The Greek economy and affects | Vital Football

The Greek economy and affects

kefkat

Vital Football Legend
As I have just spend 3 weeks in Kefelonia Greek Islands I have been asked to report on what I seen and heard on how The Greeks are coping with the austerity and how it is affecting them.

It is always hard to come home from where we go every May because of the sheer beauty and tranquility of the Island which is totally unspoiled however I always appreciate home much more when we get back and realize how lucky we are here.

On the whole the Islands are coping with the austerity alot better than the mainland. The Islands have returning 60% of holidaymakers each year who go to the same place plus new 1's.

The lives on the Islands are generally much simpler than that of the mainland which has been hit more by austerity and tourism than the Islands.

So apart from the norm of the divine of having coffee with 'normal' milk, having proper supermarkets and getting into your own bed and using our shower for the first time in 3 weeks which brings raptures better than an orgasm and so on, I will now regale you with what is happening.

The government paid workers are often not paid including the police, ambulance, fire service, Doctors, teachers and so on. This is what is mainly causing the riots in Greece mainland.

The police when they aren't paid suddenly come out in force round the Islands and start stopping people on a whim and fining them for anything they can come up with. They then pocket the money to make up their wages is just 1 way they are dealing with it when they don't get paid. I kid you not.

Doctors are charging locals to see them £5 euro's a time and making them claim it back which they won't get even if you have a EU card.

Alot of ex-pats are coming home but can't sell property out their so are stuck.

Unemployment benefit has also been getting the same treatment of people not getting anything. There are new rules coming in with that that they will only beable to claim for so many years put together over a working lifetime.

For all our problems over here there is no way we would have any of this meaning people not being paid by the government etc.

Apparently The Greeks are turning back to growing vegetables and old ways of living to get by.

The house market is shot. If you think it is bad here then we don't know we are born. Houses simply don't sell and are on the market for years.

The same is happening in Spain we read about whilst their

I will add anymore as I think about it.


 
My Greek yoghurt has gone up from 79p to £1 a pot.

They aren't the only ones suffering here!!
 
Yep a medium kebab with salad, I'm a strong advocate of the five day rule, is now £3.95
 
thank you for the report kefkat :) and no doubt what you mention will spread to the other southern states of the eu, with countries such as spain, malta and portugal next on the hit list. with all thats going on it can only make my vote mean a lot more and turning my back on the conservatives and voting for ukip even more important.
 
kefkat - 18/6/2013 20:30

For all our problems over here there is no way we would have any of this meaning people not being paid by the government etc.



RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRReally?

I have not long passed my 1 year anniversary of living on charity, no incapacity/disability benefits, passed fit by ATOS, can claim unemployment, BUT you have to sign that you are fit for work, I am not, so that would be claiming and receiving money under false pretences or fraud as it's commonly known.

It's known as a rock and a hard place, if it were not for the charity of my landlady and my boys I would be homeless and on the street (My how the local property prices would fall, shame on me!) And I would like to point out that I am very far from being the only one, you won't see this much in the media, they won't highlight this, and when they do we are seen as scum by most, a drain on society, doesn't matter a toss that I've spent the vast majority of my life working more than one job and raising a family of seven, so I've paid plenty into this system.


With most it's the "I'm all right Jack" attitude, but most of us who aren't all right, used to be, fingers crossed it's not you next.





 
steff_the_villan - 19/6/2013 05:32

kefkat - 18/6/2013 20:30

For all our problems over here there is no way we would have any of this meaning people not being paid by the government etc.



RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRReally?

I have not long passed my 1 year anniversary of living on charity, no incapacity/disability benefits, passed fit by ATOS, can claim unemployment, BUT you have to sign that you are fit for work, I am not, so that would be claiming and receiving money under false pretences or fraud as it's commonly known.

It's known as a rock and a hard place, if it were not for the charity of my landlady and my boys I would be homeless and on the street (My how the local property prices would fall, shame on me!) And I would like to point out that I am very far from being the only one, you won't see this much in the media, they won't highlight this, and when they do we are seen as scum by most, a drain on society, doesn't matter a toss that I've spent the vast majority of my life working more than one job and raising a family of seven, so I've paid plenty into this system.


With most it's the "I'm all right Jack" attitude, but most of us who aren't all right, used to be, fingers crossed it's not you next.

Erm Steff-If I was an alright Jack as you said I wouldn't do the service I do helping people with these type of problems with my church. I am not an alright Jack. I have been through a hell of alot of shit myself in my life and overcome. I have been homeless with my children after fleeing D.V, been without money etc. etc. That's why I do what I do to help others and not just in this area. It's called 'a purpose for what we went through.'

Regard your rent if you go to your local council you should be able to get your rent paid on nil income basis. They do that up here anyway for people in your situation. It's worth checking up on.

Yes they do highlight this stuff if you know where to look for it. If you want further info on where inbox me and I will send you the links on where to start searching for it. There are plenty of disability sites that provide this information and links to support etc.

As for you picking up on what I said it was one part not all of it. The fact I was stating is that those who are deemed entitled aren't being paid either. Now I am not saying you aren't entitled because you are and the system is making a massive fcuk up obviously. No you are not on your own. I know that. I have already made it clear in other posts/topics about what the government is doing re the disabled etc.

 
He wasn't saying you specifically kefkat, but there is a 'turn a blind eye' or 'I'm alright Jack' attitude.

This country has become a politically correct joke. Those who don't deserve it and should/can get off their arses and work don't and get paid. Someone like Steff gets caught in this new nightmare scenario and a good man is kept down (well, they attempt to keep him down, they never will)

As for your initial point, interesting post etc... 3 weeks, wow, you must be minted!!.... however I disagree that it is good that this country pays so many. There are loads on the dole who just should not be being paid, it isn't anything I feel pride in that this country gives so much to those who won't help themselves.

It is and always meant to be a safety net, one I had to have after my brain op and one I appreciated. I also could not wait to get back off and contribute again. I cried the day I was able to not be on dla or whatever it was called. I could have just stayed on the 'dole' for the rest of my life with my health. I wouldn't. Those not ill especially, who can work, should work (not as easy as said when they will only do a very limited range of work... I admire a young girl at our local coffee shop. She got her degree, couldn't get the job she wanted, so worked in the coffee shop for two years {some would see it as beneath them} and has NOW got the job she wanted)

Ramble over.
 
The Fear - 19/6/2013 12:54

He wasn't saying you specifically kefkat, but there is a 'turn a blind eye' or 'I'm alright Jack' attitude.

This country has become a politically correct joke. Those who don't deserve it and should/can get off their arses and work don't and get paid. Someone like Steff gets caught in this new nightmare scenario and a good man is kept down (well, they attempt to keep him down, they never will)

As for your initial point, interesting post etc... 3 weeks, wow, you must be minted!!.... however I disagree that it is good that this country pays so many. There are loads on the dole who just should not be being paid, it isn't anything I feel pride in that this country gives so much to those who won't help themselves.

It is and always meant to be a safety net, one I had to have after my brain op and one I appreciated. I also could not wait to get back off and contribute again. I cried the day I was able to not be on dla or whatever it was called. I could have just stayed on the 'dole' for the rest of my life with my health. I wouldn't. Those not ill especially, who can work, should work (not as easy as said when they will only do a very limited range of work... I admire a young girl at our local coffee shop. She got her degree, couldn't get the job she wanted, so worked in the coffee shop for two years {some would see it as beneath them} and has NOW got the job she wanted)

Ramble over.

No not minted JF. We don't drink, or smoke, now. It actually cost us less for 3 weeks than 2 weeks. It cost £1200 for the 3 weeks self catering which we budget for and put away weekly which is just over £20-00 a week.

We save for spending also with the same process of budgeting, spare change in the jar at the end of the day.

A night out a week would cost us at least £80 from what I know. We don't spend as much as that for our holiday.

Our needs are very simple and budgeted for at home
 
Incidently Steff good link. Alot of that I knew from common sense however to have it condensed into 1 video article is good.

I have always said that when Nye Bevin and others created the welfare state it has grown beyond what they could have dreamed. It wasn't created for the burden of the wonder of modern technology and medicine.

Also has wonderful as technology is I remember Mom telling me in 1981 that a manager at her secretarial pool she was working at at the time walked in and said 'I have just seen a machine that will eventually put all of you out of work of the 12 bar 1.' Technology is a wonderful tool but it also has it's down side.

How many did it used to take to build a car which is now done by 1 person and a machine? The list of these is endless and also has had a massive affect on the amount of jobs available which has also not helped.

For all that is positive there is always a negative
 
Well they have made a tidy little sum from my mates court case which has left him family broke and now have to sell their house to fund an appeal. Even though he is innocent and it was the Greeks cock up that put him in that position. Bunch of crooks !!