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Will FG be any better that FF if this is what they are offering?

  • 28-01-2011 03:01PM
    #1
    miju
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 8,483 ✭✭✭


    Before I start my usual voting allegiences follow Labour / Fine Gael type patterns.

    However after having recieved a flyer in the door the other from FG TD Terence Flanagan I'm beginning to wonder if voting for FG would be a bad option.

    I'll try get up a scan of the flyer later but some of the things that FG WILL do if they get into Government is a bit scary to say the least given our current situation. This includes:

    - Free GP Care for all (using what money?)
    - Universal Health insurance for all (using what money?)
    - High performance broadband (do we not already have this?)
    - A smart power grid (do we not already have this?
    - €18.2 billion to be invested in jobs and building projects (using what money?)
    - Get the banks lending again (with what money?)
    - Freeze local authority rates / government charges (local authority services are already being cutback and a freeze in rates wont do them any good)
    - Community Employment Schemes (do we not already have these?)
    - Cut red tape but then go on to say
    - Fortify the Dail committee system to holder the government to account (more red tape)
    - Establishing an Independent Fiscal Council to advise the Oireachtas Finance Committee (more red tape)
    - Strenghten Freedom of Information making it cheaper for public to recieve information (more red tape)
    - Create a new senior civil service (more red tape)
    - Establishing an Independent Fiscal Council to advise the Oireachtas Finance Committee (more red tape)
    - Dismantling of the HSE and FAS (with no suggestion of what to replace them with though they are disfunctional)
    - Externally recruiting new high level specialists in banking, taxation and macro economic forecasting (so more consultants and costs???? )
    - A stimulus package for 100,000 jobs (with what money?)
    - Access to a world class health service (given that health services are currently being savagely cut back I'd love to know details of this plan)

    Am I far off the mark thinking alot of this is sheer pie in the sky stuff and FG should be focusing more on getting economy back on track and tackling our ridiculous debt level than making these normal and silly election promises.


Comments

  • #2
    Eliot Rosewater
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,745 ✭✭✭Eliot Rosewater


    miju wrote: »
    - Free GP Care for all (using what money?)
    - Universal Health insurance for all (using what money?)

    Under Faircare people would be obliged to purchase private health insurance, with the government subsidizing the insurance for the less well off. Thus the average citizen would pay, and that money wouldn't go through government. The system has had great success in the Netherlands, from what I've heard.

    We still won't have "Free GP Care", and, to be honest, I'm very annoyed that that's the primary way FG markets it. It's a reflection on the Irish people though that they couldn't market it as "cost effective health care". People don't want cost-effective stuff. They want free stuff.

    And it won't be free, anyway. A FG government will stipulate that all health insurance policies cover GP visits. This will have the effect of increasing premiums, so that insurance providers can cover the added cost.
    miju wrote: »
    - Cut red tape but then go on to say
    - Fortify the Dail committee system to holder the government to account (more red tape)
    [...]
    - Strenghten Freedom of Information making it cheaper for public to recieve information (more red tape)

    I don't see how these two things are red tape at all. They are vitally needed, by all accounts.

    The legislative process of this country is dominated by the Taoiseach: if he wants a law passed it will probably be passed. FG propose to deal with this lack of checks and balances by strengthening committees. That way both government and non-government representatives would have a means of influencing legislation - loosening the Taoiseach's strangle hold.

    It has been suggested by some Boardsies (Sulmac, amongst others, I think) that committee chairs be allocated by means of the D'Hondt method. I think that's a really great idea.

    The FoI proposal would reduce red tape. It would make it easier for people to engage with government.
    miju wrote: »
    - Access to a world class health service (given that health services are currently being savagely cut back I'd love to know details of this plan)

    See Faircare.ie.


    I agree with you on a lot of the other items. In particular, I haven't seen the nuts and bolt of how dismantling of the HSE and FAS would work. I'm concerned it would just be rebranded.

    I also have a problem with the construction sector stimulus. One the main (the primary?) cause of the housing boom was government stimulus which resulted in the sector being unsustainably expanded. It should be let deflate to normal levels, as determined by market demand. A building sector stimulus would only skew things again.


  • #3
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,796 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    q: (using what money?)
    a: yours and mine.


  • #4
    d'Oracle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,025 ✭✭✭d'Oracle


    miju wrote: »

    - Free GP Care for all (using what money?)

    Presumably money from the UHI

    miju wrote: »
    - Universal Health insurance for all (using what money?)

    Ours

    miju wrote: »

    - High performance broadband (do we not already have this?)

    NO.
    miju wrote: »
    - A smart power grid (do we not already have this?
    NO

    miju wrote: »
    - €18.2 billion to be invested in jobs and building projects (using what money?)

    Tax, and stuff
    miju wrote: »
    - Get the banks lending again (with what money?)

    I'd rather see a mechanism.

    miju wrote: »
    - Freeze local authority rates / government charges (local authority services are already being cutback and a freeze in rates wont do them any good)


    We need to make it cheaper to do business. this could do it.


    miju wrote: »
    - Community Employment Schemes (do we not already have these?)

    Not really no.
    We have FAS and some community employment assistance. Not actual employment schemes, but I wonder how they would work this.
    miju wrote: »
    - Cut red tape but then go on to say
    - Fortify the Dail committee system to holder the government to account (more red tape)

    Erm, no. No its not.
    This means having Dail committees (cross party) keep the govt in check.
    Hard to work, but certainly not adding red tape.

    miju wrote: »
    - Establishing an Independent Fiscal Council to advise the Oireachtas Finance Committee (more red tape)

    What do you understand red tape to mean?
    This sounds like a positive move to get people with real fiscal and economic expertise involved in government economic decision making.


    miju wrote: »
    - Strenghten Freedom of Information making it cheaper for public to recieve information (more red tape)

    That's actually less red tape.
    miju wrote: »
    - Create a new senior civil service (more red tape)

    Goddammit people aren't red tape.
    Not sure what the hell is going on there though. The last thing we need is more senior civil servants.

    miju wrote: »
    - Establishing an Independent Fiscal Council to advise the Oireachtas Finance Committee (more red tape)

    You already said that.

    miju wrote: »
    - Dismantling of the HSE and FAS (with no suggestion of what to replace them with though they are disfunctional)

    How bout a better health board and a better smaller Training and development authority? They are both unmitigated wrecks, writeoffs which need to be started from scratch.

    miju wrote: »
    - Externally recruiting new high level specialists in banking, taxation and macro economic forecasting (so more consultants and costs???? )

    You assume that the existing lots wont get the boot?

    miju wrote: »
    - A stimulus package for 100,000 jobs (with what money?)

    Same question as above.
    How dare they use tax money to try and fix the state.

    miju wrote: »
    - Access to a world class health service (given that health services are currently being savagely cut back I'd love to know details of this plan)

    So would I.
    Hopefully by dismantling the HSE and removing the bureaucratic chaff from the services.


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