Tony Zarb, the sharpest knife in the drawer
While the people who employ his union members agitate about how much their overheads are going to be increased by paying the full whack for electricity, here’s our Maltova baby suggesting that the government pay out a bonus of EUR58.23 – a round Lm25, because his union still thinks in Maltese liri – this December to all those aged 16 and up. The government has no money of its own, Mister Zarb. Guess where it gets that money from?
Using the latest census figures, The Times worked out what this would cost, something that the General Workers Union didn’t bother with when it threw about the notion of its bonus ta’ hamsa u ghoxrin lira strejt. Tony Zarb’s brilliant idea won’t make any difference at all to the individual pocket, especially around Christmas when it will almost certainly be splurged at the nearest bar or boutique, but it will cost the tax-payer EUR20 million. That’s the kind of money that would make a hell of a lot of difference to state schools.
I’m beginning to wonder whether Tony and his unjin actually think at all. What must their meetings be like? “Ara hija, itfalhom boh-nuss ta’ hamsa u ghoxrin lira u kullhadd kuntent. Hawn, x’ismek, ghadili kelkjulejter ha nahdima b’ewro.” “Ewro awrina! Hahahahhaj!” “Jien gibthom fifti-ejt twenti-tree. Ma tantx idoqqli bhala figura.” “Jaqaw il-figura ta’ Tony idoqqlok izjed? Hahahahahaj!”
Good grief.
The General Workers Union had not yet heard of the government’s plans to raise the electricity rates when it drew up its boh-nuss strategy. But it went ahead regardless, even in the dramatically changed scenario. That’s brains for you. Zarb told the newspapers that, even though he had been caught off balance, he thought that the union should still forge ahead and demand a boh-nuss, because after all, that’s what it had decided to do so why not press on?
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The part in italics is hilarious! I can’t stop laughing.
Btw, something which I failed to bring to your attention yesterday is that it is actually “x’jismek” and not “x’ismek”.
[Daphne – You’re right, because it’s ‘hey, what’s-your-name’, except that in its corrupted form the grammar has gone and it’s pronounced ‘aw, x’ismek’, not even ‘hawn, x’ ismek.’]
Tony Zarb is not the only one to blame. Successive Governments have given in too easily to the unreasonable demands of the GWU. So Tony Zarb must be thinking why should things be different this time round?
I can understand a plea for pensioners to help pay the utility bills. But since when do students pay utility bills? !!!!
Maltova!! I know what I’ll “cook” tonight. Thanks for the suggestion.
[Daphne – It’s lovely with butter – real butter, that is – and Bovril. And if you haven’t got Maltova, use cfuf instead. Fabulous nursery food.]
My Mum’s variant of the Maltova recipe includes a La Vache Qui Rit cheese portion instead of butter. I used to love it and all of a sudden I am tempted to try it once again!
What else is being suggested? Haven’t you seen the bloodbath on the foreign stock markets? And some idiotic twerp who calls himself a journalist went writing on today’s Times that funds could start moving to our MSE. What a joke when its lost quite a few points this week with some shares down as much as 10 per cent and will probably end up seriously in the red in a few days as the international effects come trickling in.
Daphne – It’s lovely with butter – real butter, that is – and Bovril. And if you haven’t got Maltova, use cfuf instead.
I would opt for ‘holoq’ myself and an egg yolk mixed in for good measure. Mmmm good. If preferred … a little grated Parmesan or Romano… Just a light dusting
…or do I mean ‘sprinkle?
Gerald: Here’s what else is being suggested: pay your own effing bills instead of expecting someone else to pay them.
I know that “idiotic twerp” you mention. He didn’t ‘go writing’ on the Times. He reported what other people said. He doesn’t call himself a journalist. He is one – and a very competent one too. For a start, he wouldn’t ever say ‘went writing’ which is a meaningless literal translation of ‘mar jikteb’.
I note you made your insulting comment here, rather than beneath his story online. I wonder why that is?
@ Gerald…
Funds will come to Malta due to the tax advantages (pay just 5% at the end of the day). These will not necessairily be listed on the MSE. Now is the best time to attract them here. When these were making 20% return, paying tax was not such an issue. Now that they will struggle to make profits, the reduction in tax looks even more attractive.
Gerald, you call other reporters “idiotic twerps who pretend to be journalists”.
Quite a statement from someone, who changes jobs / or is ‘asked to move on’ every 12 months. Ignorance is bliss.
We’ve got our Joey who pretends to be a statesman by going to Libya, his wife who tries to be a First Lady cheapish lookalike by covering herself with a silver curtain, and a petty disciple who prtends to be a insurance agent / bank clerk / music critic / amateur TV presenter / international politics analyst / financial journalist….
Gerald, clearly finance is not your forte, perhaps not even pianoforte is your forte. The article you refer to quotes Adrian Said as saying that Malta may actually benefit from the financial crisis because ” Maltese banks have taken a conservative approach to lending, and the financial sector is well regulated”
This is indeed correct.
Moreover Maltese banks have not attempted to attract depositors money by offering 7 percent interest as the Icelandinc banks did…and now owe some 4 billion sterling (Eur 5.7 billion) to British depositors ! Yes this is Iceland with a population of 300,000 people. The country is on its knees and its prime minister has threatened the west that he will sell an ex US airbase to the Russians for Eur 4 billion, if the west does not help it out …Now thats one hell of a mess.
With this credit crunch really hitting hard, what did (Labour) economist Alfred Mifsud say in the same article ? “Malta has other problems such as the utilility bills”. For crying out loud, thats a Euro55 million problem. In fact we are really quibbling over nothing in comparison to other countries’ problems. The UK bailout would be equivalent to some Eur 500 million (pro rata ).
Perhaps Alfred Mifsud forgot to mention the billions of euros which fled the giant swiss bank UBS, whom he represents in Malta. But thats another story…
I still haven’t posted my comment on the Times website which I will do so shortly. I note that competence means you have to be from the Nationalist side of things.
P. Shaw – when you get proof that I was asked to move on after 12 months we can talk face to face. Otherwise if you continue digging out dirt which isn’t true, I’m going to have to resort to other methods which are available if one slanders without proof.
IM9: Exactly – they aren’t listed on the MSE – but the article states that the MSE is actually weathering the financial storm when it has dropped by at least 10 per cent this week alone.
Re-reading the article by the new hope for local journalists Christian Peregin, even economist Alfred mifsud says that turning a crisis into an opportunity is ‘a bit stretched’
Also the byline to the photo is misleading as it attempts to portray the MSE as some sort of safe haven.
“The calm amid the storm at the Malta Stock Exchange: Despite the international turmoil in the financial markets, the apparent resistance of Malta’s financial institutions to the financial crisis may be used to attract money our way”.
[Daphne – It’s lovely with butter – real butter, that is – and Bovril. And if you haven’t got Maltova, use cfuf instead. Fabulous nursery food.]
Thanks for the reminder!! When I was young (early ’70s), my mother used to make that for me pretty often, only she’d use either tiny pasta shells or small wheel shapes…(No better comfort food in my opinion.. takes me to my happy place!) I would hazard a guess and say that most probably they were Pasta Angelus.. Remember those bright yellow packets? I also remember my mum buying spaghetti by weight, wrapped in a karta strazza! And taking an empty glass bottle to the grocer for a cooking-oil refill.
A while ago, a friend and I were reminiscing about food from our childhood which is no longer available or no longer exists.. like packets of Bacon Shapes, the old Wagon Wheel (somehow the ones around today don’t taste quite the same), Rancheros, Murphy Biffs, the 1cent Bubblo(?) bubble gums, oily Cock’s crisps,Tutti Frutti, Treets, Iced Gems (the little round biscuits with a splodge of hard coloured icing on top) (saw these around again recently actually).. and a bit later.. Catch, Nuggle, of course Desserta that stuck to the roof of your mouth, peanut-flavoured Tastees… can anyone remember any more?
But if I had to re-capture the taste of childhood summers, it would definitely be a hobza from the old Exiles bar or the Tower, washed down with a cold Dr. Pepper!! I’m delighted by the return of this drink to our shores. And that I no longer have to try and score a few bottles every time I go abroad or ask friends to bring a few down for me!
Junjien please not unjin.
[Daphne – No, they take the English spelling but pronounce it in Maltese: OON-YIN]
Gerald, you may not know but I do. There is panic abroad as investors do not know which bank may bite the dust next. They are looking at all possibilities in shifting their money elsewhere and, yes, Malta has been identified as relatively safe.
Gerald: So Christian Peregrin reported what Alfred Mifsud said. How does that amount to his being an idiotic twerp who calls himself a journalist?
Here’s another thing I suspect that Christian Peregrin wouldn’t do: call a caption a byline. In your line of work, it’s surprising you don’t know the difference.
No, competence doesn’t mean you have to vote Nationalist. It means you need to think rationally and make sense.
Or do you really mean that incompetents do not vote Nationalist.
Mmmmmm Dr Pepper – delightful !! I also remember those long sticks of rock which somehow are not seen anymore.
janine – They were probably “Malta Rock”, which I think were made by BowTie. I remember a school outing to that sweet factory when still in junior school. Such an outing would be unheard of today.
Amanda – Indeed !