Once again a sample round up of what they’re saying about the current election campaign on the blogs. Today’s selection does not claim to be exhaustive or representative, but it is clear that this election campaign, as seen on the blogs and not necessarily on the mainline media or TV stations, is far more livelier and brings up issues that are more down to earth and at ground level, mostly untouched by the party spin that puts a sheen on most things and clouds the issues facing the Maltese people.
One restriction in this selection is that it is taken from English-language blogs, excluding the Maltese-language blogs that do differ in many ways from the English-language ones.
The natural party of Opposition?
From a party that tried to keep us out of Europe, the Labour Party has evolved into a party, which, without any consultation with its members, will be giving us the full Europe reform treaty and all.
The problem with Alfred Sant is that people don’t really know where he stands – is he for Europe or is he against Europe? Is he in favour or against divorce? Does he want his party to move towards the authoritarian left or the liberal left? Is he left wing or right wing? Does he believe that policy should be dictated by the party, or is he the one who has the sole right to dictate policy – more importantly – is it a party or a one-man show?
Looking at the Labour Party there are many people who I believe are capable enough not only to lead the party; but also to reform and breathe into the party a new lease of life, restoring its credibility with the public, and maybe even keeping the PN in opposition for a number of years. But such people seem to be reluctant to take the limelight – and who could blame them? Sant has turned the MLP from a credible party into the natural party of opposition.
Andre (Liberal-Left)
The Malta Chronicle
SDM & Vandalism
Picked up this report on Maltastar. It would seem that SDM has lost its allocated office in Student House because some git in the executive forgot to re-apply with KSU. The office was allocated to another student group. The photos on Maltastar seem to depict quite vividly the rage with which the former occupants vacated the premises.
It’s time for J’accuse to speak from its high horse. In my time at SDM this would definitely not have happened. We always had an efficient secretary general (even that was not the undersigned) and we had an inherent respect for authority.
It is sad to see the logo I designed (yep that SDM logo’s mine!) pictured in such circumstances.
Unfortunately, my sympathy for SDM was lost somewhere along the way at a time when the younger generation chose to return the organisation to the fold of the Nationalist Party – thus relegating my period in SDM to a tiny hiccup of an organisation destined to falter thanks to the blind tinkering of the geezers at Triq Herbert Ganado.
And don’t tell me that they still keep their distance – why else would Minister Louis Galea be trying to justify the blatantly unjustifiable?
Jacques-Rene Zammit
http://jaccuse.wordpress.com
It is not that simple
While reading most of these comments I realise that we seem to forget that the election is so close. The election will be decided not by the diehards or the floaters but by those people who were promised certain things and received the opposite.
A simple example of what people will reflect on in the coming months is this. Whereas Eddie had so many times criticised the Mintoff and KMB government on the fosos about the ex ufficios that were being, according to Eddie, issued illegally and causing so much damage to so many families, when we took over the government a much finer ex ufficio regime has taken over.
An example: My brother was owed a Lm5000 refund 18 years ago, he then owed the Inland Revenue Lm3000 three years later. Now after all this time he has received a letter from the Inland Revenue stating that the Lm5000 he is owed will be refunded over the next three years – a little this year, a little more next and the largest amount in three years’ time – no interest has been added to the amount owed to him even though after all this time at the rates the government charges he would have received close to Lm35,000.
On the other hand he has now received a request to pay the Lm3000 he owed, but believe it or not they have added interests and penalties to this and it has now swelled to Lm18000. This is political dishonesty and these are the issues that will sway the election. These are huge amounts that are causing families problems and high stress levels.
The government may close its eyes to the fact that it has hurt so many individuals with the USURA like interest and penalties being charged, but these are the political injustices that have put the PN out of favour as it has really made life for many people very hard and stressful.
Posted by: Struggling on a di-ve.com forum on the
election
Not in a good shape
Do you trust credit ratings agencies? If so please read what they say about the budget and enlighten us all. To cut a long story short, no they do not agree that it was a suitable budget for our economy.
Our finances are definitely not in good shape. Our public debt has risen to 1.6 billion. This means that we currently have an overhead of over 80 million a year in debt alone. Besides, Maltese also have a debt of over 800 million in home loans. Looking at these figures and at the workforce one would quickly realise the public financial burden we each have to carry.
Re SmartCity yes there is potential for improvement and that this country could finally start to fulfil the promise that it surely has. However, to be honest I would have expected us to be in a much better economic position than the one we are in. The element of short termism has been so profound over the years if not decades.
Clear example of this was government debt. Yes this improved the economy in the short term however we are feeling the ill effects of this irresponsibility today and for decades to come.
Another example is propert. In the short term the increase in property prices of 10 per cent pa for 20 years has been of benefit to the economy but as any economist will tell you this is unsustainable. It has made the rich richer and crippled the middle class with debt
However we will see the real ill effect of this over the coming years with the vacant housing stock increasing year after year.
Re EU funding yes great I believe that this has revived the Maltese economy but in the long run where will this money go? Back overseas due to our negative trade balance.
Come on people the problems of this country could definitely not be solved with a loose fiscal policy budget. I cannot understand how some people are blinded by the fact that they are going to have a couple of pounds extra per month when the future of their children is at stake.
Posted by FloatingV on another di-ve.com forum on Budget 2008