Oberhausen's financial squeeze has forced the city to take drastic measures. The city-owned public transportation company has reduced the number of busses on its routes and made its drivers accept pay cuts. Four of the city's seven public pools have been closed because Oberhausen doesn't have enough money to maintain them. A big part of Oberhausen's problems stem from high unemployment caused by the collapse of the city's old mining and heavy industries. Today a large part of the city's budget is consumed by welfare services. Then the economic crisis reduced tax revenues by 80 million euros, creating insurmountable problems for city managers. They've called on the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the federal government to relieve the city of some of its responsibilities or help the city pay for them.

Number Cruncher

Monday is World Water Day, which promptes us to report that Germany spends some 350 million Euros a year on water projects in the developing world. That makes Germany the word's second largest donor country when it comes to helping people in developing countries obtain or conserve clean water. About thirty countries worldwide are suffering from acute water shortages.