Biffo still refuses to apologise for destroying the country

Zebra3

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/we-never-saw-crash-coming-we-had-no-plan-b-cowen-admits-29532242.html

Poor lad pulling 130 grand a year of our taxes for doing nothing. :rolleyes:

There must at least be a law brought in to restrict pensions like his until people are 65.

The taxpayer just can't afford it.

jank

Cue, loads of drunk references..

gordongekko

I blame hawkeye

racso1975

He inherited a heap of ****e from Bertie whom we as a nation voted in for 3 successive terms. I fail to see how the blame lands soley with biffo

Cee-Jay-Cee

Ah leave Brian alone, sure isn't he a grand lad.

Taxburden carrier

racso1975 wrote: »

He inherited a heap of ****e from Bertie whom we as a nation voted in for 3 successive terms. I fail to see how the blame lands soley with biffo

Ipso fatso

PirateShampoo

Hardly his fault in all fairness, I dislike the fat lump but if someone is to blame then it's Bertie and Irish greed of not wanting the gravy train to stop.

NuckingFacker

racso1975 wrote: »

He inherited a heap of ****e from Bertie whom we as a nation voted in for 3 successive terms. I fail to see how the blame lands soley with biffo

B0llox. Some people can go into a failed situation and turn it around through good management. Others go in and make it worse. He made it worse, not better and his games of golf with bankers stink to high heaven. Bell-end of the highest order who has got off scot free, like all the rest. A shrug, some distance and a fat pension. No consequences, just more of the same entitled arrogance. Typical Ireland.

Surveyor11

He was also minister of finance before Taoiseach. So perfectly culpable.

hansfrei

Fat b@stard. Hope he rots.

johnny_knoxvile

Him and Bertie need to be water boarded...in Mary Harney's urine.

cloud493

He's not worried cos he knows its not his burden, rather he continues to be paid from the public pocket. Disgrace.

Markcheese

racso1975 wrote: »

He inherited a heap of ****e from Bertie whom we as a nation voted in for 3 successive terms. I fail to see how the blame lands soley with biffo

Well it wasn't all his fault... But I thought he was the minister for finance
That created out woes...
Or is he using the" a bold boy did it and ran away defence "

Eight Ball

130k a year and yet we announce cuts to disability services. Some country alright.

clark nova

He was a useless capstone on a hill of useless, blame him all you want but the fact is we as a country couldn't muster up a good politician if our lives depended on it.

michael999999

Fianna fail, a proud party of crooks thieves and liars!

Sam Kade

racso1975 wrote: »

He inherited a heap of ****e from Bertie whom we as a nation voted in for 3 successive terms. I fail to see how the blame lands soley with biffo

You need to change we to the majority as I as well as many others never voted for them

Feathers

Himself & Brian Lennihan agreed the guarantee, which is the real millstone around our necks. Can't blame that one on Bertie, or on "there were no signs it was coming".

amdublin

He's acknowledging his wrongdoings more than that slimy snake Bertie Ahern has ever done.

I want rte to replay the Mike Murphy interview with slimy snake Ahern. Mike gave him a good going over.

Timothy Bryce

The seeds were sewn during the boom, thanks to the light touch regulation of the banks.

This happened on his watch of MoF

krudler

I'd genuinely love to know how state pensions are justified, 130k a year? that's double or triple what Joe Public earns for working, and he gets it for doing precisely fcuk all.

Lapin

NuckingFacker wrote: »

B0llox. Some people can go into a failed situation and turn it around through good management. Others go in and make it worse. He made it worse, not better and his games of golf with bankers stink to high heaven. Bell-end of the highest order who has got off scot free, like all the rest. A shrug, some distance and a fat pension. No consequences, just more of the same entitled arrogance. Typical Ireland.

In fairness, Bertie and McCreevey and Harney had made such a clusterfuck of things before Cowen became Taoiseach that no amount of good management could have turned things around. Of course Cowen has a shitload of the blame to take himself as do the bankers who lied to him and Lenihan on the night of the bank guarantee.

I'm no fan of Cowen but when it comes to issuing apologies, he can join the queue.

SEPT 23 1989

sniveling little b@stard gives an interview with the 'Comhra' programme

come out and do a live TV interview on mainstream TV you disgusting nation destroying coward

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Why would he apologise? It was a global recession, pretty much every country was hit with it.

I recall one interview after a budget, think it was 2007, that was done with FG and they ran FF into the ground for not giving the social welfare a bigger chunk of money, so going on that interview and pinhead kenny telling people they should spend more I think two things.
1. The country would have been in the sh1ts regardless of who was in charge.
2. FG clearly didn't see it coming either.

Nobody was complaining we were all living beyond our means then, were they? When they were driving brand new cars and taking out 100% mortgages on a house their job was never going to be able to pay for, or when the dole was over 200 euro.

It's very easy to sit back and point the blame at other people but the fact is not everyone was affected so bad that they still feel hard done by 6 years later.

Build a bridge, get over it and leave the Brian Cowen witch hunt back in 2010, were done with it.

omahaid

Surprising amount of people defending Brian C. On that evidence I reckon we'll get that housing bubble inflated again.

seamus

The government of the day knew damn well that the property market was about to go down the toilet, but their developer and banking buddies had their hands so far up FF's arses that the government refused to do anything which might upset them.

John Corrigan, the head of the NTMA*, advised his daughter in early 2006 against buying property because the market was about to dip and she would lose out big time. This is the man in charge of the state's entire asset portfolio. He could see that the property market was fncked 12 months in advance of the collapse, which means that the government of the day were aware.

They were warned, continually. They ignored the warnings, continually. Cowen as minister for Finance at the time arguably is more culpable than Bertie, who was just a rubber-stamper.

If Cowen is claiming that he didn't know and there was nothing that could be done, then he's both a fool and a liar.

*Clarification: At the time he wasn't head of the NTMA, he was investment director of the NPRF. So if anyone knew what investments were good and bad at the time, it was him.

Melon head

The fella we have in charge is no better.

omahaid

Melon head wrote: »

The fella we have in charge is no better.

Whether that is true or not is irrelevant. Brian Cowen still has a lot to answer for.

danmanw8

I've very little sympathy for Cowen but even he is letting Bertie Ahern off the hook. Make no mistake it was Bertie (I'll do 3 terms) Ahern who sent this country towards the cliff. He bought elections by pumping the economy with "fake" money to ensure he won the election. The economy was already screwed in late 2006 but he continued to pump it to win the election in 2007. His own selfish ambition to be the only Taoiseach to get 3 consecutive terms was behind him mortgaging the lives of ordinary taxpayers for decades.
By the time Cowen became Taoiseach the damage was done, his mistake was the pretense that all was fine and guaranteeing the banks without doing any assessment of how bad the problem at the banks was. That was definitely negligent but was just another symptom of the problem Ahern had created.

Phoebas

Zebra3 wrote: »

There must at least be a law brought in to restrict pensions like his until people are 65.

The taxpayer just can't afford it.

True enough - 'though I find it a bit odd that while compaining that the taxpayer can't afford it in your post, you're encouraging people to evade their taxes in your sig.

Birneybau

Taxburden carrier wrote: »

DIpso fatso

FYP

everlast75

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Nobody was complaining we were all living beyond our means then, were they? When they were driving brand new cars and taking out 100% mortgages on a house their job was never going to be able to pay for, or when the dole was over 200 euro.

For the record, not all of us were living beyond our means.

I didn't drive a brand new car, I didn't take out 100% mortgage and I have never taken any dole.

There was a portion of us who were, but I refuse to accept the blame for a recession which was instigated overwhelmingly by poor banking regulation and incompetent politicians.

This 'it's the public's fault' is one of the reasons why Fianna Fail's approval rating is steadily increasing and I for one am afraid of letting those f*ckers anywhere near the controls again.

Phoebas

Melon head wrote: »

The fella we have in charge is no better.

Kenny mightn't be the best Taoiseach we ever had, but if you think he's no better than Cowan then you're not paying attention.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

krudler wrote: »

I'd genuinely love to know how state pensions are justified, 130k a year? that's double or triple what Joe Public earns for working, and he gets it for doing precisely fcuk all.

Because who sets the penstions and legalises them...? The government!

Means Of Escape

There was plenty of time to avoid driving the country over the cliff
He did not heed any warnings regarding overheating property market as he kept Section 23
He rarely had any contact with the regulator
Didn't help that he didnt get on with Lenihan who was far more accomplished than Cowen
In fact if Lenihan had taken over sooner things may have been different
Cowen feathered his best and cleared off .
Useless.

Cienciano

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Why would he apologise? It was a global recession, pretty much every country was hit with it.

I recall one interview after a budget, think it was 2007, that was done with FG and they ran FF into the ground for not giving the social welfare a bigger chunk of money, so going on that interview and pinhead kenny telling people they should spend more I think two things.
1. The country would have been in the sh1ts regardless of who was in charge.
2. FG clearly didn't see it coming either.

Nobody was complaining we were all living beyond our means then, were they? When they were driving brand new cars and taking out 100% mortgages on a house their job was never going to be able to pay for, or when the dole was over 200 euro.

It's very easy to sit back and point the blame at other people but the fact is not everyone was affected so bad that they still feel hard done by 6 years later.

Build a bridge, get over it and leave the Brian Cowen witch hunt back in 2010, were done with it.

Everything about this post makes me feel physically ill.
First of all, the oppsition doesn't matter, they weren't in power. They'll just give out about whatever the government does.
Secondly, it doesn't matter if you think we'd be in the same mess if FG were in charge. They weren't in charge, FF were, and they are 100% to blame for this mess.
Thirdly, not everybody were living beyond their means. That bint Amanda Brunker was on telly a while ago making similar claims. "We all had one hell of a party". Fúck off, no we didn't. Speak for yourself.
Fourthy (is that a word?) "build a bridge"? Translation is "leave poor brian and bertie alone on their €130k a year pensions". The guy should be hounded day and night and never be given a seconds peace.
BTW, just googled it, he's 53 years old and getting €130 a year pension while the working public are paying through the nose for his fúckups.

kylith

racso1975 wrote: »

He inherited a heap of ****e from Bertie whom we as a nation voted in for 3 successive terms. I fail to see how the blame lands soley with biffo

Because he was Minister for Finance?

Clareboy

Biffo - The Big Ignorant Fat Fool from Offaly - and Ahern are to blame for destroying our country and they should be both charged with economic high treason. But what do we do? We give them pensions of €150,000 per year for life not to mention other privileges.

Biffo owes the Irish people more than an apology. He could start by surrendering that obscene pension, which is roughly - €3000 per week! - €600 per day for sitting on his big fat arse!

Clareboy

Clareboy wrote: »

Biffo - The Big Ignorant Fat Fool from Offaly - and Ahern are to blame for destroying our country and they should be both charged with economic high treason. But what do we do? We give them pensions of €150,000 per year for life not to mention other privileges.

Biffo owes the Irish people more than an apology. He could start by surrendering that obscene pension, which is roughly - €3000 per week! - €600 per day for sitting on his big fat arse!

Biffo couldnt give a bollox what you, me or the dogs on the street think of him. Hes laughing his hole off at the lot of us.

Celly Smunt

omahaid wrote: »

On that evidence I reckon we'll get that housing bubble inflated again.

It's already inflating,we'll have a boom in Dublin in the next 4 years.

The Backwards Man

No one detests FF more than me, but I don't remember Cowen et al frogmarching people into banks with a gun to their head.

Clareboy

Jake1 wrote: »

Biffo couldnt give a bollox what you, me or the dogs on the street think of him. Hes laughing his hole off at the lot of us.

If a large crowd marched on his mansion in Offaly and demanded an apology, he would have to take notice, but then the Irish are too gutless and too spineless to do anything like that.

Wacker The Attacker

FF will probably be re-elected at the next election.

People are morons

NuckingFacker

His comments recently "it's a pity my career ended the way it did" sums up his attitude. He's not sorry what happened to the country, just sorry that his own career ended. Self-serving, incompetent and unrepentant. And he's not the only one.

Clareboy

What ever one says about Biffo, one would have to admit that his gombeen credentials are impeccable, being the son of a TD, publican, auctioneer and undertaker and of course married to the daughter of a Fianna Fail publican. He certainly fitted the image of your typical FF rural TD - over-paid, over-fed, over-weight, over-stuffed and over-bloated!

Son Of A Vidic

Phoebas wrote: »

Kenny mightn't be the best Taoiseach we ever had, but if you think he's no better than Cowan then you're not paying attention.

He might have a different name, but he comes from the same school of incompetence & ineptitude. Similar to his predecessors, he also graduated with an honours degree in spinelessness. The prototypical 'yes' man, the pinnacle of his career will be the playful pat on the head he received from Sarkozy. Pathetic fúck.

Grayson

donegal_road wrote: »

Garret Fitzgerald (Im probably a bit older that you)

was just about to mention him. He was an educated man who actually gave a fcuk.

Boombastic

We never saw crash coming – we had no plan B, Cowen admits





Sure how would he have known it was coming? It's not like he had a load of advisory and consultants on the payroll or a financial regulator. You pay peanuts you get monkeys

kylith

Boombastic wrote: »

We never saw crash coming – we had no plan B, Cowen admits





Sure how would he have known it was coming? It's not like he had a load of advisory and consultants on the payroll or a financial regulator. You pay peanuts you get monkeys

F'k's sake. I could see the crash coming, and I can barely do addition.

raymann

racso1975 wrote: »

He inherited a heap of ****e from Bertie whom we as a nation voted in for 3 successive terms. I fail to see how the blame lands soley with biffo

Surveyor11 wrote: »

He was also minister of finance before Taoiseach. So perfectly culpable.

this is the point. he was minister for finance during the boom years, it was his responsibility to recognise what was going on and put the brakes on accordingly. he WAS warned by multiple people but chose to ignore it all. terrifyingly he then got the top job at the worst possible time in Irish history.

we had possibly the least skilled (a fair comment based on his record) operator at the helm at the most important time since independence. in short merkel and the other leaders of the eu saw exactly how far out of his depth he was and completely destroyed him.

the irish tax payer bailed out the banking debts of private german (and others) banks without even any type of concession from the germans and the other debtor countries. do you think it would have been the same if it had been the other way round? not one inch was given or even asked for by that man. he even took their line in public and told the irish people to swallow it.

they took a risk to lend money at interest and they did not do the proper due diligence. its down to the lender to asses the risk and lend accordingly. its THEIR responsibility. they should have been burnt for most if not all of the debts to non-systemic banks like anglo. they kept all the profits in the good times, then got bailed out by the irish tax payer when it went wrong.

a treasonous act in my book and i would love to see some sort of investigation into every aspect of his tenure as he needs to go to prison for what he did. the fact that not one of these guys has even been in the dock is a disgrace and we should be ashamed. in the uk they just put a mp in prison for a driving offense. thats the way it should be.

Boombastic

^^Why didn't he out Bertie for the scum that he is, instead of quietly stepping in to help hide his mess?


It wasn't the Germans, it was mostly Americans