#345: Cleaner, safer U5, U7, Budget cuts passed, anti-bureaucracy draft law
Everyone's favorite water park is 20!
Hey 20 Percent!
It was only yesterday that I got in the Christmas spirit.
I keep a strict limit on Christmas music until Dec. 1 and then usually listen to it, in all its variations, non-stop until Dec. 31. But this year it just annoyed me. Christmas markets just seemed annoying (I showed up late to a gig at Charlottenburg Palace because of the market there).
And I didn’t even think about presents.
But for some reason I noticed yesterday morning The Fall’s rendition of ‘Hark the Herald’ or whatever that song is called hit home and the Zimtsterne samples they were handing out at Butter Lindner put a smile on my face.
I quickly wrapped some last minute purchases and slid them under the tree for the kids and laid a strategy for which Christmas markets to hit before they close for another year.
Which is all just my way of saying enjoy the last Advent weekend (shops are open Sunday!) and Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates and happy holidays or seasons greetings for everyone who doesn’t. When we meet again it will be my favorite season in Germany — Zwischen den Jahren (between the years).
Andrew
P.S. Episode 2 of our podcast it out, in case you missed it.
Cleaning, security program extended to U5, U7
The BVG will now include the U7 between Neukölln and Yorckstraße as well as the U5 between Alex and Lichtenberg in its program to increase cleanliness and security at subway stops. BVG said the expansion is Phase III of a test it kicked off in February on parts of the U8 — two cleaners and up to three security guards patrol no more than three stations around the clock and personnel are on-hand non-stop at Kotti and Hermannplatz so people feel better about using public transport. Several readers pointed out that while the stops may feel safer, the homeless people previously living in the stations moved above ground, often bedding down or hanging out in the foyers, vestibules and laundry rooms of nearby apartment buildings. The test will run until March, at which point they say they’ll implement some of the steps permanently — or not.
Budget cuts are now law
The Berlin parliament Thursday approved an amended 2025 budget that cuts €3 billion in spending, including €130 million from cultural programs, according to Tagesspiegel. Several hundred protested in front of the Abgeordnetenhaus, the parliament, as the law passed. The city-state plans to spend €40 billion in 2025, up from €30 billion in 2019. In addition to cuts, the new budget includes new revenue streams, including boosting the hotel tax to 7.5% from 5%, according to Morgenpost. Politicians blamed each other for the cuts — mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) singled out the environmental Grüne party for ballooning the city-state’s budget by financing what he called “dreams” while opposition politicians accused the CDU of putting undue burden on Berlin’s poor.
Less bureaucracy?
Not just funds are getting cut in Berlin — hopefully eventually some bureaucracy too. Maybe. The city-state’s top politicians Tuesday passed a draft law that would assign responsibilities within both the city-state government and district administrations, according to taz. Mayor Wegner has pledged to end a decades-old stalemate among Berlin officials known as “administrative ping pong”. The new law will cover 4,000 duties in 29 areas and, while working on the law, officials found 300 duties that neither the central Berlin government nor the district administrations thought were their responsibility. It’s no wonder nothing works.
🍺 🥨 Germany-wide news 🥨 🍺
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☀️ Germans loving balcony solar
🚢 Chinese vessel searched after Baltic data cable cuts
Factoid
Tropical Islands turned 20 this year — the indoor water park south of Berlin was created inside the world’s largest hangar that was built during the dotcom hype at the turn of the century. The hangar was originally built by Cargolifter, a now defunct airship maker that had planned to market cargo zeppelins but engineers quickly realized they were just a pipe dream. But Berliners and tourists have been swimming, sliding and eating mediocre food in the hangar ever since — it’s also the largest indoor rainforest, according to RBB24, and, to be honest, a lot of fun.
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Need a last-minute Christmas gift? Heipl Berlin is here to help! Owner Sabine Bulkeley has a broad selection of beautiful, useful things you can discover in her store in Prenzlauer Berg as presents for your friends, co-workers or even yourself. She even has her own line of Berlin wares from Fernsehturm coffee cups, hand-made in Berlin, to My Friend had a Bar in Berlin t-shirts and hoodies. Stop by or order online and use the code TwentyPercent to get free shipping! Heipl Berlin: We search, you discover. Danziger Strasse 57.