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English Monthly NATIONAL HELLENIC FREE PRESS GREEK AMERICAN NEWSPAPER VOL. 26 NO. 309 CHICAGO, IL. JUNE, 2010 Saint Constantine and Helen THE HELLENIC STATE FINANCES Church Celebrates its Feastday and Young People are Tonsured What Are The Options? as Readers The elections of 2009 will stand as a mile- good follow up for the faithful applications Once again this year the Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Constantine and Helen in Palos stone in the long and historic course of Greece. of any agreement. The IMF participation in Hills, IL celebrated its annual feastday with much joy and fervour in prayer to the Lord. The ruling party was replaced with a large ma- the economic stimulus package to Greece by jority by the opposition, on expected change. The 30% demands a reduction in the budget defi- fact that disturbed Greece and the international cit from the present of 14.6% to around 3% by market was the apocalyptic state of the financial 2014. Now the question is, Greece with its deficit of Greece; a huge dept and an equally economic depression, and a limited economic huge budget deficit, the largest on both among activity together with lack of investments at a the states of the European Union. Greece was significant scale, how is it expected within walking with a fast pace toward bankruptcy. The three years to achieve this reduction? Would rotten infrastructure of Greece showed in its whole Greece be able to achieve such a goal under majesty. The national dept over 120% of the the existing economic conditions and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the budget present state structure of market and adminis- more than 14.6 % in the red when a decision of tration? the EU was not to exceed the 3% The government is declaring that it will Apparently this huge national deficit together restructure not only the economy but the whole with a budget deficit was not the result of a few public sector. Public Institutions, Govern- years of economic mismanagement. But simply ment Services, Pension Funds, and all the it reached a point that could not be covered with public services are included in the expected any accounting innovations any more. There restructuring. Here comes to mind another were not any more margins left to continue the question. How confident the government it- present policy of State welfare with inability to self is in finding an understanding and more Traditional service of the Artoclasia (Blessing of the Loaves) respond to its international obligation. With so cooperation from the public and especially that inability we arrived at the dreadful present the organized section of labor and the gov- Saint Constantine is remembered as the first Roman Emperor to put an end to persecution of apocalypse. The State is sinking and needs more ernment employees for the tough economic the Christian faithful and to adopt Christianity as the religion of the empire. His mother, Saint loans to pay the old loans. This became the start- measures in process which in the long term Helen, is attributed with having found the Holy Cross upon which Jesus was crucified and for ing point for the new government, an uphill would be beneficial to the citizens? The building numerous churches and monasteries throughout the Holy Land. These saints are com- struggle to secure new loans. lending states have their doubts if the prom- memorated each year in the Orthodox Church on May 21st. ised reconstruction will take place in order to recover and pay back its debt and in general Greece to stand on its own feet? Evidently any amount of money no mat- ter how large will not be sufficient if the present policies continue to be applied by an administration which neither proceeds to re- structure itself nor is applying the general principles of political economy, and contin- ues with the existing system that created the economic collapse in the first place. The necessary fundamental restructuring processes as are demanded by the lenders can- The central focus of the efforts of the new not be achieved by legislation only. The citi- prime minister was not only the finding of new zens must be motivated and must cooperate in funds, which became obvious when those loans the new process. An open and transparent were found, but they did not become available administration is the only remaining remedy right away. It was the lack of confidence of the after all these years of officially degraded cor- Candidates Helen Irene Jonas, Dionysios Piskopos, Anthony Jonas, Byron EU State members that Greece is not going to rupt state of affairs. Yet motivation now is not Stylianos Tsokolas, Constantine Tsarouhis, and George Vinihakis hear the conform to the terms of the new loans and will enough unless the people see structural inspired words of His Grace Bishop Demetrios initiate all measures necessary to fulfill its obli- changes from which economic benefits will Beginning with the service of Great Vespers on Thursday evening, May 20th, the Parish gations. The complete lack of confidence to- be derived. hosted over ten visiting clergy from throughout the six state Metropolis of Chicago presided over ward Greece and its people was the biggest ob- Hopefully the outstanding programs by His Grace Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos. As part of this rich liturgical experience, the offering stacle that ought to be by-passed by the new gov- forced on the government by the EU together was made of the Blessing of the Five Loaves more commonly known as the Service of Artoclasia. ernment. The government’s effort for binary loans with the stimulus package will restart the and the issue of State bonds with normal market economy on a positive track. But unless there interests did not find any takers. Whatever bonds would be some foreign investment at a sig- it managed to sell in a free market it paid ex- nificant scale the market will continue to stag- traordinary high interests above one hundred nate and there is not better motivation than percent compared to German bonds which are employment. Greece’s biggest industry, tour- considered a benchmark. As a result of this lack ism, suffers from expensive prices and unpre- of confidence toward Greece, especially from dictable labor force. Perhaps a larger scale Germany who was refusing to participate in a privatization with changes in the labor laws European rescue plan for a long time it created may encourage investments and increase the an international turbulence. tourist traffic bringing also desirable market Finally the Euro States of the EU reached stability. It may also bring calmness to social an agreement on a rescue plan and the mecha- environments and reduce the number of gen- nism to implement it. The decision to call on eral strikes that do not seem to produce any IMF concluded the deal. Moreover after the de- good to anybody. cision to provide Greece with a $140 million The government should move much faster loan, and because the financial markets contin- to alleviate market conditions. The lack of ued to take a negative position toward Greece the general market policies allows for those over- European National Bank opened a credit line blown invoices between merchants and farm- of one trillion dollars in support of any State in ers or importer for example, creating an un- Tonsuring of Anthony Jonas the Euro Zone. acceptable market pricing for goods and ser- This remembrance brings to mind the Lord’s multiplication of the loaves in the wilderness and calls The International Monetary Fund is a well vices. At the present stage, strict application upon God to bestow His bountiful blessings upon those making the offering, those for whom the organized bank with clear rules and especially a (Continue p. 3) offering is made and ultimately for the good of the community. (Continued p. 3) 2 National Hellenic Free Press JUNE, 2010 ENTERTAINMENT NATIONAL HELLENIC FREE PRESS LIVE By Denise Rekoumis PUBLISHER SOTIRIS REKOUMIS Movie News venture. The 27-year-old has modeled with “Movie-based games seem like they’re Bar Rafaeli, starred in a Vitamin Water ad EDITOR destined to fail,” says Jason Katz, story su- with the Mets’ David Wright, was guest cor- respondent on the Grammys red carpet, and DENISE REKOUMIS pervisor for Pixar’s latest animated film, “Toy Story 3.” “It’s like putting a giraffe in is launching his own fragrance. LAYOUTS human clothes.” But Pixar’s collaboration with Ava- Celebrity News JOHN REKOUMIS lanche Software on the “Toy Story 3” video How are wedding plans going for Valerie CONTRIBUTORS game, released this week by Disney Inter- Bertinelli (who, at age 50, recently got en- gaged to businessman Tom Vitale)? “He’s planning it — I have nothing to do DR. STAVROS BASSEAS, JHON REKOUMIS, with it!” she told UsMagazine.com Monday at the premiere of her new TV Land comedy DENISE REKOUMIS, DR JORDAN TSOLAKIDIS, Hot in Cleveland. “I just have to find a dress!” She said they’re still “deciding” if they CHRIS MERENTITIS want a big or small wedding. Added Bertinelli, “We may end up elop- ing because we just can’t decide on the guest THE EPLATFORM OF THE GREEK PRESS list!” Also, the always outspoken Megan Fox told Access Hollywood that she sees marriage 1.To applaud the achienvements of our ethnic group in the future with boyfriend Brian Austin 2.To suppport the ideas of the Hellenic-Christian tra- Green. “I’ve been in this relationship for so long dition and I love [Brian] so much and of course [mar- 3.To promote the preservation of the Greek lunguage active, demonstrates a fresh approach to the riage is] in the future somewhere,” she told typically dreadful movie tie-in.
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