Foundations which sprang up like wild mushrooms..

During the Socialist regime in Portugal, 

thousands of Foundations and Institutions sprang up like wild mushrooms in a forest.

It was a perfect way  of sucking money from the State for their activities.

But as some journalists have stated, 

these foundations weren't only associations of public money-laundering, 

but rather of state money-"disappearing-without-trace-or-control"

The state would deal out millions of euros of tax-payers' money on a yearly basis

to these newly founded foundations, without any financial control whatsoever.

Foundations would appoint fat-cat directors with top range luxury cars, 

fat salaries, credit cards, phones and motorists, in some cases.

Even private Foundations, 

started receiving millions of euro handouts of tax-payers' money

from the Sócrates' socialist government during the last 6 years!

Against the national outcry of disgust at these abuses, 

the current government sent out an inquiry to all known foundations and institutions, 

which received money from the state. 

Most didn't present legal documentation within the deadlines, 

some weren't even legally registered as such, 

and therefore looses their status as a charity.

This inquiry opened up a hornet's nest, 

especially when the government made clear which foundations 

would become extinct and which ones would lose all state-funding.

In a choir of protests, many of the directors of these foundations 

try to justify their dependance on state funding.

For the FIRST time in 30something years of democracy, 

a government has had the guts 

to cut down on these blood-sucking leeches,

but not without hearing an earful of vicious critics, 

especially from those without any worthy cause.