In the normal financial system, which constitute the banks, all institutions have owners that are represented by the respective boards of directors. These tips caregivers, for their own benefit, not to extend credit to insolvent companies or who is supposed to taxation systems and detects when there are problems, provisions such loans, and proceeded to execute warrants that are taken, if that exist. But bankers can not do what they want with the claim that handle as the bank is not theirs. Are accountable to shareholders, depositors before (because misuse of credit can break the institution and we all lose their money) and before the public finances if, for example, is regarded as an expense credit granted in the knowledge that it would not be returned.
That was the case of Mario Conde who was sentenced to six years in prison for paying 600 million pesetas for a company, without any endorsement Argentia Trust (which later were shown to that company then distributed the money among various Spanish political influence to in governmental decisions in favor of the interests of Mario Conde was not the reason for his detention but he who gave that money without guarantees of payment). I know that in recent times and in some countries, the bankers have ignored these rules and to cap it had not been punished but for the moment in Spain are not in that situation and all banks are reporting profits.
Unfortunately, the savings in the hands of local politicians, it can grant credit without running and without provisions for guarantees, especially political parties, or can not?, Or may not be? If it does occur fairly often ... And now it is intended that these boxes are made even stronger by joining them. No doubt it is a good solution for their survival (in exchange for thousands of layoffs, yes) but also magnify the problem of these entities whose management is so unclear.
The boxes have lost their land, they open branches across the country and even have the largest investments abroad. There is a market Murcia, La Rioja, or Basque, a European level in that category regionalist no sense. It could be said of its social function but that is a vague concept whose spending is little quantifiable and that could be replaced by an increase in tax relief to certain tasks of banking as the sponsorship of culture. If we convert the biggest move in two things: whether it is within the same community, its economic importance is so great that the economic power and political autonomy is even more confused if they join together and boxes of different communities, how to ensure balance, how to unify criteria if the political influence of each autonomous community is different, and yet it remains how to ensure that CajaMadrid-for example, is just in its social spending with Murcia event of a merger with the Fund of Murcia? I think the management problems worsen.
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Written by Droblo on December 3, 2008 with 294 reviews
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The black money is one that is not controlled by the authorities and may come either from legal activities (the lower volume, usually occurs when writing a retail value of the house that really is negotiated or when not declared an income for rent etc.y that is the easiest is detected) or illegal activities, the more damage it does, both the Treasury, because the volume is huge defraudatorio as by the social implications of this illegal activity.
Outside of those two groups have prostitution in most cases is simply a labor-droit (non-regulated), but it moves a huge amount of money that escapes the treasury (18,000 million € per year) and which is known for and all accepted. I wonder, why? If it is known that some people have an income for work they do, why not pay? And we entered the hypocrisy of the obvious and the laws recaudatorias so obvious to social security, contracts and even the very existence of something that seems to many like the inconvenience that some people rent out their bodies to others for a limited time .
But the most serious cases are those that encompass the black money from the trafficking in women, weapons, drugs, business-screen that never pay taxes, terrorism and so on. All these crimes and generate some more money, mostly, we know where he is. And yet we continue to prefer to pursue the camel neighborhood or the owner of the Puti-club before tackling the root of the problem. I speak of course of tax havens.
These are areas (sometimes country, sometimes not) to protect the identity of companies that have and / or bank accounts there. It is clear that the companies that have and / or bank accounts in a tax seeks to conceal something the treasury of his country. We all know and the authorities also know it. And we should not go too far because there are even within the European Union but outside its jurisdiction as is the case of 1 Gibraltar as a British territory (in this page you can view the list of tax havens).
Why are allowed to have sites where they can escape the capital that would do much good in their respective countries is something we do not know but it is terribly unjust punishment to those who suffer because of our lawful activity and to charge for payroll, we ultravigilados by the Treasury. However, apart from the actual crime prosecutor, the most serious and most sad and, of course, the most hypocritical, is that they permit, and that if such havens exist and could not have control of large flows of money move in the world, it would be much easier to break the networks of illegal activity. Drug trafficking, as we understand it at present, would disappear, the money diverted to terrorist groups were quickly discover, that is, win in the economic, social, in politics ... not only increase the income of tax, disappear entire networks of subversive activities.
Thus, there is no excuse. Why wait?
PD - In this official liaison USA month to month we can see the source of the money flows abroad to invest in assets that country. It is very interesting in itself but what is most striking is so high because they receive the "Caribbean bankings" (obviously tax havens where many Americans have their capital to invest in assets without paying taxes for the Treasury of his country)
Droblo written by the November 26, 2008 with 336 reviews
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Since he is no longer the "gold standard" and a ticket does not represent anything physical but simply faith in its issuer has formalized the old adage that says that the basis of the economy is confidence. As long as there is confidence the economy may go well although there are points "dark". Why? Because if consumers and businesses and banks believe in a good future, spend, invest and lend and this will generate well-paid jobs so the virtuous circle will continue to operate and will continue to spend, invest and banks to finance projects future.
For that confidence is not lost speeches by political and economic decision usually mostly reassuring because if you lose falling economic growth and are entering a vicious circle: consumers do not spend, businesses earn less and reduce their investment and the banks get the credit because bad debt increases. And the order may be reversed as is happening with the current crisis: the banks reduce credit before the outbreak of the housing bubble and late payment by bad investments, get the credit to businesses and consumers, scared by all this, spending less and therefore less to buy companies that reduce their profits and, ultimately, generate unemployment. Besides the problem in society that this generates, it is clear that if unemployment rises and companies and banks earn less income are also lower because of the administration are charged less tax at a time that should increase social spending.
All this is very basic, nothing original but there is one factor that can undermine the confidence that usually goes unnoticed: the veracity of official data. And because they are not certain or not, but by the manner of calculating them. And it would take pages to explain how such data in the USA is distorted industrial orders each month with the orders of governmental machinery of war or the handling of the Department of Labor with the monthly employment data ... there are many examples. However, one of the most striking to me is the calculation of the CPI.
Take the example of Spain, whose CPI in 2007 was 4.2%, which should mean that average prices rose by 4.2% but it is clear that a TV-for example, do not shop every week or even every year But the milk (which went up 31%) is almost daily, or the pan (+14%) and fuels (+16.2%). Some say that the perception of these costs-to-be everyday makes us believe that inflation is higher than it is but I think that is the weighting system which is not fair.
How is it possible that if housing prices went up by 30% annual inflation was only 3% if half of the household budget goes to pay the house itself? Let us go further: In the mid-20, share prices in the U.S. grew an average of 3.5 times in five years, but the prices of consumer goods did not vary significantly. Should we conclude that there was no inflation? Why? Why exclude the rates of inflation, for no reason, financial assets? If low interest rates we had in Spain in recent years had flow, rather than mortgage credit, to consumer credit, the CPI would have been fired (instead of housing prices) and it would have suffered Official inflation.
The current base weights of 2001 and are adjusted each year minimally. The latest data available are these:
| Groups | CPI base 2001
Weights 2002 | CPI base 2001
Weights 2003 | CPI base 2001
Weights 2004-2005 | CPI base 2001
Weights 2006 |
| 01. Food and soft drinks | 21.86 | 21.93 | 22.60 | 22.28 |
| 02. Alcoholic drinks and snuff | 3.22 | 3.18 | 3.17 | 3.07 |
| 03. Clothing and footwear | 9.93 | 9.90 | 9.73 | 9.25 |
| 04. Housing | 11.03 | 10.68 | 10.69 | 10.71 |
| | | | |
| 05. Tableware | 6.36 | 6.41 | 6.41 | 6.17 |
| 06. Medicine | 2.81 | 2.75 | 2.68 | 2.72 |
| 07. Shipping | 15.58 | 15.32 | 14.40 | 14.91 |
| 08. Communications | 2.57 | 2.73 | 2.99 | 3.28 |
| | | | |
| 09. Leisure and culture | 6.73 | 6.83 | 6.76 | 6.78 |
| 10. Teaching | 1.74 | 1.67 | 1.67 | 1.68 |
| 11. Hotels, cafes and restaurants | 11.27 | 11.18 | 11.23 | 11.45 |
| 12. Other goods and services | 6.91 | 7.39 | 7.39 | 7.72 |
| | | | |
| TOTAL | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
With these data you can see that inflation affects the poorest who are based consumption especially in the first paragraph.
Now that every reader will see if this table is in line with their usual costs and check that this calculation very similar in all the countries around us, is very subjective ... Of course, while we believe the data and return to the issue of confidence - Everything will be fine and accept that our salaries and pensions go up each year, the official CPI and so we think that we do not lose purchasing power.
At this official website you can calculate the CPI has risen far from the official dates (data from 1961):
PD - Still others are doing worse, look at the figures of the country most inflationary in the world:
Summary: press
Droblo written by the November 13, 2008 with 428 comments
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The nuclear power plant in Springfield where Homer works, shows us an excellent opportunity to discuss the monopolies and competition.
In this monopoly, has come mainly by two factors. First by high barriers to entry (not exactly cheap to build a nuclear plant and will need several decades to be paid off) and second because there are no substitutes (in the case of Springfield have total dependence on electricity produced by the plant).
In one of the best episodes of the Simpsons (Who shot Mr. Burns, Part 1). Montgomery Burns, the owner of the nuclear power learns that one of the substitutes for the electric light was threatening its dominant position and fix it by buying the competition:
Smithers: Well, sir, certainly has defeated all his enemies: the school, tavern, the residence of the elderly ... should be very proud.
Burns: [looking at the money in your wallet] No, not while my great nemesis continue offering our customers free light, heat and energy. I call this enemy ... The Sun. Since the beginning of time, man has yearned to destroy the sun. Siguiete ... And I will block it.
Smithers: Very good!
Bums: Imagine, Smithers: Electricity and heating power running all day
Smithers: But sir! All plants and trees will die, the owls will leave us deaf ... and the sundial of the people will be useless. I do not want to be part of this project is unimaginably diabolical.
Monopolies are not always so exaggerated, dangerous and unfair. Sometimes it is more than a company with the creation of a "cartel". One of the best known is the OPEC formed by the major oil-exporting countries (They control 75% of oil reserves) which will cut production enough to trigger a price increase. That is the basis of a monopoly, its ability to influence the price of goods.
Other times monopolies are simply making good business, as was the case of the agreement between Google and Yahoo! they finally broke last week due to the pressures that were legal. Another good example was the aggressive distribution strategy from Microsoft that led him to the European courts for more than 10 years.
In the interbank, there is no monopoly but sometimes I get the feeling that they are acting as a cartel What if there is no explanation that the Euribor is ticking so high a differential with regard to the official price of money?. Recall that the official price money in Europe is at 3.25%, we are talking about a spread of more than 1.25%. The number of transactions that ultimately intersect in the interbank is so low that if a few banks are agree are able to raise the value of Euribor above its natural value. (More ...)
Written by Carlos Lopez on November 12, 2008 with 291 comments
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The other day I read that the American figure that the state is being spent on trying to resolve the financial crisis is already 2.7 billion dollars, and that in a country that already, even before all this and much needed money. He also knew the number of jobs: 524 thousand new unemployed in two months. And I began to search for information on the actual state of U.S. finances. Let a couple of numbers and put all the zeros, that more than a trillion translates as billions and trillions when we lees and I had to document only on American websites:
- A day on November 11 at 09.14, the debt is U.S. $ 10.635.794.969.002, an amount that is increasing second to second, and in fact there is a ticking clock that will (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki / National_Debt_Clock) and discussed here not long ago that going from 9 billion to 10 had to fix it. Currently 500.000.000.000 is increasing each month since October, a figure of growth that is expected to be sharply reduced because it is what they grew on average annually since 2003. In September the U.S. government expanded, very appropriately, the limit of indebtedness from 10.6 trillion to 11.3 but everything points that will run short in 2009
- The estimated GDP-American 2007 is 13,800,000,000,000, then the current debt is around 75% of GDP and it seems to get worse closer to 90% only by increasing the debt if we have to account that GDP may actually be reduced if there is recession, this could be even worse. They are not the all-time highs as can be seen in figure but let's remember that it was exceeded 100% due to World War II:
However, many countries are worse off and for years (from among the "big" Japan is close to 200%, in Europe and Italy, Belgium and Greece around 100%) the big problem is that this is only the debt State that is a fraction of the total debt of banks, families and American companies estimate is about 50,000,000,000,000, almost 5 times more than the public and more than 3 times the entire GDP. In Spain, where we have this sense of indebtedness total private debt is double the GDP. (More ...)
Droblo written by the November 11, 2008 with 243 comments
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Like every Saturday recovered the comment voted most of the week and gift video (in 2 parts) with the last appearance of Leopold Abbey in the dog program.
# 20, hipotecaohastalamedula
November 4, 2008, at 9:53.
Telecinco today came out in a story about how 3 girls Muslim felt "discriminated against" because when they go to look for work said that her veil was a barrier. Telecinco used words such as harassment, discrimination, racism, etc ...
The most flagrant of a pizzeria that it was explained that the uniform and hat and polo ALL should take, something that the girl did not understand.
And this makes the TV news, how many presenters with Turban has Telecinco? I think that the news program forced them to go with a tie, not too eye-catching styling and good image. And they criticize an employee of a pizzeria by saying that not hire someone with a veil, forgiveness, said that if it hired, but had to remove it. To me, that I do not feel discrimination, I think equality, conditions, equal for all.
I ask those girls, what would happen if I go to their country with my wife, and she goes with miniskirt, cleavage and gives us by besarnos in a public park, surely I cut out the language, she stoning and what they ASI applaud because their religion is. Well girls, this is our country, being an immigrant does not have to deny rights, but neither has to granting privileges.
I'm sick of seeing fights at school because there are parents who want to send their girls to burka. They came here looking for progress, because that is progress (which I doubt very much that we are an example of this), not to discriminate against women is progress, give the same rights is progress. If you like, well, if not, do not try to change a country because their ideals are not yours. That already knew before, but it seems that everyone here can mourn and all are made case.
Now tachadme of racist, xenophobic, what you want, but seeing how things are, many migrants will, but we know that if we go to Thailand, not play with drugs. Here you're caught with "Mary" and you nailed 30 Euros, there you're caught with "Mary" and will be 3 years in prison. We know and we accept it if we have to go do not try and change.
Ah! Telecinco already!, why not recruited them to present the news? not enact equal? It is very easy to criticize the other and accusing someone of not doing so I would not do.
Well, pataleta Tuesday, and dispatched me comfortable ...
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Written by Carlos Lopez on Nov. 8, 2008 with 141 comments
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