1. Some German gov't chatter of a 'fee' if you scheduled a doctor's appointment and fail to show. How much? Talk seems to suggest 10 to 20 Euro.
2. Tax increases under the new coalition? Well....the chatter is mostly 'no'....CDU-CSU pretty much set on no new taxes.
3. The High-Deck housing building (apartment structure) in Berlin-Neukölln....developed a Legionella problem.
Authorities have put a 'shower-ban' in place (2 weeks). As you might imagine....residents are a bit peeved over the hygiene issue.
4. If you were ever stationed around the Bitburg area....a bit of news.
Back in 2021....the British Frasers Group bought property on the old base site....to build its European headquarters.
Frasers? Sporting goods retailer.
So this was a investment of 350 million Euro and was supposed to create 800 jobs. Yeah, it's been years since the local area had a jobs development situation like this.
But there's been lawsuits...by environmentalists....to keep the runway area 'protected'.
The original lawsuit (locally) was tossed out last year. The group running the situation on court challenges....then took it to the state level....supposed to an announcement shortly.
If the state court tosses the challenge? It could go to the Constitutional Court (in theory)....costing another 12 to 18 months.
Frasers? At this point...they are beginning to question if this ever occur.
I was stationed at the base for 14 months (leaving as it closed). I considered the base fairly small (like Sembach). Looking at the drawing of what they intend to build....it probably takes up a quarter of what the old base occupied.
5. How the Mar 2026 Baden-Wuerttemberg state election is shaping up?
Well....the Greens at this point are in 2nd place for polling (20-percent)....12 points off where they were four years ago. CDU? Leading with 31-percent (INSA polling). 3rd place? AfD with 15-percent. 4th place? SPD with 13-percent.
The two gainers? I'd say the CDU and AfD.
6. Over the past couple of years....I've mentioned Görlitzer Park in Berlin a fair bit. Going back 30 years ago....the city turned this railway yard into a city park....then discovered a decade later....it was 'junkie-magnet'. So in the past five years....locals have demanded the city do 'something' to control the situation.
The city decided a few months ago....to put up a fence (yeah, you can call it a security fence....with gates).
In the past month as they've tried to get companies to bid on erecting the fence....threatening letters have gone out to the commercial companies bidding.
Whether the fence is ever built or not...unknown.
My humble view....it might be time to just condemn the park idea, and rip it up....to put in apartment buildings.
7. WELT story....39-percent of Germans now worried about a war with Russia.
Over the past three years...my German wife has engaged on this topic at least ten times....usually after some news item designed to get people 'worried'. I've insisted to her....if Russia can't defeat Ukraine....it's a lost cause to take on Germany at this point.
Upsetting the public in voting? I wouldn't say that at this point, but it's a high number of folks discussing the matter.
8. I sat and watched a piece from ZDF news....one in four folks (age 18-to-25)...in Germany....has some psychological stress.
What is the solution? Apparently....apps with artificial intelligence to 'talk to'.
How these folks got this way? Unknown, and it's just odd....leaving that whole side of the story untold.
9. Bitkom did a survey showing that 195 million old cell phones are sitting in German residences....unused.
I often bring this topic up to my wife....who has probably four 'old' cellphones...besides her current operational phone.
She even has one phone from the 2005/2006 era.
10. The Bahn losses for 2024? 1.8-billion Euro.
11. Article 21 of the Basic Law (German Constitution) came up yesterday, and I had to read through it again. The law says....once you've been sworn in as a official of the German gov't (like mayor, premier-president or Chancellor)....you are NEUTRAL and can't really hype some serious criticism over another party. You can comment about a position, but you can't go full-blast like you would in the US.
This comes up because of a AfD court situation against the former premier-President of the Pfalz (Dryer)...who made a harsh statement while in her official duty.
12. Is Telsa down-trending due to recent Elon-events?
Well....if you look at 2024 German new E-car registrations...the OVERALL E-car trend was spiraling down already last year....so it's hard to say recent antics did anything much extra
13. This downward trend on CDU-CSU polling...blame going to Merz?
I would suggest that a fair amount of criticism goes to promises made by the CDU-CSU parties, and in these coalition talks....it seems that supporters are pretty harsh on the path that Merz is taking.
As for harm? There are seven state elections in 2026....and yes, some of these elections will be harmed.
The plus-side for the CDU-CSU presently? Baden-Wurttemberg, Hessen and Bavaria. The rest are suspect.
14. Berlin-City is discussing dumping mandatory dog-license, and instead.....having a listing where you present your dog, and have a temperament 'test' instead. Some breeds of dogs would benefit.
15. K-Town Health Department declared....three locals have TB. Investigation going on....to see if it is more widespread.
16. If you were a regular German grocery-shopper....in the past year, you might have noted that weekly printed brochures telling you of the 'specials' just plain ended. What most (not all) went to? An App, which you would download.
Well...N-TV did a interview and experts now say once the brochure business ended....people went to less grocery shopping. Roughly 50-percent of folks said they shop mostly by brochure....saying 'no' to the App.
17. Rain-fall in the Frankfurt-Wiesbaden valley?
Well....the dry period continues....since mid-December 2024. For April, there's not much anticipated rain. If you get anything...it'll be a brief shower or two (for ten minutes). I mowed my grass today (1st of the season)....at the current pace....I doubt that I mow more than 2 times before early July.
