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Topic: Who would you blame?
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Posted: 04-Feb-2012 17:03	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	This is an interesting article that I noticed in the Guardian. It centres on the clowns that we often see on RTE as visionaries and leaders when it is obvious that they are only looking out for the interests of their w/banker friends. Particularly odious amongst them is Clinton who seems to send most media hack here into a frenzy whenever he speaks. How many more could you add to this list? Fitz, Fingers, Drumm, Quinn to name but a few. There was an article on the Tribune a few years ago on the 50 people that ruined Ireland.
Hitch (3,644 Posts)	Posted: 04-Feb-2012 17:21	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Hitch (3,644 Posts)	Originally posted by Larkin: This is an interesting article that I noticed in the Guardian. It centres on the clowns that we often see on RTE as visionaries and leaders when it is obvious that they are only looking out for the interests of their w/banker friends. Particularly odious amongst them is Clinton who seems to send most media hack here into a frenzy whenever he speaks. How many more could you add to this list? Fitz, Fingers, Drumm, Quinn to name but a few. There was an article on the Tribune a few years ago on the 50 people that ruined Ireland. Joe Coleman, Christina Gallagher?
ProjX (726 Posts)	Posted: 04-Feb-2012 17:24	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
ProjX (726 Posts)	Clearly I blame Frankie Sheahan. An absolute terrible rugby analyst
Rebel CNC (4,232 Posts)	Posted: 04-Feb-2012 18:41	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Rebel CNC (4,232 Posts)	Bertie over and above everyone else. Firstly for inflating the property bubble again and again and then making it many times worse by pouring the one off bubble revenues into higher wages and public spending which we`re left with long after the funny money has run out.
inbetweeners (413 Posts)	Posted: 04-Feb-2012 18:52	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
inbetweeners (413 Posts)	Originally posted by ProjX: Clearly I blame Frankie Sheahan. An absolute terrible rugby analyst Dreadful altogether. Of course we could blame Scotland aswell. An absolutely hopeless rugby team.
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Posted: 04-Feb-2012 22:17	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Millionaire appointees to state boards. The amount of crossover on these boards is shocking altogether.
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Posted: 05-Feb-2012 10:34	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Colm McCarthy says that there are flaws in the fiscal treaty but still wants us to vote for it. Bring on the treaty I say.
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Posted: 05-Feb-2012 11:50	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Gene Kerrigan hits the nail on the head here. I can never understand why we pay failed business people huge sums to manage their failed businesses. I would argue that there are plenty people on the dole that would be happy to do this for half the cost of these shleeveens.
blueblaa (1,754 Posts)	Posted: 05-Feb-2012 14:28	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
blueblaa (1,754 Posts)	Originally posted by Larkin: Colm McCarthy says that there are flaws in the fiscal treaty but still wants us to vote for it. Bring on the treaty I say. It`s a strange article alright. After saying why the proposed treaty is not a solution and would be voted down Europe wide he conlcudes that we have to vote for it !! Just as well we live in a democracy.
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Posted: 08-Feb-2012 14:01	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	One of our bandholders offers advice The Bould Mick.
glasandbán (2,046 Posts)	Posted: 08-Feb-2012 14:57	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
glasandbán (2,046 Posts)	Originally posted by Larkin: Colm McCarthy says that there are flaws in the fiscal treaty but still wants us to vote for it. Bring on the treaty I say. McCarthy is full of it. The oft quoted McCarthy report was a huge example of back of the envelope economics with no investigation of the effects of his recommendations or how the services he proposed cutting would be replaced, and where there was, it displayed poor understanding of the operations he proposed to cut. This message has been edited - 08-feb-2012 @ 15:00
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Posted: 08-Feb-2012 16:09	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Originally posted by glasandbán: McCarthy is full of it. The oft quoted McCarthy report was a huge example of back of the envelope economics with no investigation of the effects of his recommendations or how the services he proposed cutting would be replaced, and where there was, it displayed poor understanding of the operations he proposed to cut. I`m sure you know that Colm is one of the chosen ones and so will never have to actually put into practice in his own life the austerity he preaches. The word `fat` and `fat pigs arse` come to mind.
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Posted: 08-Feb-2012 16:32	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	I blame this sort of shhit as well for the crap that goes on in the civil service. This, and the hiring of retired staff, is a scandal.
Rebel CNC (4,232 Posts)	Posted: 08-Feb-2012 16:49	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Rebel CNC (4,232 Posts)	Originally posted by Larkin: I blame this sort of shhit as well for the crap that goes on in the civil service. This, and the hiring of retired staff, is a scandal. Absolutely moronic. The early retirement scheme is open to all so as to appease the social partners, resulting in the loss of key staff across all departments. The terms of the deal meant it would be crazy for an experienced midwife, headteacher, tax inspector, guard etc aged 55-65 to stay in his or her job. An across the board pay cut would have been the fairest policy or else an involuntary redundany scheme - culling those not performing or not required. Does Cork County and City Council still need planning departments with the same headcount as in 2007-2008 at height of the bubble? Does every local authority need separate payroll, HR, finance departments?
moycullen14 (550 Posts)	Posted: 08-Feb-2012 17:18	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
moycullen14 (550 Posts)	Given that pay. conditions and compulsory redundancy are off the table , any `cost` savings in the PS are liable to have a disproportionate effect on services and could end up costing more money. It is blindingly obvious that the simplest. most cost effective solution was to give an across the board pay cut of 20-30% resulting in 70-80% of the figure in cost saving with NO DECREASE IN SERVICES. Encouraging early retirement is incredibly risky because of the sort of people you might lose - and have to hire back and pay their pensions. Getting rid of dead wood looks to be too difficult to do. Want to save 30% of the PS cost? Reduce ALL wages by 40%, simple as that. I`m not in any way having a go at the PS. They could all be doing wonderful work for all I know (and if they are, how can we afford to lose them? ) . The simple fact is that their employer is broke, so savings have to be made and the ONLY way to do that efficiently is by reducing wages.
Pog Mahone (9,387 Posts)	Posted: 08-Feb-2012 18:43	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Pog Mahone (9,387 Posts)	Originally posted by Rebel CNC: Does Cork County and City Council still need planning departments with the same headcount as in 2007-2008 at height of the bubble? SSJ! This is not the first time you have posted up pure sh1te like this. You clearly haven`t a clue what you`re talking about, now lack of knowledge isn`t really a problem, but at least if you`re going to spout such crap the least you could do is try to find out some basic info. Now I know sfa about the Cork City or County Councils, but I can tell you that from 2008 there has been a reduction of 20.3% in FTE`s, with a payroll reduction of something like 15% in Payroll costs for both councils. Planning applications are 50% approx of what they were in 2008. These figures are for the end of 2010, numbers have probably drop ped further during 2011 (I`m not going to be ar3ed finding them ) and will obviously drop further in 2012. I just don`t know....
henry bovenizer (40 Posts)	Posted: 08-Feb-2012 18:55	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
henry bovenizer (40 Posts)	long danny the bolshevic is at it again. The country is in some state but his left wing rants really do grate at this stage...
labane1917 (1,438 Posts)	Posted: 08-Feb-2012 21:42	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
labane1917 (1,438 Posts)	Originally posted by Larkin: This is an interesting article that I noticed in the Guardian. It centres on the clowns that we often see on RTE as visionaries and leaders when it is obvious that they are only looking out for the interests of their w/banker friends. Particularly odious amongst them is Clinton who seems to send most media hack here into a frenzy whenever he speaks. How many more could you add to this list? Fitz, Fingers, Drumm, Quinn to name but a few. There was an article on the Tribune a few years ago on the 50 people that ruined Ireland. Clinton was the best U.S. president in recent memory, regardless of all the bullsiht spoken about him and the fawning the Republicans do over Reagan. Clinton presided over the largest economic growth period since the 50s and was pragmatic when it came to world affairs (compare him to Bush senior and Bush junior when it comes to aggressive and totally unjustified wars ) . He at least made an effort on the Middle East and Northern Ireland for that matter, something Irish people should be grateful for. The big banks in the U.S. had been lobbying to repeal Glass-Seagall (separation of commercial and investment banking ) since the early 80s and finally got their wish when the Republicans took over the House and Senate in the mid 80s. The repeal effort was led by Phil Gramm and two other Republicans. To their shame some Democrats supported the repeal in return for a piece of legislation called the "Community Reinvestment Act" which also contributed greatly to the sub-prime mess. Many Democrats (44 of 45 senators opposed repeal ) warned of creating "too big to fail banks" and the creation of a moral hazard whereby the taxpayer would end up bailing out insolvent banks as has come to pass. After the repeal of G-S, the big banks did essentially what they wanted i.e. create d huge institutions through mergers where commercial banking and investment banking were mingled. That is the source of the whole financial meltdown in 2007/8, totally unregulated gambling by huge financial institutions. There are efforts to re-instate Glass-Seagall, the Dodd-Frank bill goes some way towards that goal. Republicans are 100% committed to repealing Dodd-Frank and going back to totally unregulated banking. In my view if Republicans take complete control in November we will see another financial meltdown within 5 years that will make the recent one look like a picnic, and we will see a U.S. led war in Iran, events that are likely to be catastrophic for the world as we know it. This message has been edited - 08-feb-2012 @ 21:43
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Posted: 08-Feb-2012 21:50	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	I`m multi-talented. I can talk and pizz you off at the same time. From Politico.ie: You say `project champion`, I say `Whaaaaa?!` The solution to our economic crisis is for rich people to pay less tax, apparently. By David Johnson. You turn your back for a hermeneutical minute (slightly longer than a New York minute, somewhere between 2,500 years and two days ) and the Government go and do something so completely beyond the pale that were you a coffee-drinking man your computer screen would now have moved from the "slightly worn" category to "shop soiled", the remnants of your morning caffeinated beverage of choice now cascading down the LED-backlit glossy widescreen TFT display faster than the meltwater from a retreating Greenland glacier, the room still reverberating to the sound of your spluttered, "Whaaaaaa?" News reaches us this morning of the publication of the 2012 Finance Bill, the legislation that will enact most of the measures outlined in the December budget. While An Taoiseach is in the US for a two-day whirlwind ‘investment drive’, seeking to bring more multinational companies to our shores to avail of our light-touch regulation and low-tax regime, no doubt he has been scratching his head trying to figure out how he can make Ireland even more attractive to tax-avoiding foreign plutocrats. Good news for him then that the big-ticket item in the Finance Bill is The Special Assignee Relief Programme, mentioned in the Budget but only getting a proper airing now with the publication of the Bill. Why is this programme of particular interest to the type of multi-national CEO An Taoiseach is seeking to lure to our Dutch-Sandwich-Republic? Well apparently the ability to evade billions of dollars in corporate tax is no longer enough of a motivation for these captains of industry, who feel that they themselves are being unfairly discriminated against because corporations are being given rights that are not readily available to them as individuals. Thus our progressive Government will take the only course of action morally justifiable and extend the Irish tax avoidance regime to individual taxpayers - not all taxpayers mind you - just foreign exc utives and CEOs. According to The Irish Times: “The special tax breaks are aimed at so-called project champions who would relocate to Ireland to oversee significant investments and will apply to indigenous as well as multinational firms... A Government source said yesterday the tax breaks were required to ensure high-earning individuals who could play a vital role in job creation were encouraged to come to Ireland... He emphasised that the incentives would only apply to people involved in new product development and could not be availed of by people already working here. The qualifying individuals will have a significant proportion of their salaries exempt from tax.” Well at least this is aimed at foreign tech firms who arguably do provide some employment, and not the gambling houses of the IFSC, right? “The scheme will be a boost to the International Financial Services Centre although the Government says it is not designed to lure highly paid London bankers to Dublin.” Oops. It`s not enough that successive Governments have kowtowed to our own indigenous tax-exiles, the modern day Earls who have fled our shores for sunnier climes in Malta, the Bahamas and, um, the Netherlands, now they seem to have decided that the road to recovery starts with the importation of a new set of tax-exiles. If I were Bono, `Sir` Tony O`Reilly or Denis O`Brien I would start to fear for my cherished position in Irish society, now that An Taoiseach has decided to import foreign workers to fill their roles. Expect the next Global Irish Forum to be filled with Irish fat cats crying out in bloated unison, "They turrrk errr jerrrbbbs!" "The solution to our economic crisis is for rich people to pay less tax." That`s your Government, that is.
Footy Facts (200 Posts)	Posted: 08-Feb-2012 22:03	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Footy Facts (200 Posts)	This thread has been going for four days and there has been no mention of the Limerick County Board. This message has been edited - 08-feb-2012 @ 22:03
Pog Mahone (9,387 Posts)	Posted: 09-Feb-2012 08:04	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Pog Mahone (9,387 Posts)	Originally posted by Larkin: "The solution to our economic crisis is for rich people to pay less tax." That`s your Government, that is. That line probably sums up the blueshirts, virtually everything they’ve done since entering government has been designed to disproportionally favour the wealthiest at the expense of the middle class and the weakest in society, full tax relief at the top rate for pension contributions (last government’s proposals reversed ) , no increase in the marginal tax rate for the highest earners ensuring that those earning €1m+ (such as Gavin O’Reilly ) or €700k+ (such as Pat Kenny ) will pay the same marginal rate as somebody on €40k, increase in VAT, flat household charge etc. I haven’t looked closely at Noonan’s current proposals on taxing the rich less yet, but I’d have little doubt that once the bean counters and legal eagles have been all over it like flies around sh1te it will be an up-front version of Bertie’s tax amnesty. I wonder will this provide an opportunity for some of our tax exiles to return home to assist us with their (currently unavailable here ) skillsets. This message has been edited - 09-feb-2012 @ 08:35
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Posted: 09-Feb-2012 10:04	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Originally posted by Pog Mahone: I wonder will this provide an opportunity for some of our tax exiles to return home to assist us with their (currently unavailable here ) skillsets. I think you know the answer to that one. Like the lords and masters of old they will turn up occasionally to throw some sheckels at the poor people and we, at least some of us, will fall at their feet in thanks. Another thing that annoys the bejaysus out of me is the way they justify subsidies to private schools. Given that McNamara is a Labout TD and by his own admission does not agree with such subsidies, will he have a word in Ruairí`s ear? Certain schools are better squeezed than others By Michael McNamara Monday, February 06, 2012 Private institutions still receive substantial State funding, which seems unfair in light of cuts to DEIS schools, writes Michael McNamara The loss of two teaching posts in Co Clare might not seem a calamity given the scale of the proposed cuts in other areas of the country. However, the funding of schools that cater for disadvantage raises fundamental questions about how seriously we take equality of opportunity to all children born in this Republic, and how we spend our overall education budget. Education Minister Ruairi Quinn is reviewing an earlier decision to cut staffing levels in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools ) programme schools. I welcome this review and hope it will result in saving a valuable teaching post at the Convent of Mercy National School in Kilrush. However, There may be no such review of a post to go at Killaloe Boys’ National School as, though it is a town which grapples with considerable disadvantage and great disparities of wealth, it is not a DEIS school. Cutting posts in DEIS schools hits the most socially disadvantaged in our communities. Yet the State continues to spend money in schools that cater exclusively for the most socially advantaged in society. About €100m is paid out by the Government each year to private fee-paying schools. This is mostly used to pay teacher salaries. Under the minister’s proposal to abolish so-called legacy posts, the DEIS pupil-teacher ratio will rise to 22:1, while the mainstream/non fee-paying pupil teacher ratio is set at 28:1. In private fee-paying secondary schools, the situation is quite different. In spite of some cuts in the recent budget, the pupil-teacher ratio in these schools is 21:1. Of course, the schools which charge fees can use them to significantly reduce that ratio below that. We have to get real here, or so we keep saying. Cutting posts in schools that cater for educational disadvantage hits the weakest. Pouring taxpayers’ money into the 53 fee-paying schools supports the strongest. It is as simple as that. It is true that the minister has cut funding to private schools for capital investment and they have suffered a slight disimprovement in their pupil-teacher ratio. However, the question of funding teacher salaries to the tune of €100m remains. It is the elephant in the classroom. However, we are making a start. Mr Quinn is conducting an audit of how fee-paying schools spend the €120m they receive in fees from parents and that investigation will also examine State investment in these schools, including funding for teachers Removing funding from fee-paying schools may not net huge savings for the State. A certain number of schools that now command fees would cease to do so and therefore have to be funded by the department to meet the lower mainstream pupil-teacher ratio, as well as receive a capitation fee, which they currently do not. However, in my view, the subsidisation of fee-paying schools is contrary to the ideals of a real republic. I don’t advocate the abolition of private education but I am opposed to paying large subsidies to this sector while children at the bottom of the education ladder have their services cut. As we move toward the centenary of the 1916 Proclamation, we must recall the commitment to cherish all the children of the nation equally. Funding schools which deny access to children based on any select ion criteria, especially the ability of their parents to pay fees, offends that which was proclaimed by Connolly, Ceannt, Clarke, Mac Diarmada, MacDonagh Pearse and Plunkett, supported from the shadows by Éamon de Valera and Michael Collins, et al. * Michael McNamara is Labour Party TD for Clare Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/features/certain-schools-are-better-squeezed-than-others-182705.html#.TzN5e_GhUhA.facebook#ixzz1lsSFf59J
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Posted: 09-Feb-2012 10:34	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	John Reynolds and his equals have a lot to answer for, but Enda and his shower of clowns fiddle away while the country burns.
Blanco (7,909 Posts)	Posted: 09-Feb-2012 12:00	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Blanco (7,909 Posts)	Originally posted by Larkin: John Reynolds and his equals have a lot to answer for, but Enda and his shower of clowns fiddle away while the country burns. That Reynolds chap has some nerve alright, heard them talking about him on the radio Sunday morning , he feels it is the banks obligation to screw people who are in arrears with Banks and make it as painful as possible , so they can be used as an example to deter people in the future, he seems totally oblivious to the fact that his whole industry was bailed out by the very public he now wants to suffer. But as they were saying on Sunday , if you have successive governments backing everything you do and always taking your side it tends to breed the kind of arrogance you hear from the likes of him. They also mentioned some high power developer who was in the papers bemoaning that they were been treated very unfair by Nama , he said something along the lines of Nama won`t be happy until we are all living in semi detached houses and driving Ford cars. He was implying that it would inhumane for broke developers to have to live like normal Joe Soaps, I am sure amnesty international will take up his case, such suffering should never be allowed.
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Posted: 09-Feb-2012 17:35	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
Larkin (4,404 Posts)	Jan O`Sullivan, for pretending to be a socialist while accepting a €17,000 increase on top of her €130,000 wages for being a super junior minister. I couldn`t care less about Kehoe, it`s what you would expect from the PD`s, sorry, I meant FG.

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