Sooo much money and nowhere to put it...

There is so much corruption in high places that one almost does not want to open the Morning Paper because there is bound to be another report of this government minister and that former high placed Civil Servant having helped himself to large sums of Euros out of tax payers money.
One case in particular fills the papers these days:
The late Premier of the Province of Carinthia had hired an accountant to advise him on the sale of a government owned bank. An Investment Bank (HSBC) had previously offered to handle this transaction for a fee of 3% of the eventual sales price.
"Will you do this for half" the Premier asked the CA, who quickly agreed to such a commission:
The Sale went through for about 800 Million Euros, and 12 million Euros became payable to the CA... "Will you take half of this?" asked the Premier and the CA, considering this an extraordinarily high fee, quickly agreed to accept 6 Million Euros. So into his account went payments of 4.5 million and 1.5 million Euros respectively.
If you look for any written reports, research material or opinions issued by the CA to the Premier, you won't find any.
It is said that the CA simply had a number of conversations with the Premier and his Deputy and during these conversations gave his opinion about a number of issues related to the sale of this Bank.. The potential buyer was already at the table ( was not found by the CA) and the CA never participated in any of the negotiations.
For doing very little work the CA collected a cool 6 Mio Euros.
During current investigations experts suggested that 200,000 Euros would be a maximum fee for the CA's involvement in this transaction.
There is quite a spread between 200 Gs and 6 Millions, isn't there? If my math is correct that's 3000%.
The question inevitably arises: Qui Bono ?  Who benefitted from this largess? Obviously the CA was a beneficiary of this fee. Is it reasonable to assume that the late Premier simply wanted to do a favour to a friend? (with Taxpayers' money) Or did he expect some of this money to find its way back to him or at least to his party? At this point nobody knows:
The CA swears up and down that he did not kick back any of the funds to anybody... We just have to take his word for it... 

...and now for a little rip off... (but not with taxpayers' funds)
There is a Company also operating in Austria, called "Nespresso" ( is it reasonable to assume that this is a subsiduary of Nestle, selling Espresso ? )
Well, this company, for its Vienna branch,  had a CEO, called Wolfgang W. who, as he testified at his trial, worked like a dog almost 24 hours a day to increase the sales of their product. Because he worked so hard, the sales increased by 50% and the money kept rolling in, so that finally nobody knew what to do with all that loot.
Wolfgang had a good idea: Knowing the weakness of his firm's accounting controlls, he formed a little company of his own whose only business it was to produce fake invoices and so Wolfi banked 2.7 million Euros into his own account, and for a little while Wolfi and his wife lived in grand style.
Well, as it happens so often, the mother firm conducted an audit and the jig was up.
At court he got off easily: Of the maximum penalty for a crime of this nature of 10 years he got only 4 years in jail. An Appeal is of course still possible and maybe, just maybe, Wolfi didn't do anything wrong.

Somebody give me cup o' coffee... quick
Bertstravels

Some more Non-Political postings

a Loon upon her nest.
Loons are great divers, good swimmers, efficient flyers.
But, due to the rear location of their legs, they are very
clumsy on land.

A Loon offering a freshly caught fish to its chick.
Although the fish is much too big for the chick,
it pecks away, gets a little bit here and there
and, most important, it gets the taste of the fish.

I read on the internet that the Fall Colours in Algonquin Park
are at or near their peak.
something like this???

Seven painted turtles sitting on some sticks
one fell off, then there were just six.
Six painted turtles, slow, but quite alive
one went for a swim
then there were just five
five painted turtles.......STOP IT ...

Just for a Change....

I've been writing all about Politicians and their inane utterances, and other "heavy" themes. So I thought it might be a nice switch to post a few pictures from my collection.
This most colourful "Saddlebill Stork" never stops looking for food. Slowly, step by careful step he makes his way through the shallow water. Here a fish, there a frog... there's always something to be had.
A truly heavy "Bull Moose" just accross from the Hailstorm Creek Marsh at the North End of Lake Opeongo in Algonquin Park, Ontario, keeps looking for his favourite food: Water Lilly roots.
In the same place, a Canada Goose, taking off, running as fast as she can atop the water, flapping her wings energetically until she finds enough lift to take off and then fly gracefully over the lake.
Finally: A Rose is a Rose is a Rose.... according to Gertrude Stein, or : A Rose by any other name still smells as sweet... according to the William, the Bard.
So there you have it: A little rest from dumb politicians....
Breath deeply
Bertstravels

For A Change

A "Saddle Bill Stork" forages in the Okawango Delta.

A mighty "Bull Moose" in Algonquin Park

A "Canada Goose" taking off.

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose.

This Tragic Comedy goes on....

Remember, some days ago I told you about Wolfgang Schneider (44) who, with a message on his T-shirt stood and watched a parade go by... and how some of the participants in the parade did not like the message, since it suggested that their leader should go to jail, as a judge, in fact, had found? (Appeal pending)... and how they attempted first to rip the T-shirt off Wolfgang's back, then called a policeman who urged Wolfgang to "move along"... and how Wolfgang suggested that since this was a public place he had a right to be there, which brought him a quick arrest by the cop who felt his authority challenged ?
Remember all of this ? Of course you do... it was, after all a little true story showing "Democracy in Action" in Austria... or, more like: "Democracy sound asleep".

Todays Newspaper reports and  I swear this is true and not a bad joke thought up by me:
Wolfgang received a "Strafmandat" ( similar to a traffic ticket ) which does not require a judge, but can be issued by the Police, from the Villach-Police Department, because of "Disturbance of Public Order, through particularly Recless Behaviour."
The amount on the ticket: Euro 69,28.
This is a strange amount, you say? Well, let me tell you: the actual penalty amounted to Euro 70.00, but 72 cents were deducted, because he was "improperly under arrest for 43 minutes."
Talk about accurate book-keeping being more important than the principle of the entire issue.

Wolfgang Schneider is now contemplating an appeal against this "Strafmandate" and thinks of hiring a lawyer.
Of course, as he is aware, touching the door handle into the lawyer's office will cost more than 69.28 Euros.

Hey, somebody has to care about democratic principles, don't they ?

Quick,  hand me a collection box.
Bertstravels

Enzian (blue) Almrausch (red) Edelweiss (white)

Recently I was hiking at about the half way mark
of the Hoch Obir.
This is one of the three famous alpine flowers:
The Enzian.
The other two are Almrausch and, of course,
The Edelweiss.

(there are many other flowers up there, but these
are the three always associated with The Alps.)

I really did not expect any better....

Guess what: Frau Fekter still is the Finance Minister of Austria.
She did not resign;
She was not fired;
She was 'ordered' to appologize.
"I appologize to anyone who may have been offended by my remarks."
Not: "I appologize for my remarks which were ill chosen and inappropriate...."
NO, I  appologize only to those who may have been offended by my remarks....
That may well mean, that she considers her remarks to have been appropriate, but that there may still be some persons who were offended by them.
And her Boss accepts this mealy-mouthed so-called appology.

Okay... I'll appologize to you later
Bertstravels