Italy calls in 'Berlusconi kiss' (Berlusconi vote buying $1,000

[wakeme2008]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4933062.stm

Italy calls in 'Berlusconi kiss'
Several thousand non-Italian parents who by mistake received a 1,000-euro (£692) state bonus for having a baby have been told they must pay it back.

Letters announcing the bonus for Italian new-borns were addressed to more than 600,000 babies in January, signed "Big Kiss, Silvio Berlusconi".

Some 3,000 immigrant families made successful claims as a result.

..more at link...

[Missy M]

1. That Berlusconi is something else, he is a whacko.....

I find it interesting that Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, with the Vatican's influence there.

[formercia]

2. There was a time when you could keep the serfs ignorant

that's why America is such a fat prize. Lots of built-in ignorance that just needs to be fed theofascist claptrap ideology.

[Blue_Tires]

6. +1

[xchrom]

5. while it would be a mistake to say that italy isn't profoundly

catholic -- the italians feel a little more personal about the faith -- and go about their own business.

we here in america get very upset about conservative turns in religion -- they more or less simply go about their business.

just my observation.

[rocktivity]

3. According to my xe.com currency converter

That's more than twelve hundred dollars in REAL money!

:headbang:
rocknation

[formercia]

4. It's easy to give away

It's not his money. Italians are notorious for not paying their taxes. Some would find that ironic.