Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1990. július-december (44. évfolyam, 27-48. szám)

1990-12-13 / 47. szám

12. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZÓ Thursday, Dec. 13. 1990. ♦*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4*4 Hungary at a crossroads the index of social misery is rising as socialism is dismantle^ By Conn HaUinan Conn Hallinan teaches journalism at the University of Califomia-Santa Cruz. He spent the month of November in Hungary. The symbols of change from socialism to a market economy dominated by private ownership and wide-open competition are everywhere. But with them have come some of private enterprise's unwelcome companions: unemployment, inflation, growing economic inequality, labor un­rest, and a rising index of social misery. Wracked by an 8% > drop in industrial production, an inflation rate predicted to reach 30% by this month, and a surge in the jobless rate, the atmosphere of uncertainty has begun to fray the buoyant enthusiasm that greeted the Hungarian Socialist Workers Party's fall from power. "The threat of unemployment is hanging over us like a black cloud", Hungarian President Árpád Göncz told the Parliament last month, warning that legislators will have to deal with the fact that "one part of the society will become disproportio­nately rich, and another will be dispropor­tionately poor." "By next year, there will be one million unemployed in a country of 10 4 million"- says Pal Tamás, scientific director of the Hungarian People's Opinion Research Institute, a data and poll analysis organ- nization associated with the Prime Minis­ter's office. He predicts that "50% of them will never be employed again." In July fuel and tobacco went up 20 to 30%. On August 1, energy costs jumped as much as 45% and rent doubled. The latter hike has caused a wave of homeless­ness, estimated by the government at 30.000. According to one housing official here, "squatting", or the taking over of empty apartments and houses by the home­less, has made its appearance in Budapest and several other towns. In the capital, 70.000 people crowd a waiting list for 7000 apartments. Some 10% of the population lives below the poverty line, and many stay above it by working multiple jobs. Seven out of 10 Hungarians hold two or more jobs, according to the Ministry of Labor. The Hungarian Red Cross and the Orga­nization of World Physicians have joined with local churches in an effort to cobble together a safety net for the growing number of poor. A free meals—program has been set up to feed older people living on meager pensions, but officials reckon that at least 200.000 more people need immediate help. The largest single prog­ram is run by the Budapest Jewish Commu­nity Center, but that only accounts for 1000 meals a day. "The crisis in Eastern Europe will not be a brief one," Hungarian Minister of International Economic Relations, Bela Kádár gloomily told the press here recently. "Moreover the drop in foreign trade may deepen the recession and give rise to major unemployment in the months to come." That process has already begun. "People understand that they are losing the battle", says Tamas, "and that there is no iight at the end of the tunnel." Asked if the price for this change might be social un­rest, the economist shrugs and says the majority of Hungarians are politically alienated, even from last year's revolution. So far, Mr. Tamás says, the population has been "relatively quiet" in the face of falling living standards, although polls indicate an almost across-the-board drop in popularity for the six major parties. "They are inexperienced with unem­ployment," he points out. "They don't know what it feels like to be unemployed for more than a few weeks. They are silent because they do not understand what is waiting for them." Hungarian Thermal Waters Considering thermal and mineral water resources, Hungary is a world leader. It is proved by geological prospecting that an actual hotwater sea is situated under the country and that high-temperature water can be obtained wherever borings are made on about 70% of the country's territory. Currently some 500 springs supply high-temperature water,' of which more than 60 produce rated thermal wa­ters. In addition to the thermal baths of Buda­pest the spas in the provinces attracting most domestic and foreign guests are those to be found at Agárd, Balf, Bűk, Debrecen, Gyula, Hajdúszoboszló, Harkány, Heviz, Igái, Mezókóvesd-Zsórifúrdő, Mis­kolc-Tapolca, Parádfú'rdó, Sárvár and Zalakaros. From ancient times to the present day, thermal waters have been used in Hunga­ry. In Roman times, the Turkish cult of bathing in the 16th, 17th centuries is witnessed in present-day Budapest by the Király, Rudas and Rac baths. In medical circles there is an increasing number of doctors applying natural thera­peutical processes, including the use of thermal waters containing ions which are easily absorbed. The thermal wa­ters of Hungary have proved to be suitable for the treatment of locomotor disorders, diseases of the digestive system, and gynaecological complaints above all, with complex therapeutical processes recom­mended for the individual. Beyond the reasonable utilization of the endowments of nature with the intention fi Kellemes KARÁCSONYT 1 BÉKÉS,BOLDOG UJ ESZTENDŐT : f1 kíván a % | Mim TÁRSASKÖR § lg 130 E 16th Street New York, N.Y. 10003 Kellemes Karácsonyt és Boldog Uj évet kivan: Dr DANIEL KLEIN MAGYAR DIÉTA SPECIALISTA BELGYÓGYÁSZ 240 E 82nd St. New York, N.Y. 10028 Tel: (212) 737-2000 138-48 Eider Ave. Fltising, N.Y. KELLEMES ÜNNEPEKET BOLDOG ÚJESZTENDÖT kivén: Or. George Kiéin MAGYAR UROLÓGUS 157 E 72 St. New York, N.Y. 10021 110-45 Queens BLV. Forest Hills, NY 11375 telefon: (212) 744-8700 of helping ill people, thermal hotels are also worth operating for the reason that the stay of guests is longer than average the rate of utilization is high, and the trade is not dependent on any season. The Thermal Hotel Heviz has been opera­ting since 1976, the Thermal Hotel Margit­sziget since 1979, the Thermal Hotel Aqua since 1984, the Thermal Hotel Sárvár since 1985, the Thermal Hotel Bük since 1986. THE HUNGARIAN AMERICAN OBSERVER £3 L Minden kedves vásárlójának p“? £3 0s pártolójának 53 XJBBmD KELLEMES KARÁCSONYT H BOLDOG ÚJ ESZTENDŐT S 1 T! BOR'S MEAT § SPECIALTIES I nn 1508 Second Ave, (78-79 utcák között) £3 = NEW YORK, N.Y. Telefon: (212) 744-8292 y S ^E3K3E3C3£3IC3EaK3E3IC3E3IC3E3IC3E3K3 §

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