Does Greece now REALLY need OUR tax money?

Don’t be to optimistic about Turkey been cheaper than Greece.
We have been changing between Turkey and Greece for many years and lately find Turkey to be way more expensive.
Make sure the boat don’t has to be hauled, prices are sky-rocketing in Turkey. Stock with fuel and if necessary alcohol. Try to avoid agents, but I am afraid they are going to find you.
While been expensive ( even with your sort of cruising ) Turkey must be seen.
I bet you will think back of Greece as more liveaboard friendly as Turkey.
 
OldBawley said:
Don’t be to optimistic about Turkey been cheaper than Greece.
We have been changing between Turkey and Greece for many years and lately find Turkey to be way more expensive.
Make sure the boat don’t has to be hauled, prices are sky-rocketing in Turkey. Stock with fuel and if necessary alcohol. Try to avoid agents, but I am afraid they are going to find you.
While been expensive ( even with your sort of cruising ) Turkey must be seen.
I bet you will think back of Greece as more liveaboard friendly as Turkey.
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We're not going because we think Turkey might be cheaper, we want to see it and it's on our way to the Red Sea for winter!
 
Understood.
Don´t hurry to much, nature and people of Turkey deserve to be visited.
Some years ago we ware invited to join a sort of “ Red Sea overwintering rally “
We ware both very enthusiastic about the thought of seen new horizons so went to have an informative day full of video´s, pictures and talked for hours aboard the yacht of the guy organising the whole thing. ( Not Miyagimoon ).
Back on our own yacht, we both felt just wintering in the Red Sea would be no good option for us.
Marinas may be cheap, basic food was cheap, but anything else was not. Also compared with Turkey there is little to see and been locked inside a marina for months.... No.
For you it is probably on your way to the East, witch makes wintering there more attractive.
 
Steve C Cronin said:
Since this "Rebate" is "going to the people" by which I assume he means, TAXPAYING people, will WE get a refund too?
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As others have said you haven't paid anything yet, unlike the Greek people who are literally being taxed to death! Currently 62% of "seniors" are starving after the government reduced their pensions by almost a third. See here:

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/02/01/62-of-seniors-in-greece-are-starving/

The Greek Prime Minister is a little optimistic if he recons they are virtually out of the crisis. He may have balanced the budget, i.e. income matches current expenditure BUT this makes no provision for the repayment of loans and interest which the EU so kindly provided at 6%.

John
 
Retired in Crete said:
As others have said you haven't paid anything yet, unlike the Greek people who are literally being taxed to death! Currently 62% of "seniors" are starving after the government reduced their pensions by almost a third. See here:

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/02/01/62-of-seniors-in-greece-are-starving/

The Greek Prime Minister is a little optimistic if he recons they are virtually out of the crisis. He may have balanced the budget, i.e. income matches current expenditure BUT this makes no provision for the repayment of loans and interest which the EU so kindly provided at 6%.

John
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Firstly John , I do feel for the poor people in Greece but no more then i feel for people in African .
but you know what? There also people who are in a bad way in the UK too, people who can't afford to pay there heating bills and are living life in the cold , people who had to cut down quite a lot just to get thought from week to week , we also got people on the street and if it come to that so have most country in Europe , Greece is just the same as most other country's there the rich , the not so rich , the workers and the unemployed , beggars and the down and outs , if you really want to see poverty try some of the African country .
Just to prove my point what ever town that you may live in Crete ! I am sure there some people who just can't get thought the week without pain and suffering , and then there people like your self (don't take it personal ) with your swimmer pool , yacht and fancy car , that life my friend , it was like that in the begin of time and until some nut drop the bomb it will stay like that .
 
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Vonasi said:
We have wintered in Greece for four winters out of the last seven in three different locations (Kalamata, Crete and Lefkas) and this is the first winter where we have seen locals rummaging through the bins outside the supermarkets and outside the butchers in the hope of finding a meal or two. Some, (with the emphasis on 'some') Greeks have been hit very hard by the problems with the Greek economy and we feel very sorry for them just as we would for someone in a similar situation in the UK but then again we don't see why just because we chose to live on a boat that we have to be taxed to solve the problem? We chose a simple life free from the constraints and conveniences of a house, car and the 9 to 5 job needed to support it all and yet we are seen as rich yachties who can be used to make up for the lack of tax collection in Greece so far. We have a friend who lives in the UK who cannot afford to run her heating for more than one hour a day - should we pay for that too?
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There are certain people who have contributed to this discussion who will, I hope. read your words and inwardly digest them. In the UK at the moment we have thousands of people whose homes have been devastated by flood water Do they get state aid? Do they get foreign aid? NO; we are much too keen to pay it out to others, instead.
 
Steve C Cronin said:
There are certain people who have contributed to this discussion who will, I hope. read your words and inwardly digest them. In the UK at the moment we have thousands of people whose homes have been devastated by flood water Do they get state aid? Do they get foreign aid? NO; we are much too keen to pay it out to others, instead.
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Doesn't exactly square with the facts: following the last severe floods of 2008, those "people" received £124 million from the EU Solidarity Fund, plus £3 billion from the UK insurance industry. The State is currently spending £2.34 billion on flood defences plus £148 million in 'partnership funding' with local councils.
 
ITH said:
Doesn't exactly square with the facts: following the last severe floods of 2008, those "people" received £124 million from the EU Solidarity Fund, plus £3 billion from the UK insurance industry. The State is currently spending £2.34 billion on flood defences plus £148 million in 'partnership funding' with local councils.
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Go tell that to those on the levels who facing financial ruin and the possibility of abandoning their properties inthe future.
 
Vonasi said:
we don't see why just because we chose to live on a boat that we have to be taxed to solve the problem?
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Fine - agreed, no tax if you live on a boat PROVIDED you do not take advantage of any of the facilities taxation provides i.e street lighting, rubbish collection, pavements, parks, law enforcement agencies or use any other public facilities.

Somebody has to pay for these things, why should you not pay your share?

John
 
To be honest this thread is silly, it should be obvious to anyone who knows anything about Greece (and I know you do Steve) that Greece is a long long way from being out of the woods. Mr Samaras is of course trying to "talk up" Greece as much as he can on the international stage and you can't blame him for that, but the fact is that something like 30% of Greece's income currently comes from bailout funds and, as John has pointed out, these have to be paid back at some time.

I don't like the new boat tax anymore than anyone else, and it will have a sizable impact on our expenditure this year (and in future years) but every country has the right to impose any taxes they choose, only the electorate of that country has the right to change that policy by changing the government come election time. Countries also have the right to make such taxes apply to everyone in that country, whether citizen or not and whether they are eligible to vote or not.

Those of us who are not citizens or voters and who have no ties to Greece have a choice, we can leave if we don't like the taxation regime. So I think it's time to stop complaining, the boat tax appears to be a done deal so now it's time to pay up or leave. Continuing to whinge and whine is pointless.
 
Tony Cross said:
To be honest this thread is silly, it should be obvious to anyone who knows anything about Greece (and I know you do Steve) that Greece is a long long way from being out of the woods. Mr Samaras is of course trying to "talk up" Greece as much as he can on the international stage and you can't blame him for that, but the fact is that something like 30% of Greece's income currently comes from bailout funds and, as John has pointed out, these have to be paid back at some time.

I don't like the new boat tax anymore than anyone else, and it will have a sizable impact on our expenditure this year (and in future years) but every country has the right to impose any taxes they choose, only the electorate of that country has the right to change that policy by changing the government come election time. Countries also have the right to make such taxes apply to everyone in that country, whether citizen or not and whether they are eligible to vote or not.

Those of us who are not citizens or voters and who have no ties to Greece have a choice, we can leave if we don't like the taxation regime. So I think it's time to stop complaining, the boat tax appears to be a done deal so now it's time to pay up or leave. Continuing to whinge and whine is pointless.
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+1
 
Tony Cross said:
To be honest this thread is silly, it should be obvious to anyone who knows anything about Greece (and I know you do Steve) that Greece is a long long way from being out of the woods. Mr Samaras is of course trying to "talk up" Greece as much as he can on the international stage and you can't blame him for that, but the fact is that something like 30% of Greece's income currently comes from bailout funds and, as John has pointed out, these have to be paid back at some time.

I don't like the new boat tax anymore than anyone else, and it will have a sizable impact on our expenditure this year (and in future years) but every country has the right to impose any taxes they choose, only the electorate of that country has the right to change that policy by changing the government come election time. Countries also have the right to make such taxes apply to everyone in that country, whether citizen or not and whether they are eligible to vote or not.

Those of us who are not citizens or voters and who have no ties to Greece have a choice, we can leave if we don't like the taxation regime. So I think it's time to stop complaining, the boat tax appears to be a done deal so now it's time to pay up or leave. Continuing to whinge and whine is pointless.
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Well, the original post was intended to be ironic, Tony. Nobody, well not me anyway is saying that Greece doesn't have the right to impose any tax it likes. We are just commenting upon the fairness and wisdom of imposing this particular tax on their revenue producing friends.
 
ITH said:
Doesn't exactly square with the facts: following the last severe floods of 2008, those "people" received £124 million from the EU Solidarity Fund, plus £3 billion from the UK insurance industry. The State is currently spending £2.34 billion on flood defences plus £148 million in 'partnership funding' with local councils.
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You lost me a bit here , !! Insurance company may have paid out £3 billion or how ever much but they didn't pay it out of the love of their heart , people did have policy with them you seen to have forgotten .

Tony
I disagree , I wouldn't say this tax is done and dusted yet , let see what the out come by the end of this year .
 
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