tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689571.post603053895984525198..comments2023-11-05T12:59:29.404+02:00Comments on Csíkszereda musings: Politics week - Part 1: RomaniaAndyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11294221123964774524noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689571.post-71378565176764054172010-05-12T13:49:45.454+03:002010-05-12T13:49:45.454+03:00Roads, railways, mining companies etc. Utilitites ...Roads, railways, mining companies etc. Utilitites are not privatized, or rather put they are in a perverted state. For example electrical grid is owned by the city and it is responsible for all extensions. However all maintenance and income from the actual use of the system goes to a "private" state company. If you want an extension tough luck. Concurrency is virtually non existent the country was split to regions ... this is the kind of reform that we need. Privatization does not just mean private ownership, it should be done such way that the self interest of the owner should serve the greater good of the society. <br /><br /><br />FriedmanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689571.post-16805963671817183032010-05-12T10:27:50.788+03:002010-05-12T10:27:50.788+03:00@Andy H: the criteria for closing down hospitals w...@Andy H: the criteria for closing down hospitals weren't mentioned, but I suspect it's costs thing: i.e. as many patients treated for the smallest costs.<br /><br />also, the "rationalization" will affect schools, too, not just hospitals, which means that schools in small mountain villages will be closed down as well and children will have to go like 10-20 km to the school in the next village...Bogdannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689571.post-4633412007978048032010-05-12T09:06:16.578+03:002010-05-12T09:06:16.578+03:00Bogdan: Jesus, all of that? It's a nightmare. ...Bogdan: Jesus, all of that? It's a nightmare. It sounds exactly like Thatcher to be honest. Let me guess: "an efficient hospital" is defined in terms of money not in terms of health/treatment/life saving etc. Am I close?<br /><br />Friedman: There isn't a great deal left to privatise, frankly. The railways, and I dunno, the post office maybe. Utilities, telecom and banks all went some time ago. Take it from someone who experienced rail privatisation - it's an incredible mess and it made things a 100 times worse. CFR needs investment that's for sure, but privatisation of railways is a recipe for absolute disaster.Andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11294221123964774524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689571.post-10745902700967789812010-05-12T01:40:38.266+03:002010-05-12T01:40:38.266+03:00We lived for nearly half a century under a system ...We lived for nearly half a century under a system counter-selecting system that repressed initiative. Then followed another twenty years of more or less faking reform, yielding to progress only when pressured to. The bulk of the populace is bluntly put ignorant and easily manipulated (admittedly older EU countries have the same problem but by far not to the same extent). <br /><br />With this kind of society any money taken as tax or anything touched by the state is bound to fail. So lets keep the flat tax rate, privatize as much as possible, set the right incentives, etc. When we will be smarter, more independent perhaps we can revert to a progressive tax system generally used by *developed* countries.<br /><br />FriedmanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689571.post-31182936946544553302010-05-12T00:18:05.836+03:002010-05-12T00:18:05.836+03:00They should cut all those "businesses" w...They should cut all those "businesses" with the state..politicians' companies go extremely rich only because they can do business with the state..It makes me sick!<br />Videanu, the minister of economy asked the oficialls in Bruxeles if he can access European fonds..could you believe that??? What a nerve he has!<br />Unfortunately, a mafiotic system runs Romania. So bad, these people don't deserve this.<br /><br />C.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689571.post-63753148317738340332010-05-11T16:45:02.985+03:002010-05-11T16:45:02.985+03:00hm... Actually, the more I look at Băsescu's p...hm... Actually, the more I look at Băsescu's plans, the more I see Thatcher's ideas.<br /><br />They're going to privatize everything, from the district heating companies to rail transport.<br /><br />They're going to close down *HALF* of the state-owned hospitals, chosen by the statistics, i.e. the least "efficient" hospitals.<br /><br />They're trimming down all benefits, not just pensions and the maternity leave payments will be limited to 600 lei, to encourage mothers to go back to work as soon as possible. (many families, especially those in Bucharest/big cities, with mortgages can't afford living on such a sum).<br /><br />He claims to trim down the farcical/absurd social programs, giving as example, the benefits given to the parents of babies for nappies.<br /><br />Băsescu said he's generally against social security benefits (such as venitul minim garantat), as they "encourage laziness".<br /><br />More flexible employment: i.e. so owners can fire people without a reason.<br /><br />He's blaming in his speach the European Union as encouraging laziness ("nemunca") through the social state.Bogdannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689571.post-72207802274632872152010-05-10T12:10:49.830+03:002010-05-10T12:10:49.830+03:00Actually, beyond the 16% tax, you (and your compan...Actually, beyond the 16% tax, you (and your company) have to pay a myriad of other taxes: social security 29%, state health insurance 12.5%, unemployment 3% etc<br /><br />For a person to get a 4000 lei wage, the company would pay in all an additional 3300 lei in taxes, so the tax rate is more like 45%.Bogdannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689571.post-92016736700127565672010-05-10T11:07:58.812+03:002010-05-10T11:07:58.812+03:00You didn't even mention the second-hand fighte...You didn't even mention the second-hand fighters being bought from the US for billions.<br /><br />Or the fact that the IMF money is not going directly to the budget: it all goes to the National Bank which keeps it as a reserve in order to prop up the leu when needed.Bucharest Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15622245212064518424noreply@blogger.com