News / Poland to return to Catholic tradition? [177]


I seem to remember 39% is the real number of people who bother to turn up every week. From memory, Malta has a higher rate, and Poland is a bit more than in Slovakia. Interestingly, the number in the UK is about 22% of Catholics, which is higher than I'd expect.

It's worth pointing out that the attendance is often inflated by things such as people going to mass because their kid has to as part of the first communion preparation - I know quite a few people that only went so that their kid could get 'a party and presents', which is sick. Polonius probably regards such people as being completely false, and I'd agree with him.

News / Poland to return to Catholic tradition? [177]


Isn't that the figure that the Church claims, rather than the actual number?

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

I'm pretty sure that story about the hospital was completely fake.

As for keeping up - I read the other day that KOD are actively compiling and keeping track of everything that this government is doing for future reference. There won't be any easy escape for this bunch of criminals. The best part? Kaczyński is getting on in age, but most of his henchmen are all very young men.

Nothing to say about Błaszczak appointing a man he knew to be under investigation for corruption to be the Chief of Police?

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

Latest story :

It transpires that Mariusz Błaszczak, Minister of the Interior from PiS appointed to the position of Chief of Police - a person that is already under investigation by the BSW, the Office for Internal Affairs in the Police. He was under investigation for corruption. The problem lies in that the BSW answers to the Chief of Police. Błaszczak knew about the investigation, yet still appointed someone to the job who was nicknamed "Beria" by colleagues for his attitude towards them.

Within two months, the new Commander Maj fired the entire management of the BSW (as in those that knew about the investigation) as well as all the district and provincial commanders. He then proceeded to resign himself last week. The police are now in a state of chaos and uncertainty.

The corruption within PiS continues relentlessly. Just like all good Communists, they accused and then proceeded to do exactly the same thing themselves. Interestingly, Błaszczak is also a member of the PiS inner circle with Bierecki.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

Devastating poll just released :

wyborcza.pl/1,75478,19650405,tns-49-procent-uwaza-ze-sprawy-w-polsce-ida-w-zlym-kierunku.html

49% of Poles think that the country is going in a bad direction, while only 31% think that Poland is going in a good direction.

Work / Expatriating to Poland... good career move for a young male? [50]


That's because the goods aren't crossing a fiscal border. If you export to the EU, the shipper (or receiver) needs to pay VAT on the sales price as well as any import taxes owed.

What your friend is doing is hoping that it gets through. If he does, he gains. If he doesn't, he'll be taking the 23% hit plus whatever the import tax is on watches (no idea).


They already are. There were quite a few cases last year of people making test purchases, then when they failed to provide a receipt, the seller was busted for tax evasion. There's even a campaign at the minute to encourage people to ask for receipts.

Cło is import taxes, while are different to VAT.

Work / Expatriating to Poland... good career move for a young male? [50]

You're very wrong. In general, goods valued at under 22 Euro may be imported free of all taxes, while goods valued at under 150 Euro may be imported free of import tax (but VAT is still applied). If you try and 'gift' something, the VAT limit is 45 Euro rather than 22 Euro. However, Customs may well open the gift to check that it genuinely is a gift rather than something being sent commercially.

Just some mathematics :

Bear in mind that for private buyers, the iPad that you wish to sell for $307.50 comes to 1207.68PLN. OK, so they can save 41PLN by ordering from you. Buuut...they also need to pay a handling fee of 20.50PLN to Poczta Polska for handling the Customs fees on import. That means you're now only 20.50PLN cheaper, or basically 5 dollars profit per iPad sold.

Still think it's a good business?

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

Have you noticed that there's always an excuse with them? It was the same with the free medicine for over 75's that they promised - they turned round straight after the election and said "we didn't say how much medicine would be free". Likewise with the retirement age - "we didn't make a hard commitment". Or with the higher tax free amount - "actually we think it's not a wise idea".

I hope all those PiS voters choke on their broken promises.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


Why? They've increased Polish debts by 20 billion in less than 7 weeks, they've failed to pay our farmers on time (despite PO/PSL managing just fine) and they've turned Poland into an international laughing stock.

By the way, you do realise that it's mostly Germans that have been buying Polish debts? What was that about foreigners running Poland?

Work / Expatriating to Poland... good career move for a young male? [50]

I'm not sure you really understand how import taxes work. You need to pay VAT when importing the goods. That means the goods won't be released in the EU fiscal territory without VAT being paid.


I find it hard to believe that Rolex watches are getting into the EU without being stopped. Basketball shoes - sure. But Customs are very hot on small, high value items - and unless he's stupid enough to send the watches without declaring the real value, he would almost certainly be paying import taxes too. It's possible that he's making a profit after all that, but I suspect he's rather inflating the real returns.


Your calculations are completely wrong. I'll take your word for the shipping price, so that's $250. You need to add 23% VAT on import (there are no import taxes, just VAT, and VAT is payable on the total transaction) - so that's $307.50. Retail price in Poland (all prices here automatically include VAT) is 1249PLN, which is $317.63. That leaves you with a profit of $10.13 - before you take into account the risks with currency exchange. Now you've got to pay for the stall, and how many people at the average bazaar are going to buy electronic goods?

Furthermore, the tax office has been making a concentrated effort to go after those selling goods without receipts. Furthermore, the warranty wouldn't be valid in the EU, while the online store offers a 2 year warranty. Who is going to buy from you?

I can't be totally certain, but I think the Amazon.com prices are before state taxes as well, aren't they?


You wouldn't be able to sell at US prices because of import VAT rates.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


It gets better. The draft budget passed assumes inflation of 1.7% in 2016. In 2015, inflation was on average at -0.87%.

It's also worth pointing out that the budget assumes a deficit of no more than 57 billion złoty. So far, debt has increased by 20 billion. These economics are very much PiS-onomics. Don't worry, PiS voters, you'll be free of the factory soon, mainly because the factory will cease to exist.

Work / Expatriating to Poland... good career move for a young male? [50]

You'll never manage to sell those goods cheaper than Polish retailers. For a start, you can't just import those goods into Europe - you need to have the permission of the brand owner first. If you try to do it without evidence of having permission, the goods will be held by Customs until you demonstrate that you have permission to import them.

Take for instance the iPad. Let's look at the 16GB wifi iPad mini. It's $238.95 on Amazon.com right now, which is 943.51PLN. The same thing is on sale online in Poland for 1249PLN, or $316.19. A significant saving in the US, right?

Now... add 23% (Polish VAT) to the price of the iPad. That gives us 1160.52PLN. That means the margin is a mere 88.48zł on every iPad sold, or 7.08%. That's before we think about shipping expenses, labour expenses and more. Do you think you can do better than the existing Polish retailers?

Now, let's say you want to send them straight from the US rather than importing them yourself. That means you have the same margin, but your customers will face paying handling fees for Customs too. That means your prices need to be lower than Amazon to make it worth ordering from you - can you supply the goods cheaper than them? Probably not. What about returns?

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


I knew you'd reply, so let me remind you of this...


(this was between Andrzej Duda and Solidarność)


currenteventspoland.com/news/solidarnosc-endorses-andrzej-duda-from-pis-for-president-of-poland.html

In other words, Duda promised a lower retirement age. Szydło promised a lower retirement age. Morawiecki is now saying that it wasn't a "hard commitment".

Enjoy your backbreaking physical minimum wage factory work at the age of 66, PiS voters. I'm sure your grandchildren won't miss you too much ;)

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


Nobodies didn't get their children to star in movies in the PRL, nobodies had no chance of working on/in the American Embassy and certainly nobodies had no chance of getting a nice flat in Zoliborz in flattened post-war Warsaw. I leave it to you to work that one out.

Someone certainly should be asking questions about how Jarosław in particular was able to go from being a nobody up until 1989 to suddenly playing a central part in politics a couple of years later.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


Jarosław wasn't there at all, so it's no surprise he was sleeping while everyone was getting hauled off to internment camps. Despite the best efforts of PiS, it's pretty clear that Jaro simply wasn't part of it.

Lech on the other hand...just how did he get out so quickly?

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


And that's exactly the problem that most countries have. The selective use of documents is completely wrong - which is why it should either be completely opened up for analysis by everyone, or simply locked away. The current use whereby those in power selectively abuse political opponents while silencing debate about their friends - it's disgusting.

Still, is anything worse than watching the PZPR public prosecutor Piotrowicz now standing with PiS and hounding Wałęsa, just like used to hound other Solidarność members?

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]

You mean the unproven allegations.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]

Oh Polonius... if PiS genuinely cared about people, they would immediately implement a law requiring all state employees to receive no more than the average Polish wage. The savings would then be invested in cutting taxes and providing help to vulnerable people. But no, instead, Macierewicz immediately launched his Smolensk commission with over 100 people earning 25k a month. Is that what you call decent, or fair?

If PiS had come into power and said that they were immediately cutting the salaries as well as imposing all out war on government waste, they would be sitting at 50%+ in the polls. Instead, they're sitting at 31%.


They won't be working at all by the time this government is finished. Zosia will be forced to stay at home, while Jan will drink himself into despair at just how ruined his country is - again.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


What?!

How can they be "ordinary Poles" if they're in the job solely because of political patronage? We've already seen examples of how farmers are getting paid late because PiS appointed a bunch of cleaners and secretaries to run important district offices - but those people haven't got a clue.

I notice that PiS are now starting to talk about putting President Wałęsa on trial. Such a move would almost certainly be the end of PiS in government.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]

What are you talking about? It was routine and commonplace for the secret police services in Communist countries to outright fabricate a lot of things. We know for instance from the Stasi that junior officers would tend to make up stuff, because they were evaluated on the basis of the information received, even if it wasn't quite true.

At the end of the day, be careful for what you wish for. If you bring Wałęsa down, don't be terribly surprised if the same thing happens to others.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


Agreed. The problem is that we already have people on record saying that they were responsible for forging many documents connected with Wałęsa. We also have the problem that these files are known to be incomplete and to be full of forgeries.


Actually, haven't you followed the news? The latest situation is that at least 1,400 hectares of land in December has been compulsory purchased by the State, and the number for January is expected to be higher. That land belonged to someone. It seems that the "good change" actually involves people losing their inheritances.


It's all lovely buzz-words, but how do you explain the way that PiS have focused heavily on putting their men into power rather than "ordinary Poles"?

The latest information today is that the EU might well withhold agricultural subsidies.

Either way, this government's corruption makes me sick.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


Given that the head of the IPN today admitted on TVN24 that expert handwriting analysts hadn't confirmed that the documents contained an authentic signature, how can it be irrefutable evidence?

Try harder, Polonius.

Furthermore - at the end of the day, who does this benefit? Poland? Not really - we now have the spectacle of the allegations being repeated all over the world. Poland is weaker in their eyes, and who gains? Putin.

It's sad that this government is destroying Poland for their own cynical gain.

The lies and propaganda on TVP continue...

polska.newsweek.pl/wiadomosci-sklamaly-w-sprawie-teczek-tw-bolka-z-domu-kiszczaka,artykuly,380069,1.html


Wake up, Poland. You're walking straight into a totalitarian nightmare, and no-one is going to help you but yourselves - again.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


They would be in a comparable situation to Spain or Ireland. Anyone looking at the RCC these days can see that they're exactly on the same trajectory - which is downwards.

Oh, it just gets better and better.

tvn24bis.pl/z-kraju,74/mateusz-morawiecki-o-obnizeniu-wieku-emerytalnego,620725.html


Recall that Andrzej Duda repeatedly brought this up during his election campaign. Remember that Szydło also repeated it constantly during the election campaign. Now we hear that it's "not a hard commitment", despite Szydło saying that it was a priority for the first 100 days of government.

Hahahahaha. I hope all you PiS voting fools working in hard physical jobs remember the words of Morawiecki when dragging your broken and beaten carcasses off to another hard shift. Remember, it's "not a hard commitment" to let you retire earlier. ;)

And, just for kicks : the Ministry of Finance this year (so far) has increased the level of the Polish national debt by 20 billion. In just over 6 weeks.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


What makes you so certain that he isn't in their league? And if he's not, why don't you support a full and open investigation into his life to reveal the truth?


She was a nobody and wouldn't have had the clout to pull it off. Remember, film roles didn't go to just anyone, but rather those that were well connected politically. I leave it to you to deduce what that might mean.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


So in other words, the footage was taken completely out of context and used as propaganda against Michnik. What a surprise.

Either air the whole lot unedited or don't air it at all. However, nice to see that Lech Kaczyński was also at Magdalenka. How did he get there if he wasn't part of the 'conspiracy'?

Work / Expatriating to Poland... good career move for a young male? [50]


It's quite realistic if you're good enough. If you really are the bomb at sales - then contact Netguru in Poznań. They have a reputation for paying very, very high salaries for people that can get the job done. By high, I'm speaking $4k USD a month and up.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


Funny you should say this, because... there's a whole new scandal about to emerge.


wyborcza.pl/1,75478,19641873,czystka-w-arimr-opoznia-wyplate-unijnych-pieniedzy-bieda-rolnika.html?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=SM&utm_campaign=FB_Gazeta_Wyborcza

Normally, farmers would have everything in their accounts by the end of the year. Is this government stupid, or what?

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


Yet, the funniest thing is that the current PZPRbis government *is* trying to hold Poland down. Having said that, farmers are very, very unhappy about the plans to impose restrictions on what they can do with their own land. Silesians in particular seem to be furious, but not only. If the farmers start coming out en masse, PiS are in deep trouble.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


Oh, this is what is is about, isn't it?

It's not about Gazeta Wyborcza, it's about the fact that someone that disagrees with the right wing controls the biggest publisher in Poland.

News / The dossier of TW "Bolek" - Poland's IPN assisted by police enters the home of the late general Kiszczak [306]


Not me. I would like either all or nothing. If Wałęsa's activities are so interesting, then so are Rajmund Kaczyński's activities. Or we could put them in the past and get it over and done with.

I'm only sorry that the international media has picked up the story without pointing out that Jarek is simply trying to settle a feud from 25 years ago.

But anyway, if it's revealed that Wałęsa was a paid informer, then it means that *every* figure in Polish political history is now under suspicion. If Wałęsa could, anyone could, and the trail leads straight to a comfortable flat in Zoliborz.


What would you know, Aussie?