Balearic blues

The Balearics are bankrupt. Hospitals are being closed down, civil servants are having their wages cut; what happened to that region of Spain which was one of the richest in the country? The Balearic government has no money and enormous debts. Just where has all the money gone? A taxi driver was telling me that all those politicians and public officials who have been found guilty of having long fingers should have to pay the money back. He claimed that it was pointless sending them to prison, their real debt to society was all the money they had stolen. It should be repaid, he said. It is not a bad idea. Various local politicians and officials have been accused of stealing millions over the years. This money has disappeared. If this money was returned it would probably help keep the two hospitals open, for a while, perhaps. It is a great pity that millions of euros have been squandered on senseless projects and much worse. The future for the Balearics is looking bleak. The islands need a very good summer season. Unfortunately this is rather unlikely because both Britain and Germany are in a recession and holidaymakers from these two countries will have limited spending power. I write these words with a rather heavy heart. It is such a shame that all the money from years of tourism has simply disappeared and now the islands can´t pay their way. Even hospitals have to be closed and the jobless rate is record high. A great shame.