Alan Ahearne - New Minister for Finance???

Raiser

Who the fcuk is Alan Ahearne & how many other advisors are on the payroll? Its like too many little Cooks all busily cooking up a dogs dinner?

Why are we paying Brian Lenihan good money for a job he consistently and clearly cannot perform in any sense?

What are the odds that there will be twice as many iterations of NAMA as there was botched panic budgets?

If NAMA is, in the fullness of time, proven to be ill-conceived, badly flawed, poorly implemented and ultimately toxic to our Economy - will we all just sit here patiently waiting for the next fiasco; like we are now?

prinz

Raiser wrote: »

Who the fcuk is Alan Ahearne & how many other advisors are on the payroll? Its like too many little Cooks all busily cooking up a dogs dinner?

You didn't actually think that any minister decides policy etc. by themselves?

There is a massive corps of civil servants doing the work behind the scenes, politicians are just a figurehead, mouthpiece... they come up with a basic plan.. and experts and civil servants make it happen.

We don't pay polticians because they are experts and experienced at running the country.

Riskymove

so you are giving out because the Minister for Finance (who is a lawyer) decides its a good idea to have an economic adviser?

Raiser

prinz wrote: »

You didn't actually think that any minister decides policy etc. by themselves?

There is a massive corps of civil servants doing the work behind the scenes, politicians are just a figurehead, mouthpiece... they come up with a basic plan.. and experts and civil servants make it happen.

We don't pay polticians because they are experts and experienced at running the country.

So, what you are in effect saying is that I could be Minister for Finance and address the Dail later today on Nama while reading from a sheet scribbled up by nameless Acamemic Morons who havn't been off Campus in the past 12 years?

Couldn't be true!!!!

So you are giving out because the Minister for Finance (who is a lawyer) decides its a good idea to have an economic adviser?

I'm not concerned regarding the mechanics of Brian Lenihan's finely tuned machine - just its poor running and the worrying signs of it exploding in our faces as we watch it cough, splutter and judder

prinz

Raiser wrote: »

So, what you are in effect saying is that I could be Minister for Finance and address the Dail later today on Nama while reading from a sheet scribbled up by nameless Acamemic Morons who havn't been off Campus in the past 12 years? Couldn't be true!!!!

Welcome to democracy friend. Essentially yes you could be up there addressing the Dáil. The civil service and advisory corps aren't "Academic Morons" by the way. Someone who thought that each minister was an expert in their field and decided everything by themselves on the otherhand...

Raiser

prinz wrote: »

Welcome to democracy friend. Essentially yes you could be up there addressing the Dáil. The civil service and advisory corps aren't "Academic Morons" by the way. Someone who thought that each minister was an expert in their field and decided everything by themselves on the otherhand...

I beg to differ based on prior track-record, current knee-jerk policy and signs of an imminent train-wreck.

- Also, I think you are somehow confusing Democracy, the manner in which we chose our Public representatives, with the operational hierarchies that exist within contemporary Governmental Departments of Finance?

prinz

Raiser wrote: »

Also, I think you are somehow confusing Democracy, the manner in which we chose our Public representatives, with the operational hierarchies that exist within contemporary Governmental Departments of Finance?

You asked could you one day be Minister for Finance.....yes you could, get elected - i.e. democracy at work. I didn't confuse anything. Question asked, question answered.

"operational hierarchies" whatever. Yes there are plenty of "nameless" people working behind the scenes in every department working to ensure the country runs smoothly. The politicians you see on TV don't run the country, they just put a public face out there, Brian Lenihan is not an expert in economics, finance, etc. He needs the support staff of advisors etc to tell him if plan (a) would work or if plan (b) might be better etc. Perhaps you should learn how our country is run before you starting mouthing off about advisors and what not. They are essential.

Euro_Kraut

Raiser wrote: »

Who the fcuk is Alan Ahearne/?

http://www.nuigalway.ie/staff/alan_ahearne/

Seriously, it takes .4 of second to google.

He has the most impressive CV of any Economist in Ireland. Including:

Dr. Ahearne joined NUI Galway in 2005. Prior to coming to Galway, he was a Senior Economist in the International Finance Division of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, DC. During his seven years at the Federal Reserve Board, his duties included preparing notes for and presenting briefings to Chairman Alan Greenspan and other Board members. He was also the principal economist at the Board covering the Japanese and Chinese economies.

and

His Ph.D. dissertation advisor at Carnegie Mellon was Finn Kydland, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics in 2004.

That doesn't make every statement he make correct. But he must be recognised as a serious economist.

ei.sdraob

is he related to the other Ahearne clan/family in politics?

Euro_Kraut

ei.sdraob wrote: »

is he related to the other Ahearne clan/family in politics?

No. Its a different name (Ahren V Ahearne) and he is from Limerick.

prinz

ei.sdraob wrote: »

is he related to the other Ahearne clan/family in politics?

Bertie etc? No, they're Ahern. He is Ahearne.

Edit: Those Krauts!

Riskymove

ei.sdraob wrote: »

is he related to the other Ahearne clan/family in politics?

does it matter?

his CV seems fairly impressive, who cares who his cousin might be

ei.sdraob

oh ok yee right, i didnt know taught ill ask

who cares who his cousin might be

with the corrupt government we have signing billions of taxpayers money to their buddies and all them tribunals you have to be a little paranoid

Raiser

Euro_Kraut wrote: »

http://www.nuigalway.ie/staff/alan_ahearne/

Seriously, it takes .4 of second to google.

He has the most impressive CV of any Economist in Ireland. Including:



and




That doesn't make every statement he make correct. But he must be recognised as a serious economist.

Poor Fcuker - I'd hate to have anyone laying even the tiniest proportion of blame at my door for our Department of Finance's headless-chicken, harebrained policy making.

- And all along I though Brian Lenihan was making all his key decisions after regular meetings with a Seaside Clairvoyant - though at the moment I'm not sure which option would inspire more confidence and instil less dread.....

P.S. ei.sdraob - Don't let them condescend to you; they're all marvellous Political theorists here, but stick around here any length of time and you'll see each and every one trip himself up....

Robbo

To further placate Raiser, I remember a period of time before things went belly up where Alan Aherne was a regular on Matt Cooper railing against the shortsightedness of government policy.

Raiser

Robbo wrote: »

To further placate Raiser, I remember a period of time before things went belly up where Alan Aherne was a regular on Matt Cooper railing against the shortsightedness of government policy.

Ah yeah - But anyone could do that Robbo..... I'm kind of inclined to go on The Right Hook later and rail against Alan Ahearne's myopic squinting at todays Economic vista

- And for how long can you back-slap the guy on the Deck of the stricken Titanic who happens to point out that the water should be on the outside of the Ship?

I do find it interesting that he seems to be taking on all comers in an Economists Bar Room Brawl.... This guy is definitely destined for one of two polar-opposite states in a future Irish Economists Who's-Who?

- Zero or Hero

And I've never seen any foreign entity get into bed with Fianna Fail and emerge unscathed......!!!!!

JonathanAnon

Just listening to Eamonn Ryan there. Making me mad. Firstly, I didnt feel he had any conviction behind what he was saying (i.e. that he was fully behind NAMA). Seemed like he was more following the company line.

Secondly, in reference to the forty four economists. He said "oh where were they predicting the crash a few years ago when we needed them". I'm paraphrasing there but that's the bones of it. How dare he say such a thing. Many economists did predict the crash, but they have no power to make changes. They are just commenting from the outside. It's the governments job to make changes.

The person who could have made changes, i.e. his then government leader Bertie Ahern, was then saying that economists who were talking about a potential property crash should "go off and kill themselves". And dont get me started on the supposed "regulator". Stalin would have had that lad and all his family shot.

Raiser

I'm inclined to believe at this point in time that the Green Party Chiefs would diligently back the Holocaust, Child Labour and Dingoes stealing Babies if prompted to.

FlutterinBantam

I cannot understand this ??

Ahearne has been the "go to guy" for the media for the past two years on every medium going, for sound bytes on economic problems.

How come so many people have not heard of him??


I'd have to say myself ,given his quals. whatever he says goes .

SeaFields

+1

He was a regular on radio and television on all things economic especially on "questions and answers" where he always drew great respect from the audience and the others at the top table.

It seemed he was on every second week for awhile when the economic meltdown was in full swing. I remember one of the last Q+A's he was on where he was asked "what you be the first thing you would do if you were working in the dept of finance?".

"Quit!" he said

Diarmuid

Raiser wrote: »

Don't let them condescend to you; they're all marvellous Political theorists here, but stick around here any length of time and you'll see each and every one trip himself up....

Good we have you to jump in with your size 11 wellies and shoot-first-ask-later posting style to balance out any reasoned and informed discussions

Raiser

Diarmuid wrote: »

Good we have you to jump in with your size 11 wellies and shoot-first-ask-later posting style to balance out any reasoned and informed discussions

Good we have you taking the thread off topic and trolling while carrying a grudge like a wasted Amy Winehouse desperately trying to manage an over-sized, over-loaded handbag

+1

He was a regular on radio and television on all things economic especially on "questions and answers" where he always drew great respect from the audience and the others at the top table.

It seemed he was on every second week for awhile when the economic meltdown was in full swing. I remember one of the last Q+A's he was on where he was asked "what you be the first thing you would do if you were working in the dept of finance?".

"Quit!" he said

If he is as crafty as his fan club is making out then I bet he is dividing time equally between his economic acrobatics and a stunning get-out plan for when NAMA implodes like an unsound shíthouse - perhaps cleverly using a carefully groomed third party as an emergency Scapegoat......!!!

oscarBravo

Didn't take this thread long to turn into a handbag-fest.

Raiser, if you want to rant, get a blog. This is a discussion forum.