What the heck is wrong with this country?

djk1000

Probably a very over done topic, but I have to get this off my chest. Is it just me, or is the current government going the wrong way about dealing with the current economic situation? They don't seem to have a clue! I have recently become unemployed and I have more time now to think through what the government is doing.

In the good times, I, like many was happy to get on with my celtic tiger lifestyle and just accept that the government and society had it's issues, but "I'm alright Jack" so I didn't dwell too much.

Now in the bad times, I realise more and more everyday how inept and blinkered our political and business leaders are. We sleep walked into this and it's disgraceful.

A couple of notions I've had which I hope will prompt discussion.

1. Yesterday I heard an interview with an opposition TD (can't remember who) he was asked if he had taken a voluntary 10% pay cut like some of his colleagues. He said that his "personal circumstances" didn't allow that. Well, my personal circumstances wouldn't have allowed me to live on the dole, but times must and I've changed my circumstances to meet my income. I think a political leader must do just that, lead! I don't see how he couldn't shave 10% off his commitments for a year or two to show us that he understands the pain that some people are feeling. Hypoctites should not be in the dail, whatever about having hypocrites in government, it makes me sick to see those in opposition standing up to attack the government and yet some of them are just as bad, if not worse. It also bugs me that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael won't just work together in unity, even though in modern terms they pretty much stand for the same thing, two heads are better than one I say and what happened during/before/after independence is not a good reason to be at loggerheads.

2. Pension levy on the public and civil service. I'm not going to get into the rights and wrongs of this per say. My point is that it is very short sighted. People in the private sector are ****ting bricks and putting a few euros away when they can because they don't know if they'll have a job next week. Civil servants have some security of employment. I suggest that the many many civil servants in this country, given their feeling of security compared to the private sector, are more likely to go out and spend in teh economy at the moment. Why is the government making it more difficult for them to do this??

3. We have a big pensions reserve fund, good idea to set aside some surplus, but what's it doing for us now? Why isn't the government spending the whole lot on an orgy of capital investment which will feed down through the entire economy. Why can't this fund be used to secure mortgages at local level for schools and hospitals etc to build? That will give the banks some good quality loans on the books, it will help the ecomomy, it will save money in prefab rental etc etc. I think there is a great argument to be made for the reserve fund to invest as the private partner in PPP schemes around the country.

4. Doesn't it say something about the priorities of this government and their lack of understanding of ordinary peoples lives when you look at bus lanes in Dublin (stick with me). On roads that can only take a bus lane in one direction, it invariably head into town not out. Our economy obsesed government was all about getting people into work and not about getting them home to family in the evenings. Right now, we need a government to make decisions that are right for society first.

5. I have read about company law and directors lately. There are plenty of ways that the relevant powers can go after the people at the top of irish banking and business, both civil and criminal. I for one won't hold my breath to see anyone punished, we still haven't seen much in terms of repercussions for those names in tribunals.

6. Why don't the government have an "out with it" week. It seems to be death by 1,000 cuts at the moment. bad news after bad news is affecting moral in the country and how we are perceived internationally as a place to do business. I get the feeling that there are still secrets and I get the feeling that the government/banks,senior civil service are still operating under the notion that they can keep secrets. Most things will come out eventually, why not get it all out in one go, clean the sheets as it were. This should include the banks being completely and brutally honest about the state of their balance sheets.

7. Anglo Irish Bank should be a bad bank, it should take toxic loans from the other banks and it should close its doors to other new business, it should then be supported by legislation if necessary in the long term goal of negotiating and collecting on these loans, or taking assets (land) in lieu. When the economy starts to recover, it can sell this land bank over time, giving the government a tool to prevent overheating in property again.

8. have my FAS registration on Monday (two weeks wait for that) I hope to get on a course (the one I want is already oversubscribed 5 time over) I hope the FAS board (which includes business and union representatives) enjoyed their first class travel

9. While waiting to sign on (for the first time in my life) I got talking to a guy, he invited me for a pint, he said that he and some other unemployed people he knows go to the pub most days of the week because they have nothing better to do. I declined and went home to crack on with the Open University course I have started (I had to raid my spare change tin and borrow from my girlfriend to afford it). If there is one thing that the unemployed can do now to help our economy/society it's to go and get further education to benefit economy in the next upturn or go out and volunteer to benefit society now, I don't get the feeling that many of us are doing either though. There should be immediate support from the government to aid the unemployed with education and volunteering oportunities, the unemployed are seen only as a burden at the moment instead of an untapped resource.

Really sorry for the rant, if you stuck with me this long, thanks for reading. I just had to get some of this off my chest. Now back to the job hunting.

dJK

Local-womanizer

After eading to as far as "is it just me or is the goverment going the wrong way about dealing with current economic situation"

Yes...

ntlbell

after reading as far as

"probably an over done topic"

I agree.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Right, fcuk it, sick of all the whining on internet forums. Sick of hearing about the same thing over and over again. I am writing a letter to the government. I won't jack this thread so I will make another pew pew?

Turd Ferguson

djk1000 wrote: »

Probably a very over done topic

I stopped reading after that...anyone want to pm me the notes?

NickCarraway

Well said. It really seems as if the government can't see the wood for the trees. Its reassuring to know there are decent, honest, intelligent & hardworking people in this country - its just a pity none of them are running it.

I agree with you basically on all points.

As to why the banks are allowed to get away with keeping shtum, I reckon its because the politicians have some skeletons in the closet they don't want getting out either.

On a personal note, I'm truly sorry to hear you are unemployed and I can only hope I would have such a positive outlook in your circumstances. I wish the others would get out of the pub!

The unemployed are an untapped resource. Revolution anyone?

djk1000

Since people aren't reading, I'll do a shorter version,

Government - GGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!:mad::mad::mad::mad:

NickCarraway

Guys give him a break. Yes its hard to be reminded of it over and over, but guess what, its reality. I understand the need to vent. If people aren't interested the thread will die anyway.

Local-womanizer

NickCarraway wrote: »

Guys give him a break. Yes its hard to be reminded of it over and over, but guess what, its reality. I understand the need to vent. If people aren't interested the thread will die anyway.

The way I see it us sitting at the computer typing about how sh1te the Goverment are is not going to change a thing.

The only thing its going to do is make me more depressed.It has the same effect as the recession thread that started in the morning,and the same with the thread as yesterday:mad::mad:

Ban all recession threads!!!If we wanted to hear about the Recession we would listen to the aul biddies on Joe Duffy moan about the price of bread and how the forigners are taking all our jobs!

:mad::mad:

djk1000

Don't mean to be pedantic, but it's not a "moan about the recession" thread, it's a "There are solutions at hand, why aren't they being implemented" thread. Recessions happen, it's the lack of leadership, openness and action that is my bugbear.

P.S. it seems that my local off license is doing Castelmaine XXXX for €1 a can, so I'm happy again

ntlbell

djk1000 wrote: »

P.S. it seems that my local off license is doing Castelmaine XXXX for €1 a can, so I'm happy again

Do you know if they have any eirdinger glasses?

Min

Everyone is overpaid and they think they deserve more pay.

More tax please.

Local-womanizer

djk1000 wrote: »

P.S. it seems that my local off license is doing Castelmaine XXXX for €1 a can, so I'm happy again

I like to sacrifice the drink for a while a save for something along the lines of Heinken or Carlsberg.Worth a few dry weeks:D