Cowen - Its coming To A TV Near You...

Biggins · 23-01-2009 11:37PM #1

Sorry - its bad news.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen is preparing to address the nation about the depth of our economic problems.
Mr Cowen is likely to seek airtime on RTE and may go on television early next week to talk of the extent of the problem.

It would be the first time since Charles Haughey's infamous live television address that a Taoiseach has sought television time.
It was also learned today that the Taoiseach will go ahead with public service pay cuts -- with or without union approval.

Full story here: http://www.herald.ie/national-news/cowen-to-address-nation-with-latest-rescue-plan-1612164.html

deleriumtremens · 23-01-2009 11:40PM

"we are living way beyond our means"

/continues riding around his estate on horseback

TestTransmission · 23-01-2009 11:40PM

And what exactly is your point

banshee_bones · 23-01-2009 11:42PM

The Government is understood to be seeking pay cuts of up to 10pc

FOR THEMSELVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????????????

WOULDNT THAT BE LOVELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(taste the sarcasm please!)

mike65 · 23-01-2009 11:45PM

...the figures which are just now becoming available to us show one thing very clearly. As a community we are living away beyond our means...we have been living at a rate which is simply not justifiable by the amount of goods and services we are producing. To make up the difference we have been borrowing enormous amounts of money, borrowing at a rate which just cannot continue. A few simple figures will make this very clear...we will just have to reorganise government spending so that we can only undertake those things we can afford...

(Charvet shirts)

Biggins · 23-01-2009 11:46PM

deleriumtremens wrote: »

"we are living way beyond our means"

/continues riding around his estate on horseback

Aye, with his expensive shirts bought by cheques given to Charlie by some youngish finance minister called Ahern.

I want to know in advance when he is on - if only so that I can switch over/off.
I know there will be bad news - we all know there is going to be bad news...
- but do we have to have it served upon us by Cowan lecturing us while he's currently paid more in wages than any other European country leader!

Hypocrisy indeed!

Omnipresence · 23-01-2009 11:55PM

Mr. Cowan needs to address the nation asap...

1) To explain where the hell he has been the last while (i mean come on !)
2) To really drill home to people in denial (i.e. all the unions etc) what a ****-storm is on the way...

I mean this could be a reality that none of these people seem to grasp:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2009/0113/1231738220759.html

We're only about 5 months into this and houses are down 40% already (they are in my area (38% to be exact) so its pretty reasonable that another year of this and that article will ring true...

If the unions and everyone in pay "deals" don't budge it wont matter anyway as the companies they work for will go bust and they will be arguing over 10% of nothing... someone really needs to drill home this to them asap.

-a-

galwayrush · 24-01-2009 12:11AM

His address can be summarised in two lines,

We're ****ed.
It's not my fault.

Biggins · 24-01-2009 12:17AM

galwayrush wrote: »

His address can be summarised in two lines,

We're ****ed.
It's not my fault.

True but there should be a third line.

We're ****ed.
It's not my fault
Form an orderly line - I'm going to take what money you have left.

Captain Darling · 24-01-2009 12:18AM

Biggins wrote: »

True but there should be a third line.

We're ****ed.
It's not my fault
Form an orderly line - I'm going to take what money you have left.

Tax hikes. 60 cent in the Euro anyone?

dr.bollocko · 24-01-2009 12:19AM

Lets just hope that for one brief second we can form one single voice that rings out a message loud and clear thanks to this inspiring live address from the democratically elected leader of our nation.

"FUCK OFF!"

Aidric · 24-01-2009 12:20AM

Nothing wrong with the Taoiseach addressing the nation in this time of woe. There isn't half enough transparency when it come to politicians despite their title of public servant.

Senna · 24-01-2009 12:24AM

Hope its not at tea time, couldn't look at his pig ugly face while eating.

Biggins · 24-01-2009 12:27AM

Senna wrote: »

Hope its not at tea time, couldn't look at his pig ugly face while eating.

The idea of him sqeaking while your eating your bacon - yuch - that would turn you off your dinner!

He will choose a time around 8/9. More than likely nine. Give a day or two days notice -giving him time to rehearse his speech and tweak it as much as possible to avoid F.F. taking any blame whatsoever for their major/minor role in our recession.

Senna · 24-01-2009 12:32AM

Biggins wrote: »

The idea of him sqeaking while your eating your bacon - yuch - that would turn you off your dinner!

He will choose a time around 8/9. More than likely nine. Give a day or two days notice -giving him time to rehearse his speech and tweak it as much as possible to avoid F.F. taking any blame whatsoever for their major/minor role in our recession.

Will their be an interpreter so English speakers can listen?:D

Biggins · 24-01-2009 12:35AM

Senna wrote: »

Will their be an interpreter so English speakers can listen?:D

Yes if they can translate bullcrap!

Slidey · 24-01-2009 12:37AM

Our leader Bow before him ye groveling mortals

ejmaztec · 24-01-2009 12:40AM

Senna wrote: »

Hope its not at tea time, couldn't look at his pig ugly face while eating.

We all knew that things were going to turn ugly for all of us. In a few weeks time we're all going to look like him. :eek:

galwayrush · 24-01-2009 12:43AM

ejmaztec wrote: »

We all knew that things were going to turn ugly for all of us. In a few weeks time we're all going to look like him. :eek:

I hope that's methaphorically speaking, even so, it's one ****ing scary image.:eek:

deleriumtremens · 24-01-2009 12:44AM

slideways wrote: »

Our leader Bow before him ye groveling mortals

Actually, does anybody else think he lost a bit of weight? I saw him talking on tv3 news and he looked like he lost a bit. Maybe the nob nation skit cut him deep!

galwayrush · 24-01-2009 12:46AM

deleriumtremens wrote: »

Actually, does anybody else think he lost a bit of weight? I saw him talking on tv3 news and he looked like he lost a bit. Maybe the nob nation skit cut him deep!

Anyone who talks that much crap has to loose weight, ****'s got to come from somewhere.

24-01-2009 12:47AM

Just when you thought RTE programming couldn't get any worse :rolleyes:

I can image what he will say, all the unpatriotic people that shop up north are to blame, me and my government are on top of things and doing all we can to help, etc.... yada, yada :rolleyes:

What he should be saying:

I and my government have messed up, I'm not fit to do my job and I'm stepping down as Taoiseach and getting out of politics.

Ruu_Old · 24-01-2009 12:50AM

It'll happen like the Simpsons garbage man episode.

Cowan: It's so gratifying to leave you wallowing in the mess you've made, you're screwed thank you bye.
(music starts playing)

Cow Moolester · 24-01-2009 12:51AM

Biggins wrote: »

Aye, with his expensive shirts bought by cheques given to Charlie by some youngish finance minister called Ahern.

I want to know in advance when he is on - if only so that I can switch over/off.
I know there will be bad news - we all know there is going to be bad news...
- but do we have to have it served upon us by Cowan lecturing us while he's currently paid more in wages than any other European country leader!

Hypocrisy indeed!

The British PM is the highest paid country leader followed by the German PM

Biggins · 24-01-2009 12:52AM

Cow Moolester wrote: »

The British PM is the highest paid country leader followed by the German PM

Population ratio-wise to earnings + perks.
Someone will say what paper it was last week but they did a a 3 day exposure on wages and showed he's €70,000 better off apparently.

As for the perks...

HALF of all TDs will have claimed more than the industrial wage in expenses last year, once final figures are calculated.

The job of every TD officially came with a six-figure pay packet for the first time last year, but of course, most, if not all, were already earning well over €100,000, when allowances and expenses were factored in.

The taxpayer is now forking out nearly €100,000 in unvouched expenses for TDs everyday they attend the Dail.

Unlike practically every other worker in the State, the elected representatives do not have to provide receipts proving they spent the money.

And the majority of backbench TDs receive allowances on top of their basic pay for service as chairs, vice-chairs or whips on one of the 20 Oireachtas committees.

This means that the average expenses claimed by TD during the first 10 months of 2008 amounted to €39,905 each -- €6,000 more than the average industrial wage.

On top of this, the country's 60 senators claimed almost €3m between January and November last year.

The generous agreement which allows them to claim lavish expenses is unsurprisingly set by the Oireachtas which they run.

Mileage, overnight allowances and office costs are all payable unvouched.

Just for showing up, TDs who live within 15 miles of Leinster House are entitled to €61.33 in travel and subsistence. Those who live 16 miles and further away are given €139.67 for overnight expenses.

Each TD is also provided with €40,090 to employ an office secretary, although recent Freedom of Information requests have shown that many hire family members.

An analysis of expense claims for the first 10 months of last year shows that TDs claimed a whopping €6.5m, when the Dail sat for just 68 days. That works out at €95,588 for every day the Dail was in session.

On top of this, allowances received for chairing Oireachtas committees are pensionable.

Other bonuses include office equipment and stationery, a free parking space in Leinster House and free postage of 21,000 envelopes a year.

Government Ministers are also entitled to "walking around money". The €240-a-week is paid to reimburse them for money spent acting as a Minister.

The special tax-free expense was not reduced when Ministers agreed to a 10pc pay cut in the October budget.

And that is before you factor in overseas travel.

Last year, the Herald revealed how in just eight month, TDs and senators (excluding the Taoiseach and Government ministers), spent over half a million euro on overseas travel.

Some 115 of the public representatives bagged junkets to destinations including Australia, Washington, India, Egypt, Mexico and even Kazakhstan.

Source: http://www.herald.ie/national-news/td-expenses-worth-more-than-average-wage-1593304.html

noel farrell · 24-01-2009 12:54AM

you get what you vote for :rolleyes:

24-01-2009 12:58AM

I hope he shouts "My people! I have failed you! There is only one thing I can do to maintain honour!" *commits harakiri with katana*

Senna · 24-01-2009 01:39AM

Anyone think he'll announce a 'cunning plan'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/images/2008/05/21/baldrick_203x300.jpg

Biggins · 24-01-2009 01:41AM

Senna wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/images/2008/05/21/baldrick_203x300.jpg

This week its a pheasant - next week its us peasants!

lostexpectation · 24-01-2009 05:58AM

/cowan you don't understnad how bad the economic crisis is

will you tell us and the details of the deals you've made with the banks

/cowan no

dtwhaler · 24-01-2009 06:53AM

The majority of Irish politicians only seem to be in it to line their own pockets. The post from biggins with all the details is the first time I've actually had any idea where all my tax goes to. It aint the health service ... you have to pay for that. It aint education ..... you have to pay for that. It aint the roads .... Europe paid for that then the Government tolls you on the new roads. I honestly dont know how they get away with what they do.

Why dont they start making up some of the deficit by taking Ahern and Haughey's estates to court to get back the millions they have ripped off from the country.

Cowen - Its coming To A TV Near You...

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