Almería news, blog, webpages, books, gossip, opinions, history & much more since 2001
While you were out enjoying the sun, the commies in government just blew up the coalition. OK, this is difficult to explain but I’ll try to explain why Sanchez just went down the toilet today. Both the PSOE and Podemos have said they want to undo the “labour reform” laws enacted by the previous PP government, which made it (very slightly) easier for companies to hire and fire. PSOE want to “evolve” the laws, Podemos Continue reading Pedro Sanchez’s bad day out
Catalonia has been advised that it will lose control of budgetary spending after Madrid spotted that it has over-spent the whopping amount of €6,150 towards the independence referendum (out of a total budget of €24 billion). To be precise, Catalonia said it would spend € 19.370 on “electoral control”. Madrid spotted that it had spent €25.520, €6.150 more than it should (yes, no million or billion mark), and has used this as an excuse to Continue reading Catalunya mis-spends €6,150 and is taken over; Turre €13 million, no-one cares
The government has announced an important change to a law, and a new budget modification for this Friday. On the one hand, the law limiting payments in cash of over €2,500 will be changed to drop this to just €1,000. This means it will be illegal to pay bills over €1,000 in cash when one of the participants is a fiscal entity (company). And large companies (and those who file their IVA return on a Continue reading Tax on booze and fags up, no payments over €1000 in cash
The Council of Ministers have voted to free up 71 million euros to build the 12,2 km stretch of high speed railway between Pulpí and Cuevas del Almanzora. This bit of the AVE was supposed to be paid for last year, but the money comes four months after expected due to “technical problems” with the plans. It’s the extension of the abandoned AVE project that runs past Los Gallardos and Turre that cost upwards of Continue reading Pulpí AVE line approved by government
The Junta has said it will finish off all of the abandoned motorways in the province, if the EU stumps up 280 million euros to pay for it all. Well, that’s the essence of yesterday’s statement. The plan submitted to the EU is asking for Andalucia’s share of Presidents Juncker’s massive cash spend under the known “Plan Juncker”. The EU Prezzie, you will remember, has abandoned austerity and announced he’s spending hundreds of billions of Continue reading Junta asks EU to 280M to finish off Almería’s motorways
The PP Mayor of Garrucha has been charged in a private prosecution bought by the opposition PSOE party in the town, over a missing 1.3 million euros that vanished from the town coffers. The town budget controller has also been charged in the case. Juan Francisco Fernández had to declare in front of the Judge at Court number 3 in Vera last 11th of November, and the Judge has now decided to open an administrative Continue reading Garrucha Mayor charged over “disappearence” of 1.3 million euros from budget
Pedro Sánchez, leader of the opposition PSOE party, told El Mundo newspaper over the weekend that “we don’t need the Ministry of Defense” in response to a question about which national Ministry could be cut, and which needed more money. The declaration by the man who could be President next year has sent a shockwave through Spain’s military. You see, (one) of the troubles with Spain is that the politicians have been living in fear Continue reading We don’t need the Ministry of Defense says PSOE leader
Turre, which is one of Spain’s top 100 most in debt towns, has built a sort of milkbottle at the entrance to the village and cleaned / repaired the main fountain. This has cost the taxpayer about €110,000, which seems a tad excessive. €52394.05 for the fountain in the main square, €42807.60 for the tower and Turre sign, and €12724.32 on the streetlamp to illuminate it. I imagine most of the €42807.60 went on the Continue reading Turre spent €110k on fixing a fountain and building a concrete milk bottle
A Garrucha town hall meeting this morning to approve the budget collapsed into farce after the opposition PSOE presented paperwork to prove that the town’s budget for this year is based on fake accounting. The opposition presented paperwork proving that instead of the projected 1.7 million Euro surplus, the town actually had a 2.5 million loss at the beginning of the year. The outcry was such that the meeting was cancelled until further notice. The Continue reading Scandal in Garrucha town hall meeting as budget proven to be fraudulent
The opposition PSOE party in Garrucha have finally gotten around to lodging their complaint against the Mayor with the Courts. They reckon that over 1,3 million euros is missing from the town coffers, and that he and the budget controller have been up to the usual tricks. I wrote about this back in Feb when the PSOE first announced plans to lodge the complaint (Garrucha PSOE opposition says Mayor has pinched over a million) but Continue reading Garrucha Mayor accused of 1.3 million euro theft – complaint finally lodged