Sacrifices have to be made by the citizens. Sacrifices are decided by the parliamentarians. The parliamentarians do not make sacrifices. It’s the theatre of the absurd. Perhaps we have lost the sense of reality. The media use the “confusion technique” and we peck at each other like “Renzo’s chickens” before they have their necks wrung. Let’s try and redefine the rules. The sacrifices have to be made by everybody. Sacrifices are decided by and voted on by the citizens. Parliamentarians make sacrifices. Like that it’s better.
In the minipost "La manovra economica" {the austerity measure} I proposed:
- Cut military expenditure and bring back the troops form fighting in Libya and Afghanistan
- Abolition of all parliamentary pensions in the absence of a contribution payment period equal to that of all other citizens
- Immediate abolition of public financing of parties starting from next September
- Abolition of direct and indirect financing to newspapers with retroactive effect starting 1 January 2011
- Contribution of 60% of the capital legalised with the Fiscal Shield
- Nationalisation of all the concessions in the hands of private companies
- Immediate abolition of all provinces. 50% reduction in the number of parliamentarians
- Abolition of double and triple pensions
- Maximum of 3,000 euro a month for all pensions
- Cancellation of the Great Useless Public Works (TAV Val di Susa 22 billion, Messina Bridge 4, Gronda Genoa 6, etc.)
- Elimination of the Regulatory Authorities and the inflated salaries of politicians placed there.

I’ve received more than 500 contributions. I cannot, for reasons of space, list them all. I’m just publishing a few. The measure that got the most support in absolute was the introduction of the ICI property tax on the properties of the Vatican. Many propose the exit from the Euro or immediate default. Here’s a brief summary:
- Abolition of public financing to private schools
- Abolition of financing to private hospitals
- Possibility for all documentable expenses to be deducted from income before the payment of tax to uncover tax evasion estimated to be 130 billion
- Increase in the rate of tax on empty homes and offices to bring down prices in the rental market and reduce building speculation and the laundering of mafia money
- Recovery of the 98 billion euro that slot machine companies have not paid in taxes
- Elimination of every “golden handshake” for public positions (for example: regional councillors)
- Halve the number of parliamentarians or alternatively close down the Senate.
- Have a tax on prostitution
- Eliminate all the official dark blue cars
- Eliminate multiple pensions
- Facilitate distance working
- Oblige every public body to keep a balanced budget
- Abolition of public funding to hunting activity or of a private nature.
I invite you to keep going with other suggestions. The measures put forward will be voted on using a poll on the blog. For each one there’ll be a calculation of the potential saving. A summary document will be available on the Internet and copies will be sent for information to the parliamentarians who will be asked to discuss the points during the inevitable Autumn budget debate. They will ignore this, but only for a limited time. They will never give up (but is it in their interests?). Neither will we.

Soldi rubati - by Nunzia Penelope I cittadini sono poveri perché i delinquenti sono ricchi {The citizens are poor because the delinquents are rich} Buy your copy today.