Anti-austerity "I won't pay" movement spreads across Greece. Tolls, transit ticket costs ignored

[Better Believe It]

'I won't pay' movement spreads across Greece
In light of austerity measures, citizens ignore tolls, transit ticket costs, even bills for healthcare
By ELENA BECATOROS
Associated Press
February 22, 2011

ATHENS, Greece — They blockade highway toll booths to give drivers free passage. They cover subway ticket machines with plastic bags so commuters can't pay. Even doctors are joining in, preventing patients from paying fees at state hospitals.

Some call it civil disobedience. Others a freeloading spirit. Either way, Greece's "I Won't Pay" movement has sparked heated debate in a nation reeling from a debt crisis that's forced the government to take drastic austerity measures — including higher taxes, wage and pension cuts, and price spikes in public services.

What started as a small pressure group of residents outside Athens angered by higher highway tolls has grown into a movement affecting ever more sectors of society — one that many say is being hijacked by left-wing parties keen to ride popular discontent. In one of their frequent occupations of the toll booths on the northern outskirts of Athens recently, protesters wore brightly colored vests with "total disobedience" emblazoned across their backs, and chanted: "We won't pay for their crisis!"

The tactic has cropped up in the health sector, with some state hospital doctors staging a blockade in front of pay counters to prevent patients from paying their €5 flat fee for consultations.

Please read the full article at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41723432/ns/business-world_business/?GT1=43001

[Rage for Order]

1. Everybody wants government benefits but nobody wants to pay for them

Sounds like the US

[angstlessk]

2. When the banksters stole all the money from the funds accumulated

by taxpayers..then suddenly NO MONEY AVAILABLE FOR all that taxpayers paid for...DAMN SURE THEY DO NOT WANT TO PAY EXTRA FOR WHAT THEIR TAXES HAD ALREADY PAID FOR...EXCEPT FOR THE PAY OUT TO THE BANKSTERS!!!!

[Better Believe It]

3. You're joking .... right? Sarcasm? I hope.

[Cassandra]

4. I think you're missing the point.

They don't want payments to government to go to pay off the banks that created the crisis.

[xchrom]

5. You haven't kept up have you? Nt

[provis99]

6. you get the prize for non-sequitur of the day.

[JVS]

7. -1

:thumbsdown:

[PoliticAverse]

8. Tax evasion is sport in Greece...

Greece’s Efforts to Limit Tax Evasion Have Little Success:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/world/europe/21greece.html

[malaise]

9. Tax the rich, lock up the criminal bankers

or face the poor and middle class in the streets.

[blindpig]

10. Mobilization for the preparation and success of the strike .....

Mobilization for the preparation and success of the strike on February 23rd

On Thursday 10/2/2011 thousands of workers and youth participated in the nationwide day of action, sending a powerful message of resistance against the anti-worker and anti-people policies.

This mobilization was organized by the All Militant Workers’ Front (PAME), the All Farmers’ Militant Rally (PASY), Nationwide Antimonopoly Rally of the Self-employed and the small Tradesman (PASEVE) , Greek Women’s’ Federation (OGE), Student’s Struggle Front and was multi-faceted. Hundreds of trade unionists from the class-oriented trade unions visited factories, businesses, hospitals, university, unemployment offices, while in the afternoon protests with placards took place in dozens of Greek cities. From the Evros River to Crete and the Peloponnese, the class-oriented forces made it clear that they will not tolerate the policies of the government, the EU, the IMF, and that they will not submit to their blackmail, or to the demands of capital.

Workers, students, the self-employed and small tradesmen, women, pensioners united their voices against the policies which give birth to poverty and wretchedness , cut wages and pensions, increase unemployment, provoke dismissals and the aggression of capital.

They demonstrated their decision to fight against capitalist barbarity, and to organize their joint struggle. In this way yet another decisive step was taken in the preparation of the nationwide general strike, which will embrace every workplace on the 23rd of February.



http://inter.kke.gr/