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Eddie Hobbs - Politically Biased?

  • 22-08-2005 5:36pm
    #1
    Mr E
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 55,534 ✭✭✭✭


    According to the news, FF are up in arms about Rip Off Republic, claiming that Eddie is politically biased, and that he is damaging the government...

    Are they opening a big old can of worms that they shouldn't, or do they have a point?


«1

Comments

  • #2
    Chong
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,676 ✭✭✭Chong


    Hilarious I knew this would happen.


  • #3
    jrey1981
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,531 ✭✭✭jrey1981


    How can exposing tax takes and rip-offs be politically biased? It is factual...


  • #4
    Chong
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,676 ✭✭✭Chong


    He also hasn't really exposed anything we dont already know.


  • #5
    dahamsta
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,659 ✭✭✭✭dahamsta


    jrey1981 wrote:
    How can exposing tax takes and rip-offs be politically biased?
    It's probably not. It's probably an attempt by FF to smear him because they're simply unable to refute the allegations made against them. Nothing to see here, please move along...

    adam


  • #6
    CCOVICH
    Closed Accounts Posts: 240 ✭✭CCOVICH


    Thought this was coming alright. To be fair, he did have a FG TD on the last show who lobbied against the cafe bar legislation.

    If he is arguing that high taxes are the cause of 'rip offs' in this country, there is only one place (the government) to start pointing the finger I guess.


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  • #7
    Jip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,418 ✭✭✭Jip


    jrey1981 wrote:
    ....It is factual...

    That's a stretch at the best of times. Sure, some of what he says is factual but he also neglects to tell people the rest of the facts that would make his stories less sensational.


  • #8
    FinoBlad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 847 ✭✭✭FinoBlad


    there is an element of truth in this, he does take the pi$$ out of the politicians and is far too personal in his attacks. it would be a lot better to have a balanced documentary and discussion with factually correct information and less pi$$ taking as this is a serious subject.


  • #9
    CJhaughey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,907 ✭✭✭✭CJhaughey


    FinoBlad wrote:
    there is an element of truth in this, he does take the pi$$ out of the politicians and is far too personal in his attacks. it would be a lot better to have a balanced documentary and discussion with factually correct information and less pi$$ taking as this is a serious subject.
    Yes a serious subject being treated in a flippant and arrogant manner by the politicians themselves, look at the café bar shambles. If the Govenment were serious about this they would have supported the idea of liberalising the market instead of treating the consumer like a piece of Sh1t yet again.
    I say fcuk the Govt they reap what they sow and if a man like Eddie is brave enough to stand up and expose the rip offs then more power to him.
    what did Mary Harney say when she was Minister? Shop around.
    People wanted a person to stand up and point out to those who will not see what the problems are.


  • #10
    landser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 648 ✭✭✭landser


    I've more than a few problems with Mr. Hobbs. The guy is an old fashioned Thatcherite. I do find that i agree with some of what he says, but i do have problems with a number of issues. the guy is competition mad. competition is the golden cow of current capitalist thought. if a market isn't competitive, then it is failing. hobbs has signed up to this. i'm an ardent capitalist myself, but sometimes, competition doesn't work e.g. public transport.

    he does not seem to see any social issues which attach to the econmic theories he espouses. take the groceries order. i am actually against this on balance, but only very slightly. to listen to hobbs go on about it, you'd swear that the whole issue was black and white. his arguments are very basic and he cajoles his audience to go along with him by using the old, "God, aren't they fierce thick for thinking that was a good idea". it's a type of emperor's new clothes type of debating, where the listener is afraid to disagree with what he sys for fear of being branded an idiot.

    the show is a one sided rant by hobbs... simple as that. there is no debate, no insight and no analysis(unless you call kids playing shop an analysis of the working of a monolopy in a modern capitalst society).. merely hobbs giving his opinions unchallenged. the show is an insult to anyone with half a brain and an ability to think for themselves


  • #11
    CJhaughey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,907 ✭✭✭✭CJhaughey


    landser wrote:
    the show is an insult to anyone with half a brain and an ability to think for themselves
    Which is.....about 22% of the target audience in this fair isle.
    The other 60% think it's great :D


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  • #12
    landser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 648 ✭✭✭landser


    CJhaughey wrote:
    Which is.....about 22% of the target audience in this fair isle.
    The other 60% think it's great :D

    judging by your maths ability, i reckon you fall into the "60%" then ;)


  • #13
    damienom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 582 ✭✭✭damienom


    Not sure about his being at all biased but I do think he's been watching a few too many Michael Moore documentaries.

    Problem is with anything like this is that there's probably as many facts and figures that you could dig out to show him to be wrong as he's using to back up his arguments.

    Over half a million viewers for a Monday night in the middle of silly season he mush be doing something right!


  • #14
    FinoBlad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 847 ✭✭✭FinoBlad


    CJhaughey wrote:
    Eddie is brave enough to stand up and expose the rip offs then more power to him..

    Listen. Eddie isnt doing this out of some soft of patriotism. Eddie is doing this coz he is paid, he knows he will sell more books and drive more business to his "independent" financial advisory service. As posted elsewhere on boards.ie he quoted a €3,000 appearence fee for talks on finance. Clever yes, brave mmmh?

    In my humble opinion this show would be more worrying to politicians if it was conducted in a more serious and unbiased manner, where any research or quotes could be posted on RTEs website for all to see and check out.

    Because its so childlike its really easy to dismiss.


  • #15
    daveirl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,483 ✭✭✭✭daveirl


    This post has been deleted.


  • #16
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    FinoBlad wrote:
    Listen. Eddie isnt doing this out of some soft of patriotism. Eddie is doing this coz he is paid, he knows he will sell more books and drive more business to his "independent" financial advisory service. As posted elsewhere on boards.ie he quoted a €3,000 appearence fee for talks on finance. Clever yes, brave mmmh?

    In my humble opinion this show would be more worrying to politicians if it was conducted in a more serious and unbiased manner, where any research or quotes could be posted on RTEs website for all to see and check out.

    Because its so childlike its really easy to dismiss.

    Yep, from a guy who boasts that he earns 10 times the average industrial wage.

    Could be Thatcherite as landser suggests, or indeed Irish Socialist...hard to tell apart...


  • #17
    Eoin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    CJhaughey wrote:
    I say fcuk the Govt they reap what they sow

    Gotta love the irony of that coming from someone with your nick :D

    I totally agree with what landser, FinoBlad and others are saying about Eddie Hobbs. I just posted a thing about the grocery order on this thread. To save time, I will quote myself!
    The average shopping basket that was 13 euros more expensive in Ireland than anywhere else in the E.U. included "every day items" like an electric tooth brush, a box of Ferero Roche (sp?) chocolates and a bottle of Bacardi. Take these out, and the shopping basket is less than 2 euros more expensive

    Funnily enough, this was not mentioned or even alluded to by Hobbs. By continously massaging the facts to suit his arguments he loses a lot of credibility when the full details are looked into further. I think the reference to Michael Moore is quite apt - like Moore I can no longer take anything he says at face value.


  • #18
    SparkyLarks
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 363 ✭✭SparkyLarks


    My biggest problem with the Show how he never adresses the issue of costs.

    He says a bottle of sun tan lotin is 5 times cheaper in South Africa.

    How much profit is being made. Wages rent light heat all are more expensive in Ireland than South Africa.

    Price is not the be all and end all of telling if something is a rip off. Things wer very cheap in the 80's. wouldn;t it be great if it weas like that now??

    His "disproving" the shop around theory by sending 3 lads to different pubs to get a pind and seeing if they could haggle the price down. That misses the point. If everybody went to the cheaper pubs then the more expensive ones would have to drop their prices to be compeditive.

    I enjoyed his other programs but Rip Off Republic is just tabloid sensatiolism


  • #19
    Viscosity
    Closed Accounts Posts: 94 ✭✭Viscosity


    I hope Eddie Hobbs next series will focus on rip off financial consultants, mainly himself and Tony Taylor ! :rolleyes:


  • #20
    FinoBlad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 847 ✭✭✭FinoBlad


    SparkyLarks wrote:
    I enjoyed his other programs but Rip Off Republic is just tabloid sensatiolism

    Perfect quote, perfect.


  • #21
    swingking
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,258 ✭✭✭swingking


    I reckon that the government are suffering with a guilty conscience. How typical!

    Maybe instead of lashing Eddie Hobbs, the government should start listening to the facts and stop slammming people who expose them


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  • #22
    Sleepy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,268 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    The fact is: most of the Irish population are idiots. Most of the population can be seen to be swayed by tabloid media: The Irish Sun has one of the highest circulation rates of any paper in this country, Sky One is probably the most popular TV Station, Heat & Now Magasines fly off the shelves.

    The government need these idiots to get elected again. Eddie Hobbs appeals to these idiots by arguing in a fashion they understand. Therefore, he actually stands a chance of suceeding in forcing the government to finally start dealing with some of the rip-offs we face in this country (€ircon must be bricking it!) because without these idiots' votes the government will collapse.

    So while yes, I would like to see a more intelligent analysis of the situation, more than likely the tabloid sensationalism is probably the more effective means of actually getting something done about it.


  • #23
    Dub13
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,254 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dub13


    The government are lucky this is going out 2 years before the next election otherwise this program could have swayed alot of voters.This will all be forgotten with the help of the SSIAs when they mature,just before the next election.


  • #24
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    swingking wrote:
    Maybe instead of lashing Eddie Hobbs, the government should start listening to the facts and stop slammming people who expose them

    Can someone please clarify what exactly the Government has done to 'lash' or 'slam' Eddie Hobbs?

    After all, would hate to think that it might be his own PR machine coming up with this stuff, although they have done very well. People love a victim story.


  • #25
    Tazz T
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,205 ✭✭✭Tazz T


    There was some government bloke (sorry I don't pay attention to the names of government 'officials') on the radio giving out about him yesterday.

    His arguement was based on the assumption that Eddie had ignored the fact that pay has been rising faster than inflation - therefore rather than getting ripped off, we are in fact better off.

    / Personally, I have a feeling the wage increases have all been in the Dail, the ESB and the Vintners Federation - they certainly haven't been in my paypacket.


  • #26
    daveirl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,483 ✭✭✭✭daveirl


    This post has been deleted.


  • #27
    landser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 648 ✭✭✭landser


    Sleepy wrote:
    So while yes, I would like to see a more intelligent analysis of the situation, more than likely the tabloid sensationalism is probably the more effective means of actually getting something done about it.

    but, a lot of waht he is saying is wrong because there is no analysis or debate. the show has a presumption that we are being ripped off and hobbs "proves" it by, for example, stating that some items are more expensive here than elsewhere. it's true that a meal out in dublin is more expensive than in Paris, but the average iriashman earns more than the average frenchman. the fact that a pint is cheaper here, wouldn't concern hobbs.

    what the guy is doing is peddling misinformation, and ripping off RTE licence fee payers with this drivel. jesus, even i could present this show... it's the easiest money he'll ever earn


  • #28
    Dub13
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,254 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dub13


    daveirl wrote:
    This post has been deleted.


    This does my head in....good working people get an increase of 5.5% yet the government sanction the ESB,Board Gas,CIE, etc huge increases.If we are getting 5.5% the max semi state company's should get is 5.5%


  • #29
    Sarsfield
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,359 ✭✭✭Sarsfield


    Dub13 wrote:
    This does my head in....good working people get an increase of 5.5% yet the government sanction the ESB,Board Gas,CIE, etc huge increases.If we are getting 5.5% the max semi state company's should get is 5.5%

    I work in CIE and I get the same national agreement increases as everyone else. What makes you think we get more?


  • #30
    Dub13
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,254 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dub13


    Sarsfield wrote:
    I work in CIE and I get the same national agreement increases as everyone else. What makes you think we get more?


    Sorry I did not make myself clear,I ment increases in the company's prices not what the workers get.I am aware they get the same as the rest of us.


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  • #31
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Tazz T wrote:
    There was some government bloke on the radio giving out about him yesterday.

    So an official 'lashing' and 'slamming' by the powers that be has become 'some bloke giving out'?

    Hmmmm. I echo the 'there's really nothing to see here, move along' point above, perhaps in a different context...


  • #32
    skywalker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,707 ✭✭✭skywalker


    Tazz T wrote:
    His arguement was based on the assumption that Eddie had ignored the fact that pay has been rising faster than inflation - therefore rather than getting ripped off, we are in fact better off.

    Which was countered (if I remember rightly) that when things like stealth taxes & large increases in essentials such as gas/electricity were taken into account that just isnt true.


  • #33
    Tazz T
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,205 ✭✭✭Tazz T


    daveirl wrote:
    This post has been deleted.

    Does this National Pay Agreement apply to the private sector? If so, it's the first I've heard of it.

    Hands up who's enjoyed a 5.5% increase in 3 phases over the past 18 months.


  • #34
    pH
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭pH


    I think Eddie has opened the debate into a far more interesting area than people ringing up chat shows to whine about the price of eating out, drinking or a cup of expresso.

    Before this debate I would have reserved the term 'Rip-off' for shady business practices where sellers in effect trick the buyers selling them an inferior product or somehow getting more money from the transaction than it originaly looked like it would cost. Rip-off now seems to mean 'expensive' I can't afford a ferrari by a long shot - is this a rip-off?

    In a free market, the market sets the price, and there can be no rip-off. Prices can be high due to low supply/high demand, but that's just a free market operating. Yes monopolies can exist, but in general sectors where large profits can be made attract new entrants and prices fall.

    The problems normally exist in areas where free markets aren't operating. Eddie pointed out many of these areas like pubs, solicitors etc. Normally the supply side is constrained in some form resulting in prices higher than would be achieved in a free market.

    As we get richer, we want more for our time, and prices in the service sector start to rise sharply. This results in either an influx of cheap labour (immigration) to keep down the cost of services (that's another issue) or what we are seeing - if lot's of us have lot's of spare cash and want to spend it on entertainment then prices go up.

    The only real alternative to this is some sort of state price setting, and we've all seen how successful the Socialist and Communist systems have been.


  • #35
    landser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 648 ✭✭✭landser


    pH wrote:

    The problems normally exist in areas where free markets aren't operating. Eddie pointed out many of these areas like pubs, solicitors etc. Normally the supply side is constrained in some form resulting in prices higher than would be achieved in a free market.

    .

    pubs and solicitors would be examples of cartels, if anything, not monopolies. But, even then, ithink he's wrong. The market is "free". No one person or group has the monopoly on the supply of all legal services or drink. This is where hobbs' simplistic guide for idiots is grossly misleading. There is competition in the lprovision of legal services for conveyancing and probate.... ring around and you'll see.

    i agree with your point that hobbs seems to think that just because something is expensive means that we're being ripped off. THe point with this entertainment show, (for that is what it is, it's not education), is that he's preacing to an easy audience. Everyone wants to pay less and get more, and if he states that we are being ripped off, everyone will want to believe him.

    As for price setting. We already have that. You don't have to be a pinko to agree with it either.


  • #36
    DublinWriter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,559 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    SparkyLarks wrote:
    I enjoyed his other programs but Rip Off Republic is just tabloid sensatiolism
    True, but it's a general step in the right direction in terms of consumer affairs programming by our 'National Broadcaster'.

    There's a very interesting thread in the Television forum about this programme.

    But I thought it was really funny when EH said to the audience "Now, do you like paying high prices for drink?" and they all went 'Mooooooooooo' in unison.


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  • #37
    daveirl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,483 ✭✭✭✭daveirl


    This post has been deleted.


  • #38
    RainyDay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,925 ✭✭✭RainyDay


    Viscosity wrote:
    I hope Eddie Hobbs next series will focus on rip off financial consultants, mainly himself and Tony Taylor ! :rolleyes:
    Cheap shot - remember it was Eddie who personally paid for the private detective who found TT and had him brought back to Ireland to face the courts.


  • #39
    landser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 648 ✭✭✭landser


    RainyDay wrote:
    Cheap shot - remember it was Eddie who personally paid for the private detective who found TT and had him brought back to Ireland to face the courts.

    ... and accoring to the SBP yesterday, Hobbs consultancy has increased it's turnover substantially in the last few years, no doubt fuelled by his celebrity status


  • #40
    DublinWriter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,559 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    landser wrote:
    Hobbs consultancy has increased it's turnover substantially in the last few years, no doubt fuelled by his celebrity status
    Yeah, what a cheek he has, being successful like that.

    The begrudgery in this country is sickening.


  • #41
    parsi
    Site Banned Posts: 5,904 ✭✭✭parsi


    RainyDay wrote:
    Cheap shot - remember it was Eddie who personally paid for the private detective who found TT and had him brought back to Ireland to face the courts.

    Why is it a cheap shot ? It seems Eddie is being portrayed as the best thing since the sliced pan but was involved in the whole scandal. Maybe instead of sending nappies (which are cheaper here than in France) maybe he should be investigating how his business colleagues rip people off....


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  • #42
    gerryk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,726 ✭✭✭gerryk


    daveirl wrote:
    This post has been deleted.

    Spoken like a true minion.

    You seem to forget that back in the 80's the cost of housing was somewhat manageable. Now, for 300k+, you're lucky to get a cardboard box. By manageable, I mean a reasonable multiple of one's annual salary. I remember decent houses selling for ~65k, approx 5x the 'average industrial wage', whereas now, even 10x the average wage won't get you a garden shed. Moreover, what's happened to the quality of housing? Apartments are built to lower standards than ever, and yet cost so much more. Don't get me started on affordable housing quotas. All I have to say is it's a good time to be a developer... the government reward cowboyism.

    Also, I think you'll find that most people mind less paying high taxes, and more, the mismanagement of same. Look at the number of 'private-public' projects that have gone way over budget, over schedule, been badly researched, or simply fell through the cracks. The Luas (overbudget and schedule), the port tunnel (a travesty of research), the M50 (a license to print money for NTR), the Eyre Square redevelopment in Galway (the 'contractor' simply pulled out). Where are the penalty clauses? Why has nobody swung over any of these? It's your money and my money that's being frittered away here, and we don't get so much as an apology. If we're found wanting in our tax payments on the other hand... up against the wall.

    Sure, Hobbs may be sensationalist, tabloid journalism, but he's doing something to raise overall public awareness, Mob justice may be messy, but it's better than the complete lack of justice we've seen to date.


  • #43
    landser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 648 ✭✭✭landser


    DublinWriter wrote:
    Yeah, what a cheek he has, being successful like that.

    The begrudgery in this country is sickening.


    you missed my point The guy is no Robin Hood, nor is he a comsumer rights champion, he is pedalling an easy line is moron economics. if you ask anyone.. do you think you are paying too much for and would you like to pay less for x, y or z, they will always say yes, and you will always find examples of some items being more expensice in city A than in city B. EH's programme is misleading at best.

    as for begrudgery, i never said i begudged the guy a penny. i was actually surprised to hear that his company was almost broke three years ago. i referred to the SBP report to highlight that EH is a businessman, who, as such, has an interest in self promotion; he is not here to rescue you.

    i hope your sickness is dispelled by the clarification ;)


  • #44
    DublinWriter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,559 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    landser wrote:
    you missed my point The guy is no Robin Hood, nor is he a comsumer rights champion,
    Since when was being a Robin Hood or comumer rights champion a viable full time career? What do you want, someone in sackcloth and ashes?

    Do you seriously expect our own official *government appointed* and highly paid consumer rights champion, Carmel Foley, to criticise the government over unfair and punitive excise duties and taxes on most products?

    landser wrote:
    he is pedalling an easy line is moron economics. if you ask anyone.. do you think you are paying too much for and would you like to pay less for x, y or z, they will always say yes
    ...yada yada yada. What he is actually doing is highlighting the breakdown on how the government apply taxes and excises unfairly to certain products, such as the €2 levy on wine, the double €4 levy on Champagne, etc.
    landser wrote:
    as for begrudgery, i never said i begudged the guy a penny
    So the sniad comments you made about him only being interested in self promotion were apropos of what exactly?
    landser wrote:
    i referred to the SBP report to highlight that EH is a businessman, who, as such, has an interest in self promotion; he is not here to rescue you.
    So who would you prefer to do the show, a Fireman?
    Jesus Christ? Buddha?
    landser wrote:
    i hope your sickness is dispelled by the clarification ;)
    Nope, just reinforced.


  • #45
    landser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 648 ✭✭✭landser


    DublinWriter wrote:

    ...yada yada yada. What he is actually doing is highlighting the breakdown on how the government apply taxes and excises unfairly to certain products, such as the €2 levy on wine, the double €4 levy on Champagne, etc.

    Jesus, what age are you? 8? As for the levy, i never said, nor as a drinker, would i ever say, that such a levy is (to put it in plain english for you) big and clever. However, the fact that the levy is on these products is not indicative of a rip-off republic. further, the dog in the street knew about these levies long before this programme, so there's very little novel information here


    So the sniad comments you made about him only being interested in self promotion were apropos of what exactly?

    there's nothing snide about them.


    So who would you prefer to do the show, a Fireman?
    Jesus Christ? Buddha?

    :rolleyes:


  • #46
    parsi
    Site Banned Posts: 5,904 ✭✭✭parsi


    One issue that strikes me is the big hooha over the groceries order. One factor that is suspicious is that the bigs guys (Mr Tesco) want shot of it which means that they will gain from its abolition because they are hardly campaigning for it to be abolished for _our_sake.

    The other thing is that the groceries order only applies to certain goods. So theoretically the multiples can use their big negotiated discounts that they get on non-Groceries order products to make these products absolutely dirt cheap. Look at coffee - its over 4euro for 225g block in Tesco but 4.15 in Carrefour for a kilo of Lavazza Mattino.

    So why doesn't Hobbs go and look and see why the big retailers aren't selling other goods dirt cheap - goods that are unprotected.

    As long as people go on voting in government which gives lower taxes whilst insisting that State services pay their way then we have to live with the fact that everything has to be paid for somehow. We used never have bin charges they were paid out of taxation (and before that rates) but now we do . And why because it suits the high earners more to pay flat charges that %-based tax. So Mr PD and his buddies say ok if I can get the high rate of tax reduced by 1% that will mean a couple of thousand at least and hey my bin charges etc will only take up less than a grand so I'm on a winner...


  • #47
    Eoin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    parsi wrote:
    One issue that strikes me is the big hooha over the groceries order. One factor that is suspicious is that the bigs guys (Mr Tesco) want shot of it which means that they will gain from its abolition because they are hardly campaigning for it to be abolished for _our_sake.

    And another suspicious factor is that SVP and another Irish charity do NOT want it abolished - and these people represent the most vulnerable in our society. There is a thread on this in this forum where I posted some facts I heard on the "Last Word" incidentally not mentioned by Eddie.


  • #48
    Snickers Man
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭Snickers Man


    Eddie Hobbs Rocks!!!!!!

    His show is fast paced, amusing, interesting and from what I can see pretty much factual. I don't see anyone actually refuting any of the points he made. They're just saying 'Oh he should have said something nice about those poor publicans/estate agents/car taxers etc etc who are only trying to make a living and contribute so much to our way of life'

    We tolerate far greater prices here than we should for many things. Just because Hobbs has the chutzpah to make his points in a brash way he's being branded as a liar and a political chauvinist.

    Even those politicians who good naturedly say that maybe he shouldn't be driven off our screens for having the effrontery to shout about something that pisses everybody off feel they can criticise his voice, or his accent or his presentation.

    Cobblers!!!!!!!

    I believe he's talking about the motor industry tonight. insurance. VRT. total rip off prices on spare parts etc etc

    I think every legal tax paying motorist in this country deserves to have their arse licked clean by every politician for the HUGE contribution we make to the public exchequer. VRT is a complete con. A way of keeping an import tax that should have been abolished in 1992 with the Single European Market.

    And as for the price of spare parts. It's a disgrace and we're as bad for putting up with it.

    Go on Eddie. Stick it to the bastards. tell it like it is.


  • #49
    Eoin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    Snickers Man wrote:
    Eddie Hobbs Rocks!!!!!!

    His show is fast paced, amusing, interesting and from what I can see pretty much factual. I don't see anyone actually refuting any of the points he made. They're just saying 'Oh he should have said something nice about those poor publicans/estate agents/car taxers etc etc who are only trying to make a living and contribute so much to our way of life'
    ...
    Go on Eddie. Stick it to the bastards. tell it like it is.

    But people are refuting facts he is stating. The C.S.O. have just said that his figures do not add up. He is not presenting the facts in an impartial manner - for instance the "average shopping basket" he mentioned contained a bottle of bacardi, ferrero roche (sp?) chocolates, and an electric toothbrush. Take these out of the basket, and the price difference drops from 13 euro to less than 2 euro.

    He didn't mention that Spain also has a ban on below cost selling which he wants abolish, however their groceries are much cheaper. One of the differences between Spain and Ireland is that our mininum wage is over E3 more per hour, but he is not going to suggest that we lower the minimum wage as he would lose a huge amount of his following.

    And like I said earlier, two major Irish charities have come out in favour of the grocery order, as they say it is actually better for the poorer people.

    I am not saying that we aren't being ripped off, we clearly are. However, the so-called facts that are being stated on Eddie Hobbs program are quite often a stretch, and can't not be taken at face value. He is NOT telling it "like it is".


  • #50
    Tazz T
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,205 ✭✭✭Tazz T


    eoin_s wrote:
    But people are refuting facts he is stating. The C.S.O. have just said that his figures do not add up. He is not presenting the facts in an impartial manner - for instance the "average shopping basket" he mentioned contained a bottle of bacardi, ferrero roche (sp?) chocolates, and an electric toothbrush. Take these out of the basket, and the price difference drops from 13 euro to less than 2 euro.

    Few people on these boards need 'an average shopping basket' to know that prices are much cheaper on continental Europe. We go there for our holidays because we know it is so much cheaper. There's a comparison in the Indo most weeks - it's always cheaper.

    Prices have come down over the last year or two to close the gap siightly. That change is simply down to the entry of Lidl and Aldi into the market. Nothing else. If any point should be taken away from Eddie's series of programmes, it' s the fact that Ireland is anti-competitive and that is the government's fault.


  • #51
    Eoin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    Tazz T wrote:
    Few people on these boards need 'an average shopping basket' to know that prices are much cheaper on continental Europe. We go there for our holidays because we know it is so much cheaper. There's a comparison in the Indo most weeks - it's always cheaper.

    Prices have come down over the last year or two to close the gap siightly. That change is simply down to the entry of Lidl and Aldi into the market. Nothing else. If any point should be taken away from Eddie's series of programmes, it' s the fact that Ireland is anti-competitive and that is the government's fault.

    I am not saying otherwise. My point merely is that the facts & figures being stated are a stretch at best, and some of the solutions that are offered do not add up.

    As I said earlier I am not suggesting that we are not being ripped off, but the program can't be taken at face value a lot of the time. This is why I think people - government included - are quite entitled to question a lot of what he says.


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