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Post by z00ey on Feb 14, 2006 11:18:11 GMT 1
this whole thread looks to me like the part in monty python's life of brian (going somewhat like this):
oooh the romans are sooo bad... they only take FROM us, but what have they ever done FOR us?
well, they've given us aqueducts!
OK, aqueducts, but what ELSE?
hmm.. roman roads are good... and schooling...
YES YES BUT WHAT ELSE?
pax romana? hospitals? sewage... etc etc
the "foreigners" that come here are here naturally to invest... the job croatians have is to help them invest in QUALITY, ECONOMICALY BUT ENVIROMENTALY SOUND PROJECTS!
i am a croat in zagreb, and have nothing against foreign investment or foreigners coming to live here...
had the foreign countries regarded the croats in 1960' and 1970' the same way croats look at them now, i don't see how would you ie daria be able to move to canada or so many people that went to work in western europe (germany, italy, france, austria, sweden, just to name a few places...)
if a foreigner pays taxes here, and employs local workforce, it's much better than nothing happening instead... also, an influx of foreign ways of life is usually for the better...
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Post by onetoten on Feb 14, 2006 23:07:00 GMT 1
ZOOEY. But didn't you just say it yourself. You are in Zagreb. Where I am, on the coast, This is like a country so far away it could be on a toally foreign planet.
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Post by daria14 on Feb 15, 2006 1:40:37 GMT 1
IRAC SAYS: "Daria, that's claptrap and you know it, owe allegiance, how do you show allegiance? Enlighten the world!"
DARIA14 SAYS: actually you cant ask me that question..you can ask dictionary.com thats where i got the definition soo HA
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Post by irac on Feb 15, 2006 7:33:21 GMT 1
With such sparkling debate there Daria, wow, no wonder the country is moving, oh wait, yes, you're not here to drive the economy and spark discussion on how to solve the problems of a faltering state.
Fair enough, you have no answer as to what is allegiance, as to what constitutes a foreigner and as to how life is here day to day, that's okay, I'm sure that if you were living here long enough then you'd have a different view and not resort to the level of non-debate that is barely outside the school gates. You've made points before, been questioned and changed slightly, which means you're adapting and accepting, which is what tihs place needs a lot more of.
What was frightening this past summer, at the height of media silly season, was the headline of tens of thousands of houses owned by foreigners. When the article was actually read it was nonsense. And over half the quoted number were actually properties owned by Croatian companies based off-shore and using them as business or holiday renal properties. But of course the usual ridiculous debate ensued until it no longer posed any interest, and the papers returned to plastering themselves with topless photos of young Czechs (in almost all cases for Slobodna, the photographers asked the girls where they were from, if they were Croat's they didn't use the pics, I wonder why???)
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Post by mambo on Feb 15, 2006 16:04:06 GMT 1
If I travel along the coast I do realize there is a big difference between Istria and the rest of the country. Whereas in the rest of the country indeed a small percentage of the houses are foreign owned, here in Istria it is not the case. If we forget the resorts, hotels and apartment complexes, so simply look at the standard apartments in the city and villages, one cannot do anything else but admit that most of these are foreign owned. These apartments are also completely marketed to foreigners (and a few happy rich folks from Zagreb), nothing is aimed at the local Croatian market. We now have many villages where in the winter time absolutely nobody is living ! Perhaps you will find one old farmer, but that is about it. I already spoke before of a small town called Cervar, which is better known as a ghost town. It has a small marina, but all the businesses on the waterfront are bankrupt. The space that they occupied is now painted over by grafiti, windows are broken, terraces destroyed, public lighting does not function anymore, most apartments have not seen any maintenance for at least 10 years, the place is deserted and no change in sight. Why ? Because prices are kept at absolutely crazy levels, which means shops cannot open there (would be economical suicide) and because everything is closed also the tourists stay away.
It is hopefully obvious to everyone that this is not the type of situation one wishes for a village, but selling only to foreigners will create these situations. Restaurants/shops/businesses cannot survive if there are no customers.
It is for this reason that the local government in Porec is now going to build some apartments for 'locals' with a price of 900 euro/m2 MAXIMUM. Only people living in Porec for at least 14 years are eligible and of course...............they cannot own any other property. These apartments are nog going to be build in a far off location, it is going to be around Porec, so it is possible the locals have tourists next to them who did pay 2500 to 3000 euro/m2, but who are never there. But I agree, it is the only way to keep the city alive. They have to find a way to create afordable housing for the people who live and work here.
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aja
New Member
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Post by aja on Feb 16, 2006 2:02:22 GMT 1
it is a big problem and I can only emagine what will happen(is happening) to islands where even today you do not have enough young educated people to develop areas and stay there.But even in places where there is still chance for local community to change this, it is simply not possible for young croatian people to buy flats on the coast as long as they are over 1500Euro as salary is about 500-600 Euro if they are lucky to have job the interest of capital and big profits was to strong, but if croatia wants serious tourism and sustainable development this will have to change rapidly
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Post by onetoten on Feb 16, 2006 22:07:23 GMT 1
I can't believe some of these postings. Proud Croats. Selling out. And it is all so easy....You nip down here and there, eh, nema problemo...You are joking! I visited a solicitor here in Croatia. I needed a signature verifying, for a UK matter. Cost...£75. 750 kunas. 10 senonds. In England....£10...same ten seconds. And all these complicated lands claims (battles in familes), will be sorted so easily. You are stupid if you think so. SEVEN years and more counter-claims than you can handle, with a solictor who works for £75 for ten seconds. And yes...I do live here. And yes, I am quite proud to be here. Proud of what I have done. And happy with what is here right now. And really wouldn't want to see it changed drastically. But if you think Croats will buy up your coastline, you are off your Jolley's trolley!
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Post by daria14 on Feb 17, 2006 2:43:15 GMT 1
we can really only predict for the future, by using past knowledge. Therefore by using the information we have now we can predict if there will be an increase in the number of sales croatia will have with foreigners. So dont say that we are off our jolley's trolley, because not even you can tell the future. Who knows maybe Croatia wont sell out, maybe it will...
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Post by Slatkica on Feb 17, 2006 11:11:47 GMT 1
I'd like to point out one thing, most of the time a few of you have been saying that the foreigners come over and want to protect the natural heritage and restore the houses. But I would have to say that more than 50% of the foreigners that are buying properties over there don't, they just want a quick fix holiday house for where they come once or twice a year to sit by the beach, and the rest of the year leave it empty. Its only the few that are actually interested in more than actually having hot weather and the sea, that care more about reservation.
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Post by michaelfrankly on Feb 17, 2006 20:01:54 GMT 1
My next door neighbour in Cork is from Šibenik. If he comes home I will leave.
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Post by michaelfrankly on Feb 17, 2006 20:04:20 GMT 1
What I meant to say was that there are some 1500 Croatians (I think) living in Ireland and as far as I am concerned, they are wlcome to stay as long as they want.
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Post by michaelfrankly on Feb 17, 2006 20:09:39 GMT 1
Sladka, It is the duty of the Croatian government to protect and preserve its countries natural heritage. If this is not being dealt with then your complaint should be directed towards them. MF
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Post by Slatkica on Feb 17, 2006 23:34:22 GMT 1
Sladka, It is the duty of the Croatian government to protect and preserve its countries natural heritage. If this is not being dealt with then your complaint should be directed towards them. MF This has nothing to do with what I was trying to point out
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Post by lojalnost on Feb 18, 2006 1:30:40 GMT 1
I'd like to point out one thing, most of the time a few of you have been saying that the foreigners come over and want to protect the natural heritage and restore the houses. But I would have to say that more than 50% of the foreigners that are buying properties over there don't, they just want a quick fix holiday house for where they come once or twice a year to sit by the beach, and the rest of the year leave it empty. Its only the few that are actually interested in more than actually having hot weather and the sea, that care more about reservation. This is just a sweeping generalisation with no statistics to back it up
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Post by daria14 on Feb 18, 2006 2:28:29 GMT 1
thank you sladka, i think you are the only person on this whole post that agrees with me
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