77. My Plan for Governing Italy
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| Local Government- happy with mine |
No one expects that on the morning of 15th of April when the new government is elected (hopefully) that it will have a magic wand but I do expect them to have at least a notion of what is wrong with Italy and ENERGETICALLY seek to put it right- which shouldn’t be all that difficult since not only do I list the problems but I also put forward the solutions. N.B. This is only for starters...
1. Money: give us more and take less- this is not as stupid as it sounds, because it is not a question of giving out money rather than letting us keep what we earn. In other words I’m talking about taxes. Italy has more taxes in absolute than any other European country, I should think- More than 40% of all earnings, almost indiscriminately goes on taxes which is used mainly to overpay Members of Parliament and the upkeep of a useless bureaucracy since the services the people receive are next to none compared to what we pay out and in contrast to the services other European countries receive for less taxes than we pay out... I can supply a list of examples on request if anyone cares to know more. Besides it has a crippling effect on self-employed professionals like architects, writers, teachers, who even if they don’t earn more than 5 thousand Euros a month they still have to pay 40% tax on that amount anyway- This law was made in order to prevent such individuals from evading tax payments- but that’s fine for the big ones, the lawyers and notaries who earn more than they declare- but for the others who hardly ever earn that amount- it’s the death knell. Another thing- one would think that an employer pays only the wages to the employee, no one would imagine that the same employer pays an equal amount to the government... I know to someone in England, where this does not happen, may seem science-fiction and one may well ask, what is that money given to the government, used for? ‘Blue’ cars and jets for M.P’s, I shouldn’t think... Well... someone is using it and it isn’t us muggings either...
2. Schools: no more homework- which is quite useless since mum and dad do it. School should become a home away from home not a parking lot for one’s offspring. Pupils should stay there in the afternoons as well so they can do what they miss out on homework and other creative and practical things like cookery, drama, playing an instrument, painting, woodwork and the like. The only schools that work in Italy are nursery and primary; secondary and further education is abysmally pitiful. Those schools are bogged down in meaningless theory, not a thread of practical work, teachers are not trained and have no clue what “teaching” means. Only class teaching exists, not graded or group work- if the slow ones don’t understand- hard luck... if the clever ones are bored- hard luck they have to be held back. There are more janitors in schools in Italy than the whole police force. There should only be one Janitor in a school like in England and kids are to be taught to clean their own desks and keep their classroom tidy. The resources saved on janitors should be employed in extra teachers so students can be taught at different levels and who have really been trained to teach in a school with real lesson plans, not just from a text book. Some money could be used in buying materials to use in practical work- paints, wood or clay- there is an urgent need to teach practical things in schools in Italy since everything is based on theory and that spells failure at all levels. May I also suggest to bring back the stick since 95% of the parents don’t teach their children the difference between right and wrong, and teachers need to have authority which at the moment they do not have.
3. Universities are no better. They are squalid places to be in... loud, rude, dirty and drug infested thanks to a prevailing Left Wing Culture that has tried to sweep away, rightly so, the once privileged and unfair system of the status quo of the rich. The universities must stop this nonsense that anyone, absolutely anyone can enrol. You may well have someone who has a high school diploma, with below average marks, in car mechanics and ends up in medicine trying to become a doctor having not even a smattering of biology or physics. They must stop this nonsense that a student only needs to turn up and sit the exams to pass, without ever setting foot inside a tutorial or lecture hall. They must also stop this nonsense that students can sit their exams when they want and hence their course of study can last decades... this is just a ploy of separated wives who want their offspring (or the offspring himself who often is a drug layabout) to be maintained by the biological father. Degree courses should be taken in two stages, bachelor and then doctorate not simply doctorate, the study of which, can go on forever. But if universities had proper lessons, proper classes and an attendance register none of this would be possible- life can be so simple really.
4. Parliament: What the hell do we need a Senate for? Trying to keep the Chamber of Deputies in order is hard enough for their capabilities, so it is best to simplify things and get rid of the Senate. That power of redress should be assigned to the President of Italy and not use him as a mere decorative figure signing documents without an option of not signing. We are only a small country not a continent. Are we afraid if curtailing democracy? If a President goofs up, we can always elect another one... and I say WE- not parliament as is the case at the moment. The term of service therefore should be reduced from 7 to 3 years, renewable, thus curtailing the possibility of abuse of power. Of course the law that after “serving” two years in parliament an MP is eligible for a 5 thousand Euros a month pension is ludicrous. We have to work 20 to 40 years to get a pension. Besides, there shouldn’t be a 5 thousand a month pension for anyone- what can a pensioner do with all that money a month anyway- it’s simply indecent! Most of us have to make do with 400 Euros a month. And the MPs wages- the highest in Europe- half of what they get is more than plenty. In the election reform, which is to be done immediately after these elections, one headache less for us and for them is that unless a party gets more than 5% they stay home. All these fiddly bits of confetti parties simply encumber any good intentions of governing that a government may miraculously suddenly possess.
5. Just think what can be done with all that money saved? My guess is- it won’t come to the people unless we demand a receipt!!!
6. Justice: I’ve heard recently that Clemente Mastella (see entry 50) has had nothing to do with favouring this or that person- so he’s innocent... now that his life, his work and career has been completely wrecked is he to bow out gracefully... and the Judge??? Reform is desperately needed so as to make no one “Untouchable”. Reform is also desperately needed so as not to make the normal length of a trial, and not only in civil cases, run into a decade.
7. Local Government: fares better than the central one mainly because the locals can keep a more direct eye on those that govern them and each town usually ends up getting the government they deserve- I’m more than happy with mine. In other words we want more power to our local government authorities. The only problem is that Local Government in the South, from Naples downwards, simply would not work because the Mafia would make a feast out of it. Down there we need a Military government! But for the rest of Italy proposing to abolish the ICI which is the house tax is ridiculous as this tax goes directly into the hands of the local government which they administer, in most case, quite well. To take away this much needed resource from local hands is a huge mistake, also because the amount is so paltry compared to the British Council Tax. I only have a small house, but even so, I don’t even pay €50 a year house tax. And “year” is not a typo. I know in England it’s about £1,000 a year. To take away this tax is favouring the rich, because, with their huge grandiose houses they have quite a bit to pay- which is only right- but to take away this income from local government is not right... So, Mr. Berlusconi... you know where you can stick this idea, don’t you? Rather, I suggest to put a bigger tax on housing since 80% of the population is a homeowner and the extra income could be used to build cheaper council houses for the homeless.
8. N.B. on Local Government:
A traditionally Northern Right Wing governed city like
Those are Italian Facts of Life.
EPILOGUE: All those above points, dear future to be elected government, are possible to achieve, and if someone thinks they aren’t- they had better explain- why... which I would imagine is quite hard to do without making it seem just an excuse for doing nothing!
P.S. I’ve often wondered why no one has ever asked me to stand for Parliament. Perhaps they are too concerned in securing a seat for themselves first... Maybe I should ask the Chinese if they are interested.
1. Money: give us more and take less- this is not as stupid as it sounds, because it is not a question of giving out money rather than letting us keep what we earn. In other words I’m talking about taxes. Italy has more taxes in absolute than any other European country, I should think- More than 40% of all earnings, almost indiscriminately goes on taxes which is used mainly to overpay Members of Parliament and the upkeep of a useless bureaucracy since the services the people receive are next to none compared to what we pay out and in contrast to the services other European countries receive for less taxes than we pay out... I can supply a list of examples on request if anyone cares to know more. Besides it has a crippling effect on self-employed professionals like architects, writers, teachers, who even if they don’t earn more than 5 thousand Euros a month they still have to pay 40% tax on that amount anyway- This law was made in order to prevent such individuals from evading tax payments- but that’s fine for the big ones, the lawyers and notaries who earn more than they declare- but for the others who hardly ever earn that amount- it’s the death knell. Another thing- one would think that an employer pays only the wages to the employee, no one would imagine that the same employer pays an equal amount to the government... I know to someone in England, where this does not happen, may seem science-fiction and one may well ask, what is that money given to the government, used for? ‘Blue’ cars and jets for M.P’s, I shouldn’t think... Well... someone is using it and it isn’t us muggings either...
2. Schools: no more homework- which is quite useless since mum and dad do it. School should become a home away from home not a parking lot for one’s offspring. Pupils should stay there in the afternoons as well so they can do what they miss out on homework and other creative and practical things like cookery, drama, playing an instrument, painting, woodwork and the like. The only schools that work in Italy are nursery and primary; secondary and further education is abysmally pitiful. Those schools are bogged down in meaningless theory, not a thread of practical work, teachers are not trained and have no clue what “teaching” means. Only class teaching exists, not graded or group work- if the slow ones don’t understand- hard luck... if the clever ones are bored- hard luck they have to be held back. There are more janitors in schools in Italy than the whole police force. There should only be one Janitor in a school like in England and kids are to be taught to clean their own desks and keep their classroom tidy. The resources saved on janitors should be employed in extra teachers so students can be taught at different levels and who have really been trained to teach in a school with real lesson plans, not just from a text book. Some money could be used in buying materials to use in practical work- paints, wood or clay- there is an urgent need to teach practical things in schools in Italy since everything is based on theory and that spells failure at all levels. May I also suggest to bring back the stick since 95% of the parents don’t teach their children the difference between right and wrong, and teachers need to have authority which at the moment they do not have.
3. Universities are no better. They are squalid places to be in... loud, rude, dirty and drug infested thanks to a prevailing Left Wing Culture that has tried to sweep away, rightly so, the once privileged and unfair system of the status quo of the rich. The universities must stop this nonsense that anyone, absolutely anyone can enrol. You may well have someone who has a high school diploma, with below average marks, in car mechanics and ends up in medicine trying to become a doctor having not even a smattering of biology or physics. They must stop this nonsense that a student only needs to turn up and sit the exams to pass, without ever setting foot inside a tutorial or lecture hall. They must also stop this nonsense that students can sit their exams when they want and hence their course of study can last decades... this is just a ploy of separated wives who want their offspring (or the offspring himself who often is a drug layabout) to be maintained by the biological father. Degree courses should be taken in two stages, bachelor and then doctorate not simply doctorate, the study of which, can go on forever. But if universities had proper lessons, proper classes and an attendance register none of this would be possible- life can be so simple really.
4. Parliament: What the hell do we need a Senate for? Trying to keep the Chamber of Deputies in order is hard enough for their capabilities, so it is best to simplify things and get rid of the Senate. That power of redress should be assigned to the President of Italy and not use him as a mere decorative figure signing documents without an option of not signing. We are only a small country not a continent. Are we afraid if curtailing democracy? If a President goofs up, we can always elect another one... and I say WE- not parliament as is the case at the moment. The term of service therefore should be reduced from 7 to 3 years, renewable, thus curtailing the possibility of abuse of power. Of course the law that after “serving” two years in parliament an MP is eligible for a 5 thousand Euros a month pension is ludicrous. We have to work 20 to 40 years to get a pension. Besides, there shouldn’t be a 5 thousand a month pension for anyone- what can a pensioner do with all that money a month anyway- it’s simply indecent! Most of us have to make do with 400 Euros a month. And the MPs wages- the highest in Europe- half of what they get is more than plenty. In the election reform, which is to be done immediately after these elections, one headache less for us and for them is that unless a party gets more than 5% they stay home. All these fiddly bits of confetti parties simply encumber any good intentions of governing that a government may miraculously suddenly possess.
5. Just think what can be done with all that money saved? My guess is- it won’t come to the people unless we demand a receipt!!!
6. Justice: I’ve heard recently that Clemente Mastella (see entry 50) has had nothing to do with favouring this or that person- so he’s innocent... now that his life, his work and career has been completely wrecked is he to bow out gracefully... and the Judge??? Reform is desperately needed so as to make no one “Untouchable”. Reform is also desperately needed so as not to make the normal length of a trial, and not only in civil cases, run into a decade.
7. Local Government: fares better than the central one mainly because the locals can keep a more direct eye on those that govern them and each town usually ends up getting the government they deserve- I’m more than happy with mine. In other words we want more power to our local government authorities. The only problem is that Local Government in the South, from Naples downwards, simply would not work because the Mafia would make a feast out of it. Down there we need a Military government! But for the rest of Italy proposing to abolish the ICI which is the house tax is ridiculous as this tax goes directly into the hands of the local government which they administer, in most case, quite well. To take away this much needed resource from local hands is a huge mistake, also because the amount is so paltry compared to the British Council Tax. I only have a small house, but even so, I don’t even pay €50 a year house tax. And “year” is not a typo. I know in England it’s about £1,000 a year. To take away this tax is favouring the rich, because, with their huge grandiose houses they have quite a bit to pay- which is only right- but to take away this income from local government is not right... So, Mr. Berlusconi... you know where you can stick this idea, don’t you? Rather, I suggest to put a bigger tax on housing since 80% of the population is a homeowner and the extra income could be used to build cheaper council houses for the homeless.
8. N.B. on Local Government:A traditionally Northern Right Wing governed city like
Milan is capable of being an EXPO winner...
 |
| A traditionally Southern Left Wing governed city like Naples ends up becoming a Rubbish Dump! |
Those are Italian Facts of Life.
EPILOGUE: All those above points, dear future to be elected government, are possible to achieve, and if someone thinks they aren’t- they had better explain- why... which I would imagine is quite hard to do without making it seem just an excuse for doing nothing!
P.S. I’ve often wondered why no one has ever asked me to stand for Parliament. Perhaps they are too concerned in securing a seat for themselves first... Maybe I should ask the Chinese if they are interested.
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