From January to June 2009, 36,000 shops have closed down. That’s 6,000 A MONTH. 200 a day. By the end of the year, the Confesercenti estimate there’ll be SEVENTY THOUSAND FEWER. Above all, the ones run by families. The big chains are hanging on. A prudent estimate, even taking account of the opening of new shops, is at least 200 thousand people without work this year. Shops are closing for the crisis, for the lack of optimism among the consumers, for the competition with the supermarkets and for taxes. It’s difficult to intervene on the first three points, however on the last point it’s possible. The shopkeepers need to insist on fiscal equality in front of the law. If the great tax dodgers pay 5% for the fiscal shield, then even retail sales should have a top tax rate of 5%. Otherwise, as Mavalà Ghedini says “the law is equal for everyone, but the application is different”. Butchers, stationers, greengrocers, grocers, delicatessens and bakers bring your taxes for the shops into line with the taxes for mafia capital. Follow the advice of a friend of mine from Reggio Emilia:
”You have talked about a tax strike. OK, listen to this. A friend was talking to me about it just an hour ago. His wife is a shopkeeper in Parma and she’s furious about the fiscal shield. A lady-made-senile-by-TV came into the shop and started reciting her script: “But have you seen the Annozero scandal? They’ll have to close down that programme, communists, assassins, poor Silvio … bla,bla"... She listened and said nothing until after the client had paid and then she said: “Signora, today I have decided. I’m not going to give you the receipt given that 300 billion euro of tax dodging, Berlusconi has amnestied. Thus now I too am going to do that. What do you say?” The customer-made-senile-by-TV was stunned – she was disoriented. She didn’t know what to say. … and she went out with her tail between her legs saying: “Oh, yes, perhaps you are right…”.
And if we were to organize a protest like this? SHOPKEEPERS who join up and display a sign like this:
”TODAY I AM NOT GIVING A RECEIPT. PROTEST AGAINST THE FISCAL SHIELD THAT AMNESTIES 300 BILLION EURO OF TAX DODGING”

PS This morning, 7 October, Radio24 interviewed Sonia Alfano and David Borrelli. Listen to the audio of the broadcast and take part in the survey.

PPS The competition called “Where were you 32 unfaithful employees?”, is continuing. It aims to find out where the opposition deputies were at the moment of the confidence vote. Participate in great numbers. The blog will keep track of your indications and it will publish them in the days to come, together with your real name or your nickname. Here’s the list: 24 PDminusL: Argentin, Binetti, Bucchino, Capodicasa, Carra, Codurelli, D'Antoni, Esposito, Farina, Fioroni, Gaione, Ginefra, Giovanelli, Grassi, La Forgia, Lanzillotta, Madia, Mastromauro, Melandri, Misiani, Pistelli, Pompili, Porta, Portas. 7 UDC: Bosi, Ciccanti, Drago, Libè, Pisacane, Ruggeri, Volontè. 1 IDV: Misiti.