guaranteed the Germans (Sueddeutsche Zeitung) that they will get their money back...

I wonder, will Enda have to give a such a guarantee in December in order to get Budget 2013 approved by the German government?

[Ephilant]

Samaras today "personally" guaranteed the Germans (Sueddeutsche Zeitung) that they will get their money back...

I wonder, will Enda have to give a such a guarantee in December in order to get Budget 2013 approved by the German government?

He gave that "personal guarantee" 2 years ago as well, as did God Venizelos. Which is great, because now we, the people, can at least tell the germans which door to go and knock on for their 30 silverlings. Their personal guarantee is exactly that, and does not extend to a guarantee from the Greek people. From what I hear in the street, they have rather different ideas about what the Germans can do with "their" money...

And of course, while giving that personal guarantee, he also told them the country will be bust by October if we don't get the 31 billion next strand of the noose he helped put around our necks....

[DCon]

I suppose it would even be possible for a tax inspector to end up on the labour reserve, collect 408€ a month for the privelege, and then go working for the revenue as a tax collector earning 680€... And it would more than likely even count as a part of the "sacking" of 150,000 civil servants, as required by the Troika...

If nothing else, it is "creative"

Don't be giving Gilmore ideas!

[Ephilant]

Don't be giving Gilmore ideas!

From what I can see and hear he could do with some

But them maybe not this one...

[Richardbouvet]

Eliphant, I very much hope you are right and this is merely a Summer lull in Greece and in Spain.

[Ephilant]

Eliphant, I very much hope you are right and this is merely a Summer lull in Greece and in Spain.

We are due another heat wave over the next few days, and then probably, all going as normal, another small one beginning September.
After that, it's all systems go again, pyrotechnics and all...
Todays pathetic show by our PM is not just an indicator of heat-stroke. This is the guy in full swing.
He voiced his biggest fear, for it would be a personal defeat for him. Greece will go bust unless we get the next "tranche". Being totally obvlivious of the fact that Greece IS bust, and he is amongst those most responsible for getting us into this position.

It's too hot to get angry and cranky over this now, but give it another 2 or 3 weeks, and good old Antonis will not know what hit him. By that time Venizelos will also have had his day with the PASOK conference, and the rebuild he so vigourously promises cannot be built on anything else but standing up and saying "enough".
If it will save his butt is a different argument, but if he doesn;t do it, PASOK and Venizelos are past tense.

September will be the month of big changes, in Greece, in Spain, and in all of Europe. Let's just hope we can all be civil about it...

[C. Flower]

"Merkel reins in talk of Grexit"

Cold feet, or timing ?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...ve-phase-.html

[riposte]

"Merkel reins in talk of Grexit"

Cold feet, or timing ?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...ve-phase-.html

Neither Cass. It's a case of "don't frighten the turkeys before Christmas."

[riposte]

We are due another heat wave over the next few days, and then probably, all going as normal, another small one beginning September.
After that, it's all systems go again, pyrotechnics and all...
Todays pathetic show by our PM is not just an indicator of heat-stroke. This is the guy in full swing.
He voiced his biggest fear, for it would be a personal defeat for him. Greece will go bust unless we get the next "tranche". Being totally obvlivious of the fact that Greece IS bust, and he is amongst those most responsible for getting us into this position.

It's too hot to get angry and cranky over this now, but give it another 2 or 3 weeks, and good old Antonis will not know what hit him. By that time Venizelos will also have had his day with the PASOK conference, and the rebuild he so vigourously promises cannot be built on anything else but standing up and saying "enough".
If it will save his butt is a different argument, but if he doesn;t do it, PASOK and Venizelos are past tense.

September will be the month of big changes, in Greece, in Spain, and in all of Europe. Let's just hope we can all be civil about it...

No word from Ephilant for a whole week ..... it must be very hot in Athens.

[Ephilant]

Neither Cass. It's a case of "don't frighten the turkeys before Christmas."

I'm afraid I have to agree with you on this one Riposte.
Samaras is finally achieving his life long dream, he is acting out his very own, personal Greek tragedy on the world stage. With total disregard of the needs of the country and the people.
Venizelos is sitting in the wings, getting ready for a PASOK style "Nacht der langen Messer" in September when he will first purge and then announce the rebuilding of PASOK or what's left of it.
Kouvelis is not only talking out of the 2 sides of his mouth, he is heavily engaging the use of another orifice as well. On paper, Greece has a government. In reality, it's a rudderless ship heading for the rocks. All the salvage crew are doing is making sure the crash is timed to perfection to serve their purpose, quite literally a "no cure - no pay" situation.
Meanwhile, summer is coming to an end, and we will soon be reading about people dying of hunger and freezing to death in the backstreets of our cities.
But hey, who cares? The tragedy is going exactly as planned, and that is all the clown is interested in.

[Ephilant]

No word from Ephilant for a whole week ..... it must be very hot in Athens.

Temperature has dropped to a beautifully cool 29C with a little breeze. Thank the Gods. 46C at some stage last week, and not a puff of wind.
Too hot to default, leave alone talk about it...

[disability student]

Temperature has dropped to a beautifully cool 29C with a little breeze. Thank the Gods. 46C at some stage last week, and not a puff of wind.
Too hot to default, leave alone talk about it...

I would love to go out there on magical Greek islands with that temperature.

Memories of the meltemi winds at the Cyclades islands blowing hard cooling down the sunshine heat. Without these winds, i couldn't cope with that kind of temp at 42oc

[C. Flower]

Neither Cass. It's a case of "don't frighten the turkeys before Christmas."

That was "timing" as in don't frighten the turkeys before Christmas.