My Internet access is horrible here. Besides the fact it costs $9\hour and being Europe no one works so I can't get to a terminal during any sane hours, when the thing is open 20 people are lined up in back of me tapping their toes. Why can't the government pay them to sit at the bar drinking like the rest of Europe.
OK, I have some Internet now in the mountains of Italy, but its slow. I'll try and update.
Spain: Great deal for citizens but the are exporting immigrants as fast as they can fill shipping containers. Economy collapsed 15% unemployment, social services failing. My friends claim free health care and it works and they are happy with it, but no more free rides since economy collapsed.
France: I think we may have a winner. My friends say free health care and generally OK with some waiting. Best part is I think? the floodgates are still open for the Mike Endrizzi's of the world to weazle onto the system. Don't quote me on this, but so far I think this is my best bet.
Italy: Once again day late and dollar short. The last government open the floodgates and the Italians were overwhelmed with warm bodies looking for free hair transplants from around the world. So they ejected that government and the new government has slammed the doors shut in MY face, and I'm Italian! How dare they, I am a citizen of the world, an unwashed peasant, a lowly contractor. Geez louise, during the great Depression the USA took in tons of guineas like my mom and dad and now when the America is on its last dying breath, what about me????? Yes you get free health care and they seem to be happy with the level of care.
'''''''''''''''''''''
One thing that is universal. My friends are from left, right, north, south all political walks of life. They all agree that centralized universal health care is a good thing and works for them. I'm thinking they dont realize that you can get excellent care in USA if you can get into the system, I think they are use to living in North Korea like health care type standards so it seems to work? Not sure. I guess I can see the USA taking the dive and in the beginning it will suck and we will stand in long lines to get a flu shot, but 20 years from now our kids will think it is just normal.
Taxes: These are all very general
Spain: 30% for minimum income worker
France: 40% for minimum income worker
Italy: 20% for minimum income worker, 60% for larger wages
GAS:
Italy, France generally near $7.75\gallon,
spain around $6.50
Housing Prices:
Italy: 900 sqft condo mountain vacation home off beaten path nothing special $400,000
General Economy:
Spain: North is OK, rest of country it is like USA 15% unemployment
France: Generally OK
Germany: Generally OK
Italy: North is doing very well, no unemployment. South Italy was, is , will always be in tanks
Holland: projected 1 million unemployed, total pop is 16 million.
I still don't understand how these Euro economy work. No one works 40 hour weeks - 35 to 38, they get 13 months of payroll ( 1 month xmas bonus), 6 weeks paid vacation, free health care, $300/baby, doctor can write a 6 week prescription for paid vacation if you are burned out, retire when you are 55 if you work 30 years, the list goes on. I think we are all suckers in the USA killing ourselves for the man. Except Dan, stop reading this blog and go back to work for the man or I will continue not to pay you.
Later,
dreez
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Prices in Northern Europe
Just want to keep track of prices. I'll be updating this as I go.
Germany:
E1.45/liter Euro for gas 100 octane . $2.06/liter. $7.79/gallon
E1.08/liter for diesel $1.51/liter $5.71/gallon
Euro is at 1.45!!! Ugh $$$ is dying again, politicians are printing money
6 pack beer. $2.45
ground beef. $2.80/pound
bailays irish creme 750 millileter $3.50
Holland
Camping $30/night very tourist spot
E1.33/liter Euro for gas only 95 octane available.
E.96/liter for diesel
Germany:
E1.45/liter Euro for gas 100 octane . $2.06/liter. $7.79/gallon
E1.08/liter for diesel $1.51/liter $5.71/gallon
Euro is at 1.45!!! Ugh $$$ is dying again, politicians are printing money
6 pack beer. $2.45
ground beef. $2.80/pound
bailays irish creme 750 millileter $3.50
Holland
Camping $30/night very tourist spot
E1.33/liter Euro for gas only 95 octane available.
E.96/liter for diesel
To Boldly Go Where only AIG has gone before
This post is going to be lame because I'm coming up blank. I've been to Iceland, Holland, Germany so far, the very mother's den of Euro bleeding heart socialist Utopia - and no one can tell me how to ride the system anymore. Everyone is telling me the same thing - it use to be a great easy ride 10 years ago but no more. The only thing that stuck was the high taxes. I am really bummed. I went through all that work finding a hot Euro sugar mama - and I still can't touch AIG blaze of glory sucking on the government teat. And on top of it, Gaby told me 3 weeks ago that when she got her dual-citizenship, she promised not to ride the German system in the future! AAAAHHHHHHH - Strike Two for Dreezman!
Also Gaby is also starting to revert back to her Euro roots. Words like "solidarity" and "we finally got away from that 40 hour week" "shorter work weeks increase employment"are entering her vocabilary when we hit Iceland. So we've been having hours of great discussions about economics, but she always wins because in the end she says "Germany isn't bailing out any AIGs, it rather support its citizens and besides the economy is not as bad as the USA" so of course I"m left speechless. Damn Bush Republicans really screwed me over.
But I diverge, I'll talk more about that later. Let's get back to my findings for now.
OK, I've got some lame rides that are kinda like the US that everyone is doing:
- If you get in a car accident, you of course sue everyone within 10 miles. But on top of that, you then can tell your employer that you are in great pain and they have to pay full salary for 6 weeks no matter what. Then you start riding some other phantom government programs.
- Because they don't have enough babies to fund the system in the future the government pays you to have babies so immigrants are generally baby factories for $300/month. On TV the liberal party had a news show where a non-immigrant mother with 4 kids couldn't buy brand name jeans for her child and the kid was being laughed at at school so the liberal party wanted to up it to $450/month.
- Doctors use to make big bucks, but they changed the system so instead of lambarginis they now can only drive mercedes. So now doctors are more interested in churning through clients. So when the car accident guy comes in, doctors compete to write prescriptions for how long you can be out of work.Doctors who write prescriptions to stay home the longest get the most business so they can at least afford Porches again.
- My Italian friend Pietro a card carrying Communist goes to a veternarian for long-term injuries. He said Italy has great emergency rooms, but doesn't trust the doctors to fix his shoulder so his friend the vet is looking at it.
- There is this new unemployment system I'm not sure I have this right but it goes kinda like this. You get unemployment for 1 year or so where they pay 70% of your salary (not sure accurate). Then if you don't get job, you go on permanent unemployment for $450/month for life. BUT!!! you have to pick up trash for 1 Euro per hour whenever they call you or else game over. I'm thinking this is my best bet so far.
- For workmans comp, you can claim "emotional" damage from work. They will pay for retraining, computer, rent, bus rides, spending money, etc for 2 years while you learn a new career. This sounds very promising.....
Also Gaby is also starting to revert back to her Euro roots. Words like "solidarity" and "we finally got away from that 40 hour week" "shorter work weeks increase employment"are entering her vocabilary when we hit Iceland. So we've been having hours of great discussions about economics, but she always wins because in the end she says "Germany isn't bailing out any AIGs, it rather support its citizens and besides the economy is not as bad as the USA" so of course I"m left speechless. Damn Bush Republicans really screwed me over.
But I diverge, I'll talk more about that later. Let's get back to my findings for now.
OK, I've got some lame rides that are kinda like the US that everyone is doing:
- If you get in a car accident, you of course sue everyone within 10 miles. But on top of that, you then can tell your employer that you are in great pain and they have to pay full salary for 6 weeks no matter what. Then you start riding some other phantom government programs.
- Because they don't have enough babies to fund the system in the future the government pays you to have babies so immigrants are generally baby factories for $300/month. On TV the liberal party had a news show where a non-immigrant mother with 4 kids couldn't buy brand name jeans for her child and the kid was being laughed at at school so the liberal party wanted to up it to $450/month.
- Doctors use to make big bucks, but they changed the system so instead of lambarginis they now can only drive mercedes. So now doctors are more interested in churning through clients. So when the car accident guy comes in, doctors compete to write prescriptions for how long you can be out of work.Doctors who write prescriptions to stay home the longest get the most business so they can at least afford Porches again.
- My Italian friend Pietro a card carrying Communist goes to a veternarian for long-term injuries. He said Italy has great emergency rooms, but doesn't trust the doctors to fix his shoulder so his friend the vet is looking at it.
- There is this new unemployment system I'm not sure I have this right but it goes kinda like this. You get unemployment for 1 year or so where they pay 70% of your salary (not sure accurate). Then if you don't get job, you go on permanent unemployment for $450/month for life. BUT!!! you have to pick up trash for 1 Euro per hour whenever they call you or else game over. I'm thinking this is my best bet so far.
- For workmans comp, you can claim "emotional" damage from work. They will pay for retraining, computer, rent, bus rides, spending money, etc for 2 years while you learn a new career. This sounds very promising.....
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Bleeding hearts bled dry
Just wanted to start out documenting German taxes:
18% Health care
19% Pension
1% Solidarity east germany bailout
4% unemployment
9% church tax
...
and that does NOT include income tax. So even if you are minimum wage you pay 50% of your income right off the bat.
And then when you buy something, there is the 20% sales tax.
This is what you get in return more than usa from what I can tell. The social gravy train ended 10 years ago.
1) free schools thru college
2) if you work you get 70% health insurance coverage and you have to buy private health insurance for the other 30%. if you don´t work, its like usa you suck it down
3) fuzzy on this but 70% unemployment for 1 year i think. then $300/month for life but you are required to pick up garbage for 1 euro per hour or they cut you off
4) $300/baby/month, they need more babies
5) hard to throw out renters, renters are protected
6)
thats it for now.
dreez
18% Health care
19% Pension
1% Solidarity east germany bailout
4% unemployment
9% church tax
...
and that does NOT include income tax. So even if you are minimum wage you pay 50% of your income right off the bat.
And then when you buy something, there is the 20% sales tax.
This is what you get in return more than usa from what I can tell. The social gravy train ended 10 years ago.
1) free schools thru college
2) if you work you get 70% health insurance coverage and you have to buy private health insurance for the other 30%. if you don´t work, its like usa you suck it down
3) fuzzy on this but 70% unemployment for 1 year i think. then $300/month for life but you are required to pick up garbage for 1 euro per hour or they cut you off
4) $300/baby/month, they need more babies
5) hard to throw out renters, renters are protected
6)
thats it for now.
dreez
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