This country..........

Freddie59 · 17-02-2012 10:24PM #1

Becomes more surreal by the day:

SIPTU calls on the government to scrap the household charge and "tax the rich". Obviously, because the "Labour" Party is in power, they won't demand that people boycott it, organise protest marches, etc. And Jack seems to forget that he is one of the "rich" (high earners) with his own salary worth €124k in 2009.

On the same day, Spain slashes the pay of bosses of State companies:

The Spanish Government is to cut pay for heads of state companies by around a quarter, as part of its crisis spending cuts.

Pay is to be limited to €105,000 for the heads of the biggest State firms, €80,000 for medium-sized ones and €55,000 for the smallest.

"Today we are taking a further step in our austerity policy of cost containment," Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said.

"We are setting limits on pay, slightly lower than those that are being introduced in the private sector [for comparable companies]."

The pay caps represent cuts of "between 25-30%" compared to current levels.

Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/spanish-government-to-introduce-pay-caps-for-state-company-bosses-540245.html#ixzz1mfzT4LPF

FFS €105k:eek: The Head of Coillte - a forestry company - has a package worth almost €500,000.

Spain population almost 50 million.

Ireland population less than 10% of that.

And look at what we pay to these people.

Honestly. This country is nuts.

Lastly, it has been revealed that opposition leaders salaries are 'topped up' from the Public Purse:

"Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has defended the payment of state funds to top up his salary whilst he was in opposition.

A €13m fund is used by political parties in opposition for day-to-day running costs such as media training and polls, according to a report today.

The Irish Independent report said Taoiseach Enda Kenny received a €50,000 salary boost while he was leader of the opposition, with Labour's Mr Gilmore and Joan Burton receiving a combined total of €22,000 in 2010".

Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/tanaiste-defends-use-of-state-funds-to-top-up-opposition-salaries-540202.html#ixzz1mg0VV1oA

The holier-than-thou "Labour" Party. Who'd have though it?

As I said, a complete joke. This house of cards is going to implode on all of us. And very soon.

DjFlin · 17-02-2012 10:25PM

Yeah! Everything is the worst.

AngryBollix · 17-02-2012 10:25PM

Yeah we know

FearDark · 17-02-2012 10:26PM

YAWN

44leto · 17-02-2012 10:27PM

Is there enough rich???

Yakult · 17-02-2012 10:28PM

I wonder what did people talk about before the recession? Other than how many houses you are buying of course.. I'm sick of hearing about this doom and gloom for the past 4 years.

woodoo · 17-02-2012 10:28PM

This government increased pay to advisers despite the pain inflicted on ordinary earners. The last government cut pay of public servants but reversed the cut to the very top guys when they kicked up a fuss to Brian Lenihan.

Don't expect the top guys in this state to be put under any financial pressure it just won't happen. They are the ruling class here

Freddie59 · 17-02-2012 10:29PM

woodoo wrote: »

This government increased pay to advisers despite the pain inflicted on ordinary earners. The last government cut pay of public servants but reversed the cut to the very top guys when they kicked up a fuss to Brian Lenihan.

Don't expect the top guys in this state to be put under any financial pressure it just won't happen. They are the ruling class here

It will when the money runs out.

Pacifist Pigeon · 17-02-2012 10:30PM

SIPTU, SIPTU, Jack doesn't have a clue.

Freddie59 · 17-02-2012 10:30PM

Yakult wrote: »

I wonder what did people talk about before the recession? Other than how many houses you are buying of course.. I'm sick of hearing about this doom and gloom for the past 4 years.

Yeah. You're probably right. We should ignore it all and let these lads keep going on the gravy train while the rest of the country is under a financial cosh.

KeithAFC · 17-02-2012 10:30PM

FearDark wrote: »

YAWN

The sort of reason why your country is in such a mess. No one seems to care if that response is anything to go by.

Phill Ewinn · 17-02-2012 10:31PM

Austerity Spain is best Spain

Freddie59 · 17-02-2012 10:32PM

KeithAFC wrote: »

The sort of reason why your country is in such a mess. No one seems to care if that response is anything to go by.

Don't often agree with you but that's about it really.

Yakult · 17-02-2012 10:34PM

Freddie59 wrote: »

Yeah. You're probably right. We should ignore it all and let these lads keep going on the gravy train while the rest of the country is under a financial cosh.

What do we do so? Sit at our PC's Humming and hawing for the next 12 hours until tomorrow comes with another scandal? As effective.

woodoo · 17-02-2012 10:35PM

KeithAFC wrote: »

The sort of reason why your country is in such a mess. No one seems to care if that response is anything to go by.

100% agree. People from other countries just wouldn't tolerate it. So many here just want to shrug their shoulders... aw well.. so what.. nothing we can do.. lets just give up and accept it... thats life blah blah blah :mad:

mar48 · 17-02-2012 10:37PM

To be honest did anyone expect anything different from this government, as the saying goes- same ****e, different day

Freddie59 · 17-02-2012 10:38PM

Yakult wrote: »

What do we do so? Sit at our PC's Humming and hawing for the next 12 hours until tomorrow comes with another scandal? As effective.

What do YOU recommend? This stuff has to be exposed at every turn. It's the only way things will change.

Lawrence1895 · 17-02-2012 10:44PM

mar48 wrote: »

To be honest did anyone expect anything different from this government, as the saying goes- same ****e, different day

To be honest, the majority of people had some reason to vote for them, otherwise they would not be in government. And some of them did believe, what the likes of Enda K, or Richard B. promised them.

squod · 17-02-2012 10:49PM

Lars1916 wrote: »

To be honest, the majority of people had some reason to vote for them, otherwise they would not be in government. And some of them did believe, what the likes of Enda K, or Richard B. promised them.

They didn't even lie! Noonan had said we would ''pay our way'' well before the election. By ''pay our way'' he meant ruin the place. It was clear from the outset. 70% of people voted either FF or FG in the previous election.

dxhound2005 · 17-02-2012 10:52PM

Why do people expect political leaders to work for peanuts compared to the vast riches private companies pay their bosses. Who would have the harder job, Barack Obama on €300,000 a year or Michael O'Leary on €1m plus? Very hard to find figures for Irish bosses but plenty of them are on more than a million a year.

Badgermonkey · 17-02-2012 10:59PM

KeithAFC wrote: »

The sort of reason why your country is in such a mess.

With the amount of subvention you've received, NI should have a rocket on the f*cking moon by now Keith.

Freddie59 · 17-02-2012 11:00PM

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Why do people expect political leaders to work for peanuts compared to the vast riches private companies pay their bosses. Who would have the harder job, Barack Obama on €300,000 a year or Michael O'Leary on €1m plus? Very hard to find figures for Irish bosses but plenty of them are on more than a million a year.

Read my earlier post about the comparison between what bosses of State companies are paid in Spain and what they are paid here. It is truly surreal.

Michael O'Leary (whom I cannot stand) has made it in the private sector by sheer hard work. What, precisely, for example, does the boss of any State company do in comparison?

Freddie59 · 17-02-2012 11:00PM

Badgermonkey wrote: »

With the amount of subvention you've received, NI should have a rocket on the f*cking moon by now Keith.

The North is so far removed from reality it really isn't funny.

KeithAFC · 17-02-2012 11:03PM

Badgermonkey wrote: »

With the amount of subvention you've received, NI should have a rocket on the f*cking moon by now Keith.

At least we get that help. The Republic gets next to no help and is in a complete mess. Will take years to recover. Thousands of people leaving every year because they just can't get work or even have the potential to get work.

Toby Take a Bow · 17-02-2012 11:06PM

Are you not saying that pay for top state executives should be slashed? So, surely you'd agree with the whole 'tax the rich' policy? It may seem like the SIPTU guy is being hypocritical, but maybe, just maybe he's actually one of those turkeys who are voting for Christmas.

I'm not a fan of SIPTU, less so the head of SIPTU, but I'd agree with increased taxes on the wealthy.

4zn76tysfajdxp · 17-02-2012 11:09PM

KeithAFC wrote: »

At least we get that help. The Republic gets next to no help and is in a complete mess.

So... we should be... helped?

KeithAFC · 17-02-2012 11:10PM

Conrad Salmon Hitchhiker wrote: »

So... we should be... helped?

It would help.

Lawrence1895 · 17-02-2012 11:13PM

Conrad Salmon Hitchhiker wrote: »

So... we should be... helped?

How does that proverb go again? 'Give a man a fish, and you will feed him for one day. Teach him, how to catch the fish, and you will feed him for the rest of his life'?

Drumpot · 17-02-2012 11:18PM

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Why do people expect political leaders to work for peanuts compared to the vast riches private companies pay their bosses. Who would have the harder job, Barack Obama on €300,000 a year or Michael O'Leary on €1m plus? Very hard to find figures for Irish bosses but plenty of them are on more than a million a year.

Is ryanair bankrupt or relying on a bailout from the EU?

People are rightly angry with the fact that Bankers are walking away with nice pensions and lump sums irrespective of the job they do, why should we feel any differant towards politicians?

Lab/FG have done little to change the status quo or the way politicians think the state is their ATM. They have no moral authority to implement cuts that they simply cannot comprehend how it effects people on lower incomes.

They have shown to be a spineless, vested interest group of FF lite gits that are still doing everything they can to avoid having to tackle the upper levels of public service.

If they were FF they would be getting rightly lambasted for showing so much ignorance and looking after themselves at our expense . .

Anyone · 17-02-2012 11:19PM

Really dont see the benefit of comparing country to country, especially when they are very different. If your going to compare wages in one country to another, maybe you should link it to how expensive things are?

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings.jsp

Now look at Dublin, then find the first Spanish city and look at the difference.

While I dont agree that people should be paid huge sums of money, can I ask those who complain about the well paid. Would you take a pay cut of 40-50% to be on par with other nations?

Drumpot · 17-02-2012 11:24PM

Lars1916 wrote: »

How does that proverb go again? 'Give a man a fish, and you will feed him for one day. Teach him, how to catch the fish, and you will feed him for the rest of his life'?

We have a teacher that loans us a fishing rod and bait, but we already owe them a couple of fish we havent even caught before we can feed ourselves . .

This country..........

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