Federalism, as it costs Laughing and joking, even whistling
, Italy is preparing to become
from a unitary to a federal state. A turning point that would have required a minimum of political debate, beyond the claims of the Northern League used for twenty years as a magic word to be translated in many different ways depending on the tastes and humidity. Before the five
macro, then the cantons in Switzerland, then
the German Lander, then the triptych
Padania -central and southern most island, then the mysterious devolution
thankfully rejected in a referendum confirming
of 2006, now
almost twenty regions with special status such as the four who have it already.
Unbeknownst to most, a year ago, Parliament passed the enabling act, that is the rule that the government entrusts the task of launching the decrees that, in a few years, will end the unification of Italy to replace do not know with what. We do not know if, with fiscal federalism, the State and its super-regions will save on costs than today, so we riduranno a bit 'fees (to us that we pay, I mean), or do they multiply and each other. Interviewed last year by the Parliament of the baseline data of fiscal federalism, Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti has extended her arms: "We nell'imponderabile: there are too many variables to count to make a calculation.
A speech that should have led all parties, right and left, to stop the balls and say, no sir, first tell us if we gain with federalism or we lose, then Parliament will vote. Also because, if I remember correctly, there is Article 82 of the Constitution which requires, for every law, sufficient financial resources, if the costs are not covered, the law does not pass. Instead they have done the exact opposite: they cheerfully adopted without a shred of opposition (Democratic Party abstained, IDV for, against only the UDC), then one day we will know what it costs us. And if we find that costs more than the current system, it will be too late to turn back.
He feels that, by empowering the regions on spending, local administrators will be encouraged to save because otherwise the voters punish them. I think the opposite is true: spending out of control is made to satisfy the local customers, facilitating tax evasion of taxes and charges, fake invalid, illegal building, to buy Reviews: The administrator is more close to his constituents, the more he will fear of losing support with strict policies.
Moreover, just trust experiment, except for a couple of regions virtuous, the others are all in debt up to their necks for the explosion of health spending and the boom in recruitment and promotion of employees, managers and consultants. Beginning with the autonomous regions such as Sicily. Imagine what will happen when all twenty regions of Italy enjoy the same autonomy. The Italian
decentralization has always worked like this: instead of transferring the bureaucracies and spending centers from the center to the suburbs, they are duplicates. When the regions were established, should have disappeared provinces: instead remained, indeed have multiplied (we are at 110, which cost us 17 billion euro per year, of which only 6 or 7 4 000 salaried advisers and 65 000 employees and advisors of the service companies ). What makes us think that a country suddenly become virtuous? To really work, fiscal federalism should reward the more informed regions (two or three) and penalize the most insane (the vast majority). The fact that almost all parties agree on fiscal federalism suggests that will be awarded and each other. That is, the expenditure will rise, and with it the taxes. At least for those who pay. But perhaps, as Montanelli said, to get rid of this political class it is good that we are paying to the bottom of the consequences: federalism would now apply to become his tomb.
Marco Travaglio
the Spoiler
April 15, 2010
A (nna)
