If I was John Gormley

Lenny Lovett · 13-10-2010 02:24PM #1

Ok, so I'm generally quite critical of Mr Gormley and The Greens here in Ireland, primarily because in my business I have many 'green'/environmental improvement initiatives and I feel they do little or nothing to encourage or assist such initiatives. In many ways, it appears t us, that they actually obstruct progress in these areas due to unnecessary regulation. So, rather than keep spewing bile about the Greens I would like to suggest what I would have done if I was a Green Party Leader:

Motors:
I would abolish the current car tax and insurance model. I would instead include the car tax and an insurance contribution into a single fuel tax and set up a national motor insurance body. This has been done very successfully in many countries and the main example I have seen of it working successfully is South Africa. The person who uses the most motor fuel pays the highest motor tax. Likewise with insurance. If you have a prang you claim from the central fund. The davantages of this is that A. Every road user is insured. B. The Police don't have to spend so much time checking for tax and insurance.

Water:
Obviously I would have forced the councils to accellerate their meter installation works and charge by use. I would not (as is currently proposed) provide a certain amount free and charge for the rest. All must be charged for. At the same time I would have instigated a program of provision of water conservation/harvesting devices - rain butts, cistern blocks etc.

Power:
I would encourage communities to get into wind and solar generatiion co-op style outfits with an aim of producing their own power and selling or swapping their surplus with the main utility suppliers. I would eradicate the red tape and OTT regulation involved in alternative energy generation.

Recycling:
I would make it law that all paper packagning is "Green" taxed at production level thus reducing it's unnecessary use. I would also get the Environmental health dept to look at their regulations to assist in reducing their requirements for food packaging. I would make all plastic and glass bottles as well as cans and boxes subject to deposits so that people will return all these and get a refund. This would reduce the waste collection services, littering and encourgae more recycling. I would scrap the incinerator plans and insist that as much of the material as possible is recycled rather than burned.

I would review the Green attitude towards hunting and other rural pursuits.

Riskymove · 13-10-2010 03:35PM

Lenny Lovett wrote: »

Ok, so I'm generally quite critical of Mr Gormley and The Greens here in Ireland, primarily because in my business I have many 'green'/environmental improvement initiatives and I feel they do little or nothing to encourage or assist such initiatives. In many ways, it appears t us, that they actually obstruct progress in these areas due to unnecessary regulation. .

I'd be interested if you could mention a few of these initiatives...I'd be surprised if many were Green Party ideas!

Revolution9 · 13-10-2010 03:41PM

If I was Gormley?
Glass of brandy and a pistol would do nicely.

In all seriousness, he should take the political bullet by pulling the plug on the current government, saving the Green Party's reputation.
Joe Bloggs probably won't trust them again for a long time for sitting in bed with FF for so long. For the good of the party they should jump ship.

Namabillion · 13-10-2010 04:19PM

...even just for a day.

seaniedearg · 13-10-2010 04:21PM

if I was John Gormely, leak via tweet that Brian Cowen had until 12 tomorrow to agree without reservation the corporate donations ban in politics

and start dusting off my smiley pole posters and clips:)

Mal-Adjusted · 13-10-2010 07:35PM

Lenny Lovett wrote: »

I would review the Green attitude towards hunting and other rural pursuits.

I wouldn't. It seems to be the only good thing they've done in government.

Lenny Lovett · 13-10-2010 07:53PM

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

I wouldn't. It seems to be the only good thing they've done in government.

Yeah and their next step is to stop dogs chasing hares. Cats and mice are after that! The Greens must've been traumatised watching Tom and Jerry when they were kids?

flutered · 13-10-2010 09:45PM

Lenny Lovett wrote: »

Yeah and their next step is to stop dogs chasing hares. Cats and mice are after that! The Greens must've been traumatised watching Tom and Jerry when they were kids?

your wrong it was that coyote, bee bip

InchicoreDude · 14-10-2010 10:55AM

I would encourage communities to get into wind and solar generatiion co-op style outfits with an aim of producing their own power and selling or swapping their surplus with the main utility suppliers. I would eradicate the red tape and OTT regulation involved in alternative energy generation.

Isnt there a community in Clare that are experimenting with wind generation? I wonder how that project is coming along...
Dont think the greens had anything to do with it really though.

Its strange; If the greens had not gone into government, they would be in a really strong position today; promising jobs to do with renewable energy etc. It could have been their most successful election ever; If only, they were not so power hungry a few years back...

Newff · 14-10-2010 03:07PM

Having just overheard a conversation, you wouldn't be very attractive to the opposite sex, or the same sex even I would imagine.

Einhard · 14-10-2010 03:14PM

InchicoreDude wrote: »

Its strange; If the greens had not gone into government, they would be in a really strong position today; promising jobs to do with renewable energy etc. It could have been their most successful election ever; If only, they were not so power hungry a few years back...

What's the point in a political party that isn't power hungry, that doesn't want to be in a position to implement its policies and initiatives? The Greens took the opportunity to achieve real change, rather than snipe from the sidelines. I might disagree with some of their policies, but I can't argue with their decision to go into government.

Lenny Lovett · 14-10-2010 05:19PM

Einhard wrote: »

What's the point in a political party that isn't power hungry, that doesn't want to be in a position to implement its policies and initiatives? The Greens took the opportunity to achieve real change, rather than snipe from the sidelines. I might disagree with some of their policies, but I can't argue with their decision to go into government.

I believe they were right to go into Government but the problem is that they should have known when to pull then plug and get out. If they had done so they would probably have been in with a good chance of re-election and, who knows, could have gone in with FG or Labour and managed to get some more of their ideas through.

InchicoreDude · 14-10-2010 05:21PM

What's the point in a political party that isn't power hungry, that doesn't want to be in a position to implement its policies and initiatives? The Greens took the opportunity to achieve real change, rather than snipe from the sidelines. I might disagree with some of their policies, but I can't argue with their decision to go into government.

I would agree with you if I the greens achieved real change while they were in government. They havent; I am listening to the same thing about there being jobs in green energy that I was listening to befor they got into government.

Mal-Adjusted · 17-10-2010 02:16AM

Lenny Lovett wrote: »

Yeah and their next step is to stop dogs chasing hares. Cats and mice are after that! The Greens must've been traumatised watching Tom and Jerry when they were kids?

?? What? are you high or something? please stop exaggerating and scaremongering.:rolleyes:

Rosahane · 17-10-2010 07:39AM

Revolution9 wrote: »

If I was Gormley?
Glass of brandy and a pistol would do nicely.

.

...but the current Gov have banned pistols, or at least the ones legally held for sporting purposes!

It's either a conspiracy prompted by the other EU countries to stop the Irish shooters taking all the medals or the cabinet are worried that they could be tempted by the glass of brandy and pistol and take Bertie's recommended way our:eek::D

polkadots1900 · 17-10-2010 08:17AM

if I was John Gormley I would change the fact that a lot of civil servants are being paid like they were celebrities...

todays paper:
Somers breaks pension record
Former NTMA chief highest-paid public-sector pensioner in history

By DANIEL McCONNELL Chief Reporter Exclusive
Sunday October 17 2010
The former boss of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) Michael Somers retired with a pension package in excess of €1.1m in the first year and will receive an annual pension of more than €265,000 for the rest of his life -- making him the highest-paid public sector pensioner in the history of the State.

Mr Somers, who retired from the NTMA in November 2009 and earned €1m in salary and bonuses in 2008 from the taxpayer, confirmed the details of his pension to this newspaper yesterday.

Speaking at his Dublin home, Mr Somers confirmed that he had received a lump sum of €842,000 which equates to one-and-a-half times his final salary, and will receive an annual pension of more than €265,000 for the rest of his life.

"In terms of the lump sum, and the rest of my pension, I got what I was legally entitled to," he said yesterday.

"They got a good deal from me, I didn't get added years or any severance payout, as many others got or will get, so in effect I was working on a half-salary," he said.

The Sunday Independent confirmed that Mr Somers transferred his generous pension from the civil service to the NTMA's own pension scheme when he became the first chief executive of the agency in 1990.

He did not start a second pension, but his own one was greatly enhanced as his NTMA salary increased to €565,000 in 2008.

The Sunday Independent also confirmed that he did not receive any pension payments prior to his leaving office, despite working past the age of 65 and given the fact that he had worked in the public sector for 48 years.

Mr Somers' pension payout is in line with public-sector norms.

Last month, Mr Somers' 2008 salary and bonuses were revealed following a lengthy battle to kept them confidential. It emerged that, in 2008, Mr Somers received €565,000 in salary and a bonus of €403,000.

A week later, Mr Somers' successor, John Corrigan, revealed his salary of €490,000 and a potential bonus worth up to 80 per cent of salary.

Details of Mr Corrigan's pension are not known but he remains outside the NTMA's pension scheme for staff and according to its annual report, he has negotiated his own individual pension package with the company.

Mr Somers's confirmation of his pension yesterday makes him the runaway leader in terms of public-sector pensioners.

Last week it emerged that one retired employee of the Central Bank is receiving a pension of more than €205,000-per-year and three other retired personnel from the Central Bank are receiving pensions of more than €155,000 per year.

Two weeks ago, it emerged that 10 people are receiving pensions of more than €135,000 from the Office of the Paymaster General, which makes pension payments to retired civil servants and former office holders such as ministers and judges.

The Finance Minister Brian Lenihan has now signalled that the remuneration package for the NTMA head would in future be published annually.

"In line with the recommendation in the code of practice for the governance of State bodies that State bodies publish the salary of the chief executive officer in their annual report, it is the chief executive's intention to publish details of his remuneration in future NTMA annual reports," Mr Lenihan said.

Such revelations will make uncomfortable reading for the Government ahead of the forthcoming Budget in December, which is seeking to take €4.3bn out of public spending.

Mr Lenihan is faced with the reality that tax revenues are back at the level they were at seven years ago, yet the public-sector pay and pensions bill has risen by €16bn in the meantime.

- DANIEL McCONNELL Chief Reporter Exclusive

Sunday Independent

mgmt · 17-10-2010 09:52PM

Lenny Lovett wrote: »

Motors:
I would abolish the current car tax and insurance model. I would instead include the car tax and an insurance contribution into a single fuel tax and set up a national motor insurance body. This has been done very successfully in many countries and the main example I have seen of it working successfully is South Africa. The person who uses the most motor fuel pays the highest motor tax. Likewise with insurance. If you have a prang you claim from the central fund. The davantages of this is that A. Every road user is insured. B. The Police don't have to spend so much time checking for tax and insurance.

Worst idea ever. That would just socialise the cost of driving. In the current system, if you're a bad driver and cause accidents, you pay more. Good driver, pay less.

Water:
Obviously I would have forced the councils to accellerate their meter installation works and charge by use. I would not (as is currently proposed) provide a certain amount free and charge for the rest. All must be charged for. At the same time I would have instigated a program of provision of water conservation/harvesting devices - rain butts, cistern blocks etc.

Yeah no problem there. Privatise the water treatment service too. I would not provide free home infastructure though.

Power:
I would encourage communities to get into wind and solar generatiion co-op style outfits with an aim of producing their own power and selling or swapping their surplus with the main utility suppliers. I would eradicate the red tape and OTT regulation involved in alternative energy generation.

By encourage, you mean subsidies??? The Irish government has wasted and coerced enough taxpayers money on the alternative energy folly.

Recycling:
I would make it law that all paper packagning is "Green" taxed at production level thus reducing it's unnecessary use. I would also get the Environmental health dept to look at their regulations to assist in reducing their requirements for food packaging. I would make all plastic and glass bottles as well as cans and boxes subject to deposits so that people will return all these and get a refund. This would reduce the waste collection services, littering and encourgae more recycling. I would scrap the incinerator plans and insist that as much of the material as possible is recycled rather than burned.

Whats peoples fascination about recycling paper. It's a plant like a potato, it will never run out. And actually recycling paper is more harmful to the environment from all the chemicals used in the process. You get cheaper and higher quality products from non-recycled glass and plastic. There is a free market incentive to recycle cans. Your policies sound like an authoritarian nightmare.

If I was John Gormley

Comments