Thoughts from Galicia, Spain: Thoughts from Galicia, Spain: 18.9.18

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.

- Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain.

If you've arrived here because of an interest in Galicia or Pontevedra, see my web page here. Garish but informative.

Matters Spanish

Belgium has refused to extradite the Spanish artist accused of upsetting some Catholics. Quite right, too. When will the Spanish authorities learn?
Astonishingly – though perhaps not in the light of yesterday's claim that huge mistakes are being repeated – there are increasing reports of a new construction boom here in Spain. One UK paper even refers to a 'building frenzy' along the coast. Or what's left of it. God forbid.
Interesting to read that the city council in Cordoba is arguing that the Grand Mosque there has never belonged to the Catholic Church, which certainly does manage the place. This rejection stems from an attempt by the Church to formalise its claimed ownership a year or two ago.
Every country has top folk who have some degree of protection from legal action. Spain is possibly unique in having – for historical reasons – many thousands of these. 250,000 in fact. Plus a Prime Ministerial power to pardon who the hell he/she likes. But newish PSOE Prime Minister Sanchez is threatening to bring Spain into the 21st century by abolishing at least some of these. Click here on this.

Matters US

The Dunning-Kruger effect - A cognitive bias in which people of low ability have illusory superiority and mistakenly assess their cognitive ability as greater than it is. This cognitive bias of illusory superiority comes from the inability of low-ability people to recognize their lack of ability; without the self-awareness of metacognition, they can't objectively evaluate their actual competence or incompetence. Do they mean him?

Matters Galician and Pontevedran

A lot of attention has been given recently to electricity prices here. Not surprising when they've risen by more than 40% in a year. And are 21% higher than in (far richer) France. Any chance of a government inquiry?? Err, no.
During the 2002-8 boom years, it was almost amusing to see the proliferation of bank branches on the streets of Pontevedra city. There was even one southern bank – CAM – which opened one branch and then put up posters about the opening of another one 50m away. The first one duly closed and the second never did open. In fact, 18 branches have closed in the city, though it still has a (probably) high number of 48.
Pontevedra province has retained, in 2017, its 5th place in the national league table of motoring offence fines. After Madrid, Valencia, Murcia and Sevilla. This is in absolute terms. Once again, I'm sure its ranking would be even higher if the populations were taken into account.
I suggested yesterday that O Bao might be Galician for O Vao. I can say with conviction that quilo is Gallego for kilo. Maybe because – as with Y – the letter K doesn't figure in the language. Not for purists anyway.

Finally . . .

Matters Fiscal: If you're a foreigner resident here and you don't know about the infamously horrendous Modelo 720 law of late 2012, then you really should do some research. You might owe the Spanish Tax Office quite a lot of dosh, one way and another . . . On this subject, my own inquiries on what's happened since April 2017 have came up with zilch. This was the deadline for a response from the Spanish government to the EU Commission's December 2016 declaration that the fines arising from this law were illegally high. Theoretically, if the Spanish government either didn't reply or gave an unsatisfactory response to the declaration, then a case should have been initiated in the European Court of Justice more than a year ago. But I can't find any evidence of this happening. Anyone know anything? Having paid €1,500 for a late declaration – as against €100 normally – I'm naturally interested in knowing whether I can get €1,400 back. Not that I'm terribly optimistic even if I'm legally entitled to this, given the Spanish government's track record in these matters. Easier to get blood from stones.
BTW . . . If total of your overseas bank accounts is above the Modelo 720 reporting threshold, September is the month for considering their balances. The reporting requirements stipulate the use of the average of the September and December end month numbers, not just the balance at 31 December.

Thoughts from Galicia, Spain