Frustration rising

It's not exactly a Tea Party movement, but businesspeople in the Czech Republic are becoming more vocal than ever in expressing their frustration with the state of affairs in the country. The Platform for Transparent Public Procurement, initiated by the American Chamber of Commerce, is addressing the situation mainly from the standpoint of corruption in the issuance of government contracts. In contrast, a group of 10 winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year award are looking at it mainly from the angle of the ballooning national debt. In both cases, the arguments and suggestions are constructive and should be taken seriously by politicians. In the past, when vaguely similar initiatives were launched (Dřevíč, Impuls 99), they petered out after failing to win official support. This time, resistance on the part of politicians will probably increase the resolve of the business community to enact change. In this sense it is indeed similar to the Tea Parties, which become more vocal as the effort to marginalize them increases. [Czech Republic Appeal]