Corruption

Of course, we knew it.
But it helps to have the notaries saying it in a report from the Observatory of Housing, an organisation set up by the central organisation of the notaries and the leading lawyers firm Garrigues: The greatest problem on the housing sector is the corruption.

The notaries know it. They are preparing deeds of sale every day, where only a part of the real sales price is declared. This is a machine for producing black money, a machine used by individual vendors, but also by some of the big property promoters.

Big property developers are tempting the town halls with additional tax income and many jobs when proposing a makro-urbanisation with x tousand houses and a golf course. And many mayors will jump at the possibility of improving the municipal financing. In some cases the black money has come out of the strong boxes to grease the palm of individual politicians.

Dissolving Spain

Also a foreigner may become angry on behalf of Spain.
Regional nationalist parties and politicians are attacking the foundations of the Spanish state, to the point of demanding the right of leaving Spain if that pleases them. The Basque government proposed this in their "Ibarretxe-plan" and the Catalan government is at the moment preparing a "statute" for their region where they proclaim themselves as a nation, demand to be able to collect all taxes and decide their distribution, and have their own national sports teams....
I cannot see any other reason for this policy from the regional nationalists, than hunger for political power.

Why a blog?

So, I am into blogging, meaning I will from time to time write briefly on what I feel is important. Important for Spain, for the foreigners in Spain and even for myself.
Already I am sending out weekly news on what is happening in Spain, in English and Norwegian, going to a number of foreigners publications and to the members of Fipe. On the web-page of Fipe (www.spain.fipe.org) I try to keep up to date a wealth of information on subjects of interest for the foreigners in Spain.
Why do I need a weblog in addition?
Because the weblog makes it possible to communicate more rapidly, and because it is personal. I am the only one responsible for what is written. I can say exactly what I mean. I can assure you I will.