Politicians Threaten Police Unions with Court Case

Minister of Security and Justice Ard van der Steur, together with Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb, have asked the police unions to cancel their planned “go-slow action” against the Tour de France, which starts next week in the Netherlands. They have warned the unions that if they continue with their plans, they will be taken to court. One of the planned actions is a major traffic control on the publicity caravan, which drives ahead of the cyclists.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/minister-dreigt-met-kort-geding-tegen-politiebonden-om-vertragingsactie-tour~a4089984/

Government Fails in Regard to the Mentally Troubled

The Hoekstra Commission has investigated and concluded that the police, the public prosecution and mental healthcare officials have failed in assessing the danger that mentally troubled people can cause to society. The Commission says that it is urgent that the situation be improved.  It investigated what went wrong with handling the mentally troubled individual who is now suspected of having murdered both former Deputy Prime Minister Els Borst as well as his own sister.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/24197999/__Aanpak_verwarden_faalt__.html

Military Serving Abroad Are Increasingly in Need of Help

The National Broadcasting Organization, or NOS, says that one can learn from data which the Minister of Defense has sent to parliament that the Dutch military, which fulfill missions abroad, have problems at levels which continue to increase.  In 2014, a total of 1,668 complaints were received as against 1,258 complaints received in 2013. The Minister of Defense supposes that this is due to the opening of a special service for veterans.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/steeds-meer-hulp-nodig-voor-uitgezonden-militairen~a4087002/

Vacations for Caregivers of Family Members Increasingly Difficult

Mezzo, the national organization for caregivers of family members and volunteers, says that it has become increasingly difficult for these people to take vacations.  It now takes months to find temporary substitute caregivers, whereas in the past it only took weeks.  There are 2.6 million such caregivers in the Netherlands, which help family members, friends and neighbors. According to Mezzo, about 450,000 are overburdened by their responsibilities.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/dossier-zorg/vakantie-wordt-voor-mantelzorger-steeds-lastiger~a4087001/

Twenty-five Percent of Dutch Employees Stay at Home During Vacation

The NIBUD institute has found that an increasing number of Dutch employees stay at home during the summer vacation.  They cannot afford to go on holiday elsewhere.  In 2012, only 18% stayed home. Of those with low income, 20% do not even make day-trips within the Netherlands due to lack of funds.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/dft/geld/24187692/__Vakantie_te_duur__.html

Dutch Cutbacks on Subsidies for the Elderly Will Hit Holocaust Survivors

The planned reduction of subsidies for the care of the elderly, to take place later on this year, will hit Holocaust survivors particularly hard.  The idea behind the cutbacks is that they will force family members to become more involved and take greater responsibility.  Many holocaust survivors have no family members.  An article in the daily AD mentions that in the small Jewish old age home in the Hague, there are only six such people. 

http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/4560/Gezond/article/detail/4085577/2015/06/22/Holocaust-overlevenden-en-onderduikers-raken-zorg-kwijt.dhtml

Director of National Lottery Expresses Regret

Frans van Steenis, the director of the national lottery, has expressed his regrets about his company’s unclear communication policies in the past.  One of the issues he referred to was the judgement of the Dutch Supreme Court which said that the organization had purposely misled the public between 2000 and 2008.  The Supreme Court ruled that the national lottery had made misleading statements regarding the chances for players to win, the number of prizes won, and the value of the prizes. http://www.volkskrant.nl/economie/staatsloterij-biedt-excuses-aan-voor-ontstane-onrust~a4058769/