News from Martin (Tuesday & Wednesday) :
Canon Martin criticises the PSP Machico and speaks of injustice over the arrest of four youngsters. Community is in turmoil and continuing controversy.
Canon Martin is still on the case in Machico with the subject of four youths who were arrested for allegedly setting fire to an area of Sierra de Agua, in Machico.
The controversy promises to heat up even more, now that the local priest has comes out in defence of the boys and is making fierce criticisms of the PSP.
Relatives of young people and local community are outraged by the actions of the PSP Machico.
Madeiran Shipowner Launches New Containership Service
Luis Miguel Sousa, president of Grupo Sousa, reiterated today the commitment of the group which he chairs "in the sense of serving Madeira and our customers," and to this purpose he justified the acquisition of ‘Funchalense 5′ to "provide the shipping line with larger, the most modern and fastest container ship in the Portuguese merchant marine, becoming the leaders of a regular shipping service”.
This Madeiran owner, says he knows "the meaning and importance to an island region of the existence of a regional shipping line , who will understand the Island’s problems and respond positively to the difficulties that often arise. We take this responsibility with pride and tell President of the Regional Government of Madeira our complete commitment to serve the Island of Madeira " .
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by the President of the Regional Government, Alberto João Jardim, also a stand in for Alfred Hitchcock, who praised the Group Sousa and particularly businessman Luis Miguel Sousa, not only for his financial investment, but also for the "excellent climate of employment relationships, which are always a hallmark standard within this company "." You have installed in our youth a new vision of trade relations and have established a climate of trust among all members of staff from the senior administrator to the humblest worker which makes this group of companies, Group Sousa, a standard bearer in the field of labour relations, "he said.
Fires: Government creates finance for private owners. Special program for properties affected by the fires gives financial support amounting to 95 and 100% of their value.
The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources is already on the ground carrying out surveys to affected farms and forestry.
A special program to reforest private land affected by the fires has just been created by the Regional Government.
This program is reflected in concessions to private forest owners, giving financial support of 100%, for the investment needed to reforest privately owned areas.
The announcement was made at a press conference, held by the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources (SRARN), "the first business day after the fires" that broke out last Friday. Under the initave, owners of affected farms will be entitled to financial support, also for replacement of damaged equipment – plants, trees, animals, machines, barns or warehouses – amounting to 95% of investment involved.
The money comes from the fund PRODEEM – Rural Development Programme for the Autonomous Region of Madeira – provided for eventualities such as the recovery of agricultural land after forest fires.
Those interested should contact the departments of SRARN located in municipal councils and agricultural supply centre. It should be noted that requests for support require documentation of loss and damage caused by fires.
Porto Santo was in the dark for 20 minutes. ‘Blackout’ happened around 10pm.
The island of Porto Santo was in the dark for about 20 minutes last night. A power black-out was suspected to have been caused by some equipment failure. At about 10pm a large noise was heard by witnesses, which could have been the cause of this power outage. The Journal tried to contact the Electricity Company of Madeira to find out the causes of the problem, but the technicians of MES referred us to the company’s management for an explanation about what happened.
LEVADEIRO FIRERISER ARRESTED. A 54 year old man, who works as a Levadeiro, was arrested on Saturday by the Judicial Police. He is suspected of having started the fire which began at a site in Eira do Serrado.
The suspect will be presented today to the Court for a preliminary judicial interrogation when a decision will be made about the charges he faces.
The fire from Eira do Serrado spread to surrounding hills and reached districts of Funchal, Camara de Lobos and Santana, consuming an area of approximately 6,000 hectares.
Photo from Pete : "Fire spotted near Funchal football stadium".
News from Martin :
JSD-M CHALLENGENES YOUNG PEOPLE TO BECOME ENTREPRENEURS
Young people should be more entrepreneurial and seize opportunities. They should make the present crisis an open door to a better future. Basically these are the ideas advocated by the Social Democratic Youth of Madeira. After an intense week of activities covering several areas of Madeiran political and social life, entrepreneurship was the theme chosen to end a week of visits, ideas and proposals.
In the realm of entrepreneurship, JSD-M understands that there are obstacles and difficulties, but urges young people to leave their fear behind them and accept the uncertain future. To do this, the youth of the PSD entrepreneurs will be expected to venture out and not give up before the first problems. JSD believes that there are worthwhile challenges especially for the least wealthy, those who do not expect a cheque at the end of the month. In a crisis scenario such as that now live, being an entrepreneur can be an opportunity that JSD advises young people to grasp. And it promises awareness of support tools that might be useful to those who accept the challenge of, for example, to create their own jobs.
For this morning’s debate the JSD-Madeira invited Miguel Pina Martins, a 25-year-old native of Setubal, who has been distinguished by the European Commission as the "Entrepreneur of the Year 2010" for the Company Science4you, designing scientific toys . This award is nationally recognized and likewise in selected international markets.
News from Sue :
Estalagem Eira do Serrado and SPAD were evacuated
Fire and falling stones frighten the population
Yesterday was marked by the large fires in the hills between the areas Curral das Freiras, Câmara de Lobos, and Santo Antonio, Funchal, which resulted in a dense cloud of smoke over the city. The fire started late on Thursday on the slopes of Eira do Serrado , but in the early hours of yesterday , about six hours , triggered fires in Curral das Freiras.
Around 12 o’clock yesterday, the access road to the Estalagem da Eira do Serrado was cut by the PSP, because of fire and falling rocks. An hour earlier, the tourists who were staying at that hotel, which was full, had been evacuated, leaving only the officers and employees. The fire surrounded the tourism area which was being monitored by the Municipal Fire and Volunteers of Funchal. Later, everyone had to leave.
During the morning, the fire consumed the forest and the role of fire prevention with ten firefighters, two tanks and a self- car first-aid forest, so that the fire did not pass to the bottom of the road. In the afternoon with the increase of wind, the soldiers da Paz had to intervene given the large scale of the fire. Still, there were some drivers who criticized the delay in the arrival of the fire service put out the fire but it should be mentioned that the fire broke out in areas with difficult access.
The mid-afternoon yesterday, the smoke in Curral das Freiras was intense and suffocating, causing many people to leave the parish. The PSP has cut the entry, but house people who wished to remain were allowed to do so.
The flames reached the site of Vasco Gil and also forced the Society for the Protection of Animals evacuate the 141 animals that shelters , taking them to the old slaughterhouse buildings and called for the adoption.
Serra do Campanário burns. A fire in the Campanário mountains scared the population of the site Terreiros in Ribeira Brava. The proximity of the fire to the huts and houses made some residents fear the worst. People were alarmed by the intensity of the wind that was increasing the early afternoon and could change the course of the fire nearing to their homes. The fire fighter who was near the houses had ensured them that the situation was controlled.
Government has used all available to fight the fires
The fire which started at Eira do Serrado quickly spread to the hills of Santo Antonio, San Roque and Monte. The firefighters had their hands full even with the help of all the corporations in Madeira who moved into the affected areas. There were some people who had to leave their homes, as happened in the Caminho dos Lombos, due to the proximity of the flames, but especially due to the toxic fumes.
The regional secretary for Social Affairs, Ramos Jardim, and the Environment and Natural Resources , Manuel Antonio Correia, accompanied by the Regional Director of Forestry, visited the at risk , first Camacha then in Funchal.
Everywhere people could be found on the streets, some contemplating the scene of ‘Dante’s Inferno’ , others worried about going home to dampen down the surrounding areas, whilst others put in clothes and belongings into cars, preparing for an eventual evacuation. On the streets, Red Cross personnel, was appealing to people to drink liquids.
In Monte, last evening, the scene was disturbing. Quinta do Terreiro da Luta, for example, where the flames passed within a few feet and they were receiving instructions over the phone. One of the priorities at that time was the Estação da Alegria, which came within a few feet of the fire. At 21:00 hours, the two leaders were there to monitor the work of protection of this important infrastructure.
Another was the Hospital of Marmeleiros. The regional secretary for Social Affairs explained that the whole area around it had been dampened down and the devices were installed were permanently in place to prevent the flames reaching there.
Speaking to journalists, the regional secretary for the Environment explained that several fires were active at the same time, a situation that led to natural difficulties. The flames were spread by wind gusts. Manuel Antonio Correia appealed for people to be careful and not walk through the mountains but assured everything was being done to protect the people first and their property. He had also been in the area of Camacha where there were difficult situations, but they were already being monitored.
Pics from Pete :
News stories from Martin :
POLICE HAVE IDENTIFIED SUSPECTS WHO HAVE SET FIRES
Despite the sensitive nature, the regional secretary of the Environment assures that suspects have been identified raising the fires occurring in the mountains of Madeira.
Manuel Antonio Correia alleges that the Forestry Police, whose first priority was to help fight the fire, has collected evidence at several locations and all the information sent to the Judicial Police. After all, as the minister responsible has said it is a crime punishable by imprisonment, something that should not be forgotten by those who had responsibility for setting the fires.
ESTRALEGEM AND SPAD EVACUATED. Fire and Falling Stones frighten.
The day yesterday was marked by the great fire in the hills between the village of Nun’s Valley, in Camara de Lobos, and Santo António, which resulted in a dense cloud of smoke over the Funchal. The fire started late on Thursday on the slopes of Eira do Serrado, but in the early hours of Friday, about six o’clock, also began on the slopes of the Nun’s Valley.
Around 12 o’clock Friday, the access road to the Inn of Eira do Serrado was closed by the PSP, because of fire and falling rocks. An hour earlier, the tourists who were staying at that hotel, had been evacuated, leaving only the officers and employees. The fire surrounded the hotel area which was being monitored by the Funchal Municipal Fire Volunteers. Later, everyone had to leave.
During the morning, the fire consumed the forest and ten firefighters, two water tanks, controlled the blaze so that the fire did not pass to the bottom of the road. In the afternoon with the increase of wind intensity, they had to intervene given the large size of the fire .There were some drivers who criticized the delay in the fire service putting out the fire. However, the fire had broken out in areas with difficult access.
In the Nun’s Valley, some people feared the fall of stones and the advance of the fire. Rubina Aguiar was sitting with his family in his home near the regional access road, and confessed to our newspaper "I was already intrigued why this year there had been no fire." Whilst we were talking with this family, there was a great noise on the hills of falling rocks, dislodged by the fire.
The mid-afternoon Friday, the smoke in the Nun’s Valley was intense and suffocating, causing many people to evacuate out of the area. The PSP had cut the road access, but let out people who so wished . The flames reached the site of Vasco Gil and also forced the Society for the Protection of Animals to evacuate the 141 animals it shelters, taking them to a disused slaughterhouse and called for people to adopt the animals.
Many thanks to Martin, Sue and Pete for sending in a contribution(s) for this blog.
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If you can, please contribute something Madeira related. A funny story or good or bad experience, a news item, or a story from a Madeira newspaper, a teaser, news of a bargain flight or item in a supermarket. Please help keep this blog going … without user contributions it won’t survive. Please only send in ‘exceptional’ or very topical photos by email attachment, as they take quite some time to process. Links to photos that are already online take much less time. Anything submitted for inclusion will be ‘cut and pasted’ to the blog very likely unchecked and unaltered, so please check anything through before sending it in, especially ‘automatic translations’, to avoid any ‘afterthoughts’. Blogs will be published when there is sufficient material to make one worthwhile. I can’t always respond to emails, so please accept my thanks in advance, and the attribution on the blog itself. Der.
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If anyone going to Monte here is the bus info times. http://www.horariosdofunchal.pt/
1I wish you all the best. It is really a hard year for Madeira.
Love,
Anneke
2Is it time for the raining frogs yet?
3Or the plague of locusts?
4Not been a good year.
Martin they just crock it with this smoke from the fire, or ribbit on. Monte bussy as normal, lots of food and drink, and dancing going on.
5Very sad to read about the devastation of the Ecological Park. I admire the attitude of Bruno Pereira, “Mas nós não vamos desistir”. “We will not give up” and will continue to reforest although 10 years work went up in smoke in one day. The radar was not affected and the donkeys (burros do Parque Ecológico) are safe, unlike some other animals.
Photos of the fire at Encumeada: http://www.dnoticias.pt/multimedia/fotoreportagem/223143-vento-empurra-fogo-para-longe-da-encumeada
Video of Pico do Areeiro: http://www.dnoticias.pt/multimedia/video/223147-cenario-devastador-no-pico-do-areeiro
6We were in Funchal on Friday on the last day of our 2 week holiday in Madeira, in the garden of our hotel-the pestana casino, when what looked like a huge cloud started to appear. After a few minutes when the cloud got thicker and darker, and the sky went orange we realised this was not a cloud, but lots of smoke. We could then see smoke pouring from the top of the mountains. We had only visited nuns valley on Wednesday so it was a bit of a shock to see the smoke. We really hope everything and everyone is ok and that as little damage as possible has been done. Madeira is a lovely place and we had a fab holiday there. Take care all xx
7Thanks Elaine for the ‘short cuts’ some spectacular pictures but what a sad picture, after the floods and now the fire – and I suppose you could say the plague on Porto Santo – lets hope this is it for the year!
8Sue All I can see is maybe mosquitos may take revenge this year. Other wise think we been though the worse unless in comes in 3s.
9major wildfires in portugal under control….from euro news
http://www.euronews.net/2010/08/15/major-wildfires-in-portugal-under-control/
10I went up to Santo Antonio for espetada on Thursday and saw 2 small fires, the taxi driver thought they were deliberately set because they were so close to the houses, on the way up we could see a small smoke spiral from Funchal, on the way down they looked much thicker
Usually we need to be at the restaurant by 6.45 for a table, when we leave at 8.00 the q’s are out the door, this year the place was empty, we left at 8.15 and only 3 taxis of people in there, I will not be going back because the taxi charged me €36!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was only €25 to the water park and back, something needs to be done, the driver who charged me that has known me for 10 years
11Funchal cover with smoke from the fire this morning.
12Caniço looks much better today
13The BBC Anglia pointed out today was unusual for the number of people wearing gloves going to work this morning.
14Around here the combines have been parked up in the fields most of last week ‘cos of rain.
The harvest is very late, prices will rise.
If Russia puts an export embargo on wheat and the Ukraine ditto barley them gluten based products are going to be very dear indeed.
Mind you English bakers have been making bread from cardboard for years.
Martin Prehaps the bakers job been cut out years ago. Hows the apartment renting going on? Looks like football ground saved, no smoke today. Bet the fire engine was burning rubber to get there to put it out, or they never hear the end of it if they didn’t.
15Details of this Saturday’s Funchal 21st of August events.
http://funchal21deagosto.com/site/funchal21deagosto/2010/programa.asp
16More about Day of Funchal website:
17http://funchal21deagosto.com
Programme is in both English and Portuguese – pdf files at the bottom of the information section.
Anyone intending to come into Garajau find the back roads or avoid it!! the traffic lights are now outside the Fruit and Veg shop and it is a mess!!
18Its been a total mess for months now Sue, when will they ever get it finished, talk about slow work, In the evenings its ok and weekends when they not working, but i try to avoid as much as i can. Plus Cafe Jardim is closed for holidays now , this is where i normally go. Must meet up for a coffee Sue….
19We will have been here three years this December and it started not long after we arrived – say no more. Coffee any time – always a glass of wine available here!
20Will out to Garajau asap
21fuel prices boost july euro zone inflation ..from euro news
http://www.euronews.net/2010/08/16/fuel-prices-boost-july-euro-zone-inflation/
22Just back from a quick trip into Funchal you can really see the fires (smoke) dotted all over the hills, the smoke trails are straight up at the moment was presume one has to cross fingers that the wind does not come up again. Instead of the tops being in cloud they are in smoke – quite a sad sight.
23On last nights local news, some expert was talking about the extent of the damage, and two films were shown of the Madeira landscape, filmed from a helicopter, of ‘before’ and ‘after’ the fire. I was absolutely horrified by the extent of the damage, that turned lush green into arid grey. The damage just went on and on and on. I did read how many hectares were burnt, but a hectare means nothing to me, at least I can’t visualise one.
24What the worrying fact with this fire, is the comming winter. The damage to the trees and plants. they will bit little or no roots in the ground to hold the soil. Do we have a repeat of last February floods.
25RTP Madeira link on the fire. http://ww1.rtp.pt/programas-rtp/index.php?p_id=15790&e_id=&c_id=&dif=tv
26Here is a link to last nights news what Der is talking about , and the before and after videos start about 12 mins into the story.
http://ww1.rtp.pt/programas-rtp/index.php?p_id=15790&e_id=&c_id=&dif=tv
2719 factory killed in explosion at fireworks factory
An explosion at a fireworks factory in northeast China, was felt three miles away, and has caused 19 deaths and 153 injured, the New China newspaper reported on Tuesday.
An earlier bulletin gave a lesser account of 13 dead and 148 wounded.
The explosion occurred on Monday at a factory located near the city of Yichun, Heilongjiang Province in China.
This sort of thing could be Madeira’s next disaster, you never know, comments blogger.
28Martin it depends on the health and safety with China and Madeira, I would thought, and what caused the fireworks explosion.
29As I understand it the fireworks factory in China was illegal ….. and again, as I understand it, the storage facilities for the Madeiran New Years eve Fireworks display (and those of June) are also illegal …. in that they are not adequately “blast” proof and are sited close to populated areas i.e. stored in the Army Barracks above Funchal, close to Military and civilian housing areas – and not to far from one or two Hotels …… HHhhmmmmm = health and safety Pete? China V Madeira? Not a lot of difference really …….
30Jon I think they was a bit in the blog about firework site in the blog not long ago, unless my memory mistaken.
31Der – if you think of football pitches – half a hectare = one football pitch, so they say 17,687 hectares destroyed that means 35,374 football pitches!
32Pete, June 17th according to the seach facility. Bunker licensed at Santa do Serra but residents were unhappy about the suitability of the site. Previously, there was an agreement with the military to use their ammunition storage facilities. The fireworks are supposed to be safe when stored and only dangerous when handled but Wikipedia cite the Enschede fireworks disaster when a depot exploded in the Netherlands in 2000.
33We have just returned from our first ever visit to Madeira enjoying 7 days in Funchal staying at Quinta Bela Sao Tiago in the beautiful old town. We were staggered to hear that the fires, which occurred during our stay, had been started intentionally especially given the extent to which the residents & tourism have already suffered this year. The first sign that anything was amiss was when fine strings of black ash started falling on us around the pool. Small drifts of brownish cloud then drifted down from the mountains & these quickly escalated to eventually block out the sun completely. The following morning the hotel staff & owners worked strenuously for 4-5 hours hosing ash from the windows, terraces, outdoor furniture etc & cleaning the pool. Whilst the fires were under control before we left they continued to smoulder with the resulting cloud diminishing the sunlight hours. Whilst visiting Monte during their Saint’s day celebrations we did wonder whether the many falling celebratory fireworks, set off in the early afternoon, might prove a fire hazard should they land in any of the areas of dry, shrivelled grass.
34Keep meaning to ask does anyone know where you can get camping gaz (we use it for the BBQ) in the Canico area, we at present use a little marine shop in Funchal (near the Tourish Exposition House), it is OK but a couple of times lately he has not had any.
35Elaine thanks for info, you right, jogging my memory. The Madeira may be more safety in mind then china. I know they a factor where to store any fireworks. Maybe they are old caves they could use. At present I think what more worrying is damage done by this fire, with coming winter. Let’s hope they enough tree roots etc holding the soil for the winter rain we get here. Last thing we all need is last February floods again.
36Whisky get you going in more ways then one…from euro news
http://www.euronews.net/2010/08/18/whisky-gets-you-going-in-more-ways-than-one/
37While the pictures of the aftermath of the fires are a sad sight to see I can offer the personal experience of living in western canada where forest fires are sadly part of summer (Currently we have over 400 in BC alone) What usually happens here is that steep slopes, where soil retention could be a problem after the fire are usually ariel seeded with some kind of grass from the air( plane or helicopter) the mixture includes some sort of fertilizer and by the spring the hillsides green up. Then the planting can begin because the soil is still on the hillside. Hopefully the forestry dept can be on the ball enough to get started soon. My suspicion is that they will need to do a study and have ‘meetings’ which will take all of the summer and fall before they are ready to do anything.
38Wendy Thank you for your welcomed comment.
39Sue, there was an outdoor leisure shop down in caniço de baixo, not sure if its still open though , when i next pass i will have a look and see if they sell camping gas.
40If you didnt see the front page of the Diario today, it had a great picture taken by Nasa of the fires in Madeira. Below is the link to the picture from Nasa.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=45262
41Greece Enters Death Spiral (could Portugal be next or Spain maybe)
Spiegel Online International reports Tensions Rise in Greece as Austerity Measures Backfire
The austerity measures that were supposed to fix Greece’s problems are dragging down the country’s economy. Stores are closing, tax revenues are falling and unemployment has hit an unbelievable 70 percent in some places. Frustrated workers are threatening to strike back.
This dire prognosis comes even despite Athens’ massive efforts to sort out the country’s finances. The government’s draconian austerity measures have managed to reduce the country’s budget deficit by an almost unbelievable 39.7 percent, after previous governments had squandered tax money and falsified statistics for years. The measures have reduced government spending by a total of 10 percent, 4.5 percent more than the EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF) had required.
The problem is that the austerity measures have in the meantime affected every aspect of the country’s economy. Purchasing power is dropping, consumption is taking a nosedive and the number of bankruptcies and unemployed are on the rise. The country’s gross domestic product shrank by 1.5 percent in the second quarter of this year. Tax revenue, desperately needed in order to consolidate the national finances, has dropped off. A mixture of fear, hopelessness and anger is brewing in Greek society.
Unemployment Rates of up to 70 Percent
Unemployment in the city [the shipbuilding district of Perama] hovers between 60 and 70 percent, according to a study conducted by the University of Piraeus. While 77 percent of Greek shipping companies indicate they are satisfied with the quality of work done in Perama, nearly 50 percent still send their ships to be repaired in Turkey, Korea or China. Costs are too high in Greece, they say. The country, they argue, has too much bureaucracy and too many strikes, with labor disputes often delaying delivery times.
Barely any of the country’s industries can keep up with international competition in terms of productivity, and experts expect the country’s gross domestic product to fall by 4 percent over the course of the entire year. Germany, by way of comparison, is hoping for growth of up to 3 percent.
Sales Figures Dropping Everywhere
A short jaunt through Athens’ shopping streets reveals the scale of the decline. Fully a quarter of the store windows on Stadiou Street bear red signs reading “Enoikiazetai” — for rent. The National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE) calculates that 17 percent of all shops in Athens have had to file for bankruptcy.
No Way Out
The entire country is in the grip of a depression. Everything seems to be going downhill. The spiral is continuing unabated, and there is no clear way out. The worse part, however, is the fact that hardly anyone still hopes that things will improve one day.
‘Things Are Starting to Simmer’
Menelaos Givalos, a professor of political science at Athens University, has appeared on television, warning viewers that the worst times are still to come. He predicts a large wave of layoffs starting in September, with “extreme social consequences.”
“Everything is getting more expensive, I’m hardly earning any money, and then I’m supposed to pay more taxes to help save the country? How is that supposed to work?” asks Nikos Meletis, the shipbuilder. He predicts the situation will only become more heated. “Things are starting to simmer here,” he says. “And at some point they’re going to explode.”
How Long Can Greece Hold On?
Inquiring minds just might be asking “How long can Greece hold on?”
I do not have the answer to that, besides it’s not the important question. A far more worrisome question is “When does similar strife spread to Spain, Portugal, and perhaps even Italy?”
Part of the blame for this goes to the bailout plan itself. France and to a lesser extent Germany would not take haircuts on Greek debt. Aid to Greece by the IMF and European banks simply threw good money after bad.
The problem did not go away. Instead, terms of the bailout made the situation worse.
42Fireworks are really beautiful, but very dangerous. In Enschede we had a major accident.
A big part of the city was destroyed. I can remember the tv images. It was terrible.
Many people died.
This is a picture of it.
http://www.enschede-stad.nl/~Fotos/Luchtfotos/14.jpg
And this is the site now.
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4820/roombeekyh9.jpg
I hope the fireworks in Funchal are safe capt.
Today I booked my trip to Madeira for next januari I am really looking forward to it.
43Sorry the fisrt link wasn’t working this is.
44http://www.kei-centrum.nl/websites/kei/gfx/projecten/roombeek-enschede-stad-151.jpg
http://www.zero-meridean.nl/images/c_ensche_130500_4.jpg
Thanks Tobi
45Tom thanks for info. What EU land needs is investments in the poorer countries. To much money and trade gone to china, it would be better for environment as well to do local trading. This is what the EU was build for protection in bad times from bad banking from the 1930s. Everyone forgoten in the power of purfume of money.
46Greece, Tom, is the perfect example of a country with an electorate allowing and indeed encouraging its government to spend their money.
47Life became easy as the government paid for and provided whatever people decided was needed.
Their Olympic Games cost beyond their income.
Do we see a parallel within England?
Nobody worried that the source of their income was rapidly disappearing
Spongers everywhere, a government without a brain, an economy built on inflated house prices and not on the creation of solid wealth, gained from the output of manufactured goods.
The Far East has stepped in to fill the gap. First Japan and now China and others.
Every item bought from abroad is a nail in the coffin of English manufacturing.
A fact not covered in our previously Marxist dominated school system.
What large manufacturing there is now belongs to foreign owned and financed firms.
Greece will have to offer incentives for foreigners to invest.
How about a free holiday for every 100,000 invested perhaps?
After all Greece will have to expand its tourist business as the first step to a sound economy.
Martin I have to agree with you. What can be done to help by richer EU countries for example. Germany, France, who make cars, the smaller parts can be make in poorer counties like portugal, greece, and others. This would give EU certain amount of protection in problems like we in today. People attudes have to change, not only UK but by all EU countries. To buy EU products and support us, we all in this together. Throwing money into greece is not the answer, you have to make products to make profits. He in Madeira what would give more help and get things moving again is not only goverment, but super markets. Drop there prices, this give people more money to spend. Lets get back to tight ship, but well maintained crew, for a future for all. They too many newspapers moaning about EU then helping to a better europe, they scare investments away. It was said the reson why USA invested in China if it come to a war they would lose. So they buttering up China. Lets buy European products, a lower VAT rate would help as well.
48Martin I see the future of Britain is assembling parts for china. It’s not the manufacturing base it once was. How the amity Britain has fallen like Rome, this time no shots been fired. Though some say it brings in jobs. I know well known HiFi UK manufacturing gone that why years ago. Like you said nails on the coffin, the future is not the same, as when we were young. The kids from UK won’t be sat on the streets looking at cars, we make that, and that, just that bit ours, and that bit, if they can get bonnet up. All they can do is dad can we go to a museum to look at British cars? or what ever.
49well, the culprit is productivity and unions demand
china and asia are well ahead of usa and europe and we will never go down with our live standards to equal asian life standards.
re madeira, their is a “mafia” of a few very affluent families who owns most of retail business and they oppose any kind of walmart on madeira.
their profits will tumble, similar with container transportation. one guy with well established roots in madeiran gov. can block any cheap ferry transport mainland -madeira.
just my pint of salt grain
50Tom I know well known UK hifi products, got queen award to industry was 100% British, now all sent to china and UK put it together. Including usa hifi products, the prices are well out of even wealthy people. They make bigger profits. Going down the same road people unemployed now telled get back to work or else, and pensioner don’t need much skill in these areas as well. Yes I do see your point on Madeira food, but they no helping their own people infect making it worse. As we know dropping price will boost people’s money to kick start much needed wealth here. Lots of EU outsiders have turn back because price of food and other issues recently. Sad times both sides of 2 islands, what my mum and dad frought for has gone down the pan.
51