We always used TR Gomme in Comunanza on the industrial estate near elettroidea (or whatever they are calling themselves this week). Good prices, excellent service and he'll store your other set of tyres when you are not using them. He also sells snow chains and will show you how to fit them - especially of Lucy goes to buy them!
If they are the same as our Ligurian ones you don't need to have them validated but you can choose to go to the local Agenzia delle Entrate office to have them activated so you can use them as a Carta Nazionale Servizio online - ie a card letting you access certain information about yourself held by the Agenzia delle Entrate.
The problem is that the politic system in Italy IS rotten. When you have politicians taking as much money as they do (around 13,000 a month plus their other jobs) for doing nothing, when you have convicted criminals in parliament, when they don't even turn up to vote but use their 'pianiste' to press the voting buttons for them, when there is no conflict of interest law, when the banks and the public enterprises are run by members of the PD (see MPS scandal and others), when the unions are funded by the government..... I could go on..... it is a failed system. At least M5S is offering an alternative. What type of alternative is yet to be seen but I don't believe scaremongering over the 'collapse of europe' and other such nonsense is at all useful. Italy is no more going to collapse the Euro, the EU or Europe as a whole because the majority of people voted for Beppe Grillo than Britain is becuase people voted for David Cameron. The collapse of the EU and the Euro, if it happens, will be due to poor economic policy, lack of competitivity and lack of growth. The EU is a behemoth that moves at the pace of a snail in an internet, online world under severe competition from China and other emerging markets. Italy at least receives more in tax revenue than it spends unlike an awful lot of other EU countries. It is by no means the basket-case of Europe (it suffers from high levels of public debt from the 90's). I think that award would go to the UK if they had the Euro but it is in the fortunate position of being able to devalue GBP. What scares me more than the Grillini etc is the failure of the Grillini. By that I mean if 'la casta' or political establishment, or whatever you want to call them, manages to find a way to make it impossible for M5S to be elected next time or curtails the voters options then that truly paves the way for exactly the type of movement that nobody wants to see again in Italy with all its accompanying violence. Let the people have their say. That is true democracy. Robert, and I am not picking on you, but you say that they 'only' won 28% of votes cast. Ermmmm - who got more then and by how much? The turnout for elections in Italy is still %age points ahead of that in the UK. By that logic, no government in the UK for the last 20+ years has had a mandate to govern. I read a quote today "people confuse the statements of Grillo with the policies of the 5 Star Movement". I think that is a very salient point. He is a comedian and political activist. M5S is a political movement made up of 'real' people. Why are people so frightened of this? If the Politicians had actually represented their constituents there would be no votes cast for M5S. Gala, I have to say I did not see Grillo's terrible attack on the unions in that article. He is attacking 3 specific ones and actually praises the others. The press reported today that Bersani was putting his 8 points online to be debated by all and for all to see. Most of them are similar to M5S, presumably in the hope that he will appeal to i Grillini. That is my point - if all that is achieved is to put the wind up la casta and force them to be more honest, less corrupt, less costly and represent their people then fabulous. Personally I don't think they have 'got it' at all. Neither have most journalists. I saw a clip from Ballarò where the chap (forgot his name) was taking the micky out of the new Grillini politicians, saying basically "Hello, my name is Maria, I'm from Napoli and I will be mostly concerned with agricolture" in a shy, slightly simpering voice. Personally that made me more likely to vote for them if I could have! That makes me sound like I am a card-carrying grillina. Not necessarily the case. I am cautiously optimistic for once instead of cynically disillusioned. Afterall the word Democracy cmes from the Greek, meaning rule of the people. I am afraid in most countries what we have is a form of Oligarchy.
It just seems odd that I live here and read the press every day and watch the news and have seen nothing. I would have thought that Bersani would leap on that pronouncement.
I would say whatever you buy, buy locally from your regular strimmer/equipment seller (ie not a big DIY store) and you'll always have someone to repair or service it in the future. I agree you get what you pay for. The Stihl website if very useful to give you an idea of what power yuo will need for that kind of job even if you end up with a different make.
All water in Italy is public so technically you're supposed to register the spring and then apply for a 'concessione demeniale' (permit to use the water exclusively) but unless there is a reason to do it most people don't bother. It does mean that in theory anyone can use your water if you don't. Pretty unlikely though... I think the people that check the water are different in each Region. In Liguria for example it is ARPAL.
It is not that Grillo does not want to be part of government necessarily but M5S have a rule that no-one convicted of a crime may serve. He was convicted of manslaughter over a car crash so is ruled out.
There was a great article in once of the papers yesterday (La Stampa or Il Secolo XIX) that broke down the prospective members of each house by party. It was very interesting. 82% of M5S had a degee (the highest) and the average age of their MP's was 32 (the lowest). The average age of PDL's coalition's MP's was 57 and PD's 48 (or 52 - sorry can't remember). 98% of the M5S MP's were in politics for the first time and only 0.2% came from local politics. Something that I certainly never realised before was that you have to be 25 to vote for the Senate but only 18 to vote for the Camera which seems bizarre to me.
Comments posted
We always used TR Gomme in Comunanza on the industrial estate near elettroidea (or whatever they are calling themselves this week). Good prices, excellent service and he'll store your other set of tyres when you are not using them. He also sells snow chains and will show you how to fit them - especially of Lucy goes to buy them!
If they are the same as our Ligurian ones you don't need to have them validated but you can choose to go to the local Agenzia delle Entrate office to have them activated so you can use them as a Carta Nazionale Servizio online - ie a card letting you access certain information about yourself held by the Agenzia delle Entrate.
The problem is that the politic system in Italy IS rotten. When you have politicians taking as much money as they do (around 13,000 a month plus their other jobs) for doing nothing, when you have convicted criminals in parliament, when they don't even turn up to vote but use their 'pianiste' to press the voting buttons for them, when there is no conflict of interest law, when the banks and the public enterprises are run by members of the PD (see MPS scandal and others), when the unions are funded by the government..... I could go on..... it is a failed system. At least M5S is offering an alternative. What type of alternative is yet to be seen but I don't believe scaremongering over the 'collapse of europe' and other such nonsense is at all useful. Italy is no more going to collapse the Euro, the EU or Europe as a whole because the majority of people voted for Beppe Grillo than Britain is becuase people voted for David Cameron. The collapse of the EU and the Euro, if it happens, will be due to poor economic policy, lack of competitivity and lack of growth. The EU is a behemoth that moves at the pace of a snail in an internet, online world under severe competition from China and other emerging markets. Italy at least receives more in tax revenue than it spends unlike an awful lot of other EU countries. It is by no means the basket-case of Europe (it suffers from high levels of public debt from the 90's). I think that award would go to the UK if they had the Euro but it is in the fortunate position of being able to devalue GBP. What scares me more than the Grillini etc is the failure of the Grillini. By that I mean if 'la casta' or political establishment, or whatever you want to call them, manages to find a way to make it impossible for M5S to be elected next time or curtails the voters options then that truly paves the way for exactly the type of movement that nobody wants to see again in Italy with all its accompanying violence. Let the people have their say. That is true democracy. Robert, and I am not picking on you, but you say that they 'only' won 28% of votes cast. Ermmmm - who got more then and by how much? The turnout for elections in Italy is still %age points ahead of that in the UK. By that logic, no government in the UK for the last 20+ years has had a mandate to govern. I read a quote today "people confuse the statements of Grillo with the policies of the 5 Star Movement". I think that is a very salient point. He is a comedian and political activist. M5S is a political movement made up of 'real' people. Why are people so frightened of this? If the Politicians had actually represented their constituents there would be no votes cast for M5S. Gala, I have to say I did not see Grillo's terrible attack on the unions in that article. He is attacking 3 specific ones and actually praises the others. The press reported today that Bersani was putting his 8 points online to be debated by all and for all to see. Most of them are similar to M5S, presumably in the hope that he will appeal to i Grillini. That is my point - if all that is achieved is to put the wind up la casta and force them to be more honest, less corrupt, less costly and represent their people then fabulous. Personally I don't think they have 'got it' at all. Neither have most journalists. I saw a clip from Ballarò where the chap (forgot his name) was taking the micky out of the new Grillini politicians, saying basically "Hello, my name is Maria, I'm from Napoli and I will be mostly concerned with agricolture" in a shy, slightly simpering voice. Personally that made me more likely to vote for them if I could have! That makes me sound like I am a card-carrying grillina. Not necessarily the case. I am cautiously optimistic for once instead of cynically disillusioned. Afterall the word Democracy cmes from the Greek, meaning rule of the people. I am afraid in most countries what we have is a form of Oligarchy.
Thanks Fillide. Very interesting.
It just seems odd that I live here and read the press every day and watch the news and have seen nothing. I would have thought that Bersani would leap on that pronouncement.
Hi Robert, I'm curious where you have read Grillo's desire to get rid of all unions. It's not in his program and I have not heard it spoken of on TV or in the newspapers? Have you read of the e-democracy software they are going to use - Liquid Feedback? Interesting..... A couple of more level-headed articles about M5S and the Italian political situation: http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2013/03/04-europe-italy-santi... http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2013/03/04-beppe-grillo-italy...
I would say whatever you buy, buy locally from your regular strimmer/equipment seller (ie not a big DIY store) and you'll always have someone to repair or service it in the future. I agree you get what you pay for. The Stihl website if very useful to give you an idea of what power yuo will need for that kind of job even if you end up with a different make.
All water in Italy is public so technically you're supposed to register the spring and then apply for a 'concessione demeniale' (permit to use the water exclusively) but unless there is a reason to do it most people don't bother. It does mean that in theory anyone can use your water if you don't. Pretty unlikely though... I think the people that check the water are different in each Region. In Liguria for example it is ARPAL.
It is not that Grillo does not want to be part of government necessarily but M5S have a rule that no-one convicted of a crime may serve. He was convicted of manslaughter over a car crash so is ruled out.
There was a great article in once of the papers yesterday (La Stampa or Il Secolo XIX) that broke down the prospective members of each house by party. It was very interesting. 82% of M5S had a degee (the highest) and the average age of their MP's was 32 (the lowest). The average age of PDL's coalition's MP's was 57 and PD's 48 (or 52 - sorry can't remember). 98% of the M5S MP's were in politics for the first time and only 0.2% came from local politics. Something that I certainly never realised before was that you have to be 25 to vote for the Senate but only 18 to vote for the Camera which seems bizarre to me.