Book recommendations thread

kilns wrote: »

The whole system need an overhaul

We need experts running for specified positions, we cant have teachers in charge of investment or lawyers in charge of our economy

Not such a great idea. Managerialism is what got us into a mess with health managers and education managers etc.

We need people with proven pedigree in positions of power

again
so re elect FF then! Picking only since 2008 isn't dealing with the growth ( not objected to by the opposition some of whom's family made millions on property deals) from 1992 to 2008.
See saying "we need people with a track record" is like saying we should have a permanent party in government since the opposition have no experience of government.

We also need to create a federal type government and give more power to local authorities.

So you are in favour of more local tax? you want the local authority to charge you more? for you house? a property tax? If you live in a niver more sought after area you will pay more local tax.

Need to stop the likes of Jackie healy Rae holding the country to ransom cause he wants the potholes on a local road in Kerry filled in!

But he IS a local authority!

There are so many people in business or the academic world who would be involved but poltics is such a closed shop, how hard is it to come through the ranks of the main parties unless you have been there for years and years or a "celebrity" or worse still the son, daughter, brother or sister of a politcian!!

Maybe true or maybe george Lee didnt like the rough and tumble when he could get payed more without it and returned to his state job. Do ytou ever see the 230 k a year free house Provost of Trinity or President of UCD getting the sort of stick a Minister of Education gets? And when they retire after their ten years appointment they get a free professorship at 150k a year minimum plus pension etc. Why would they bother?

We need real people making real decisions now and who arent scared of the establishment

dont be silly. Fianna Fail have what? 70 TDs? FG even at their best will get what - 70 TDs?

There are over 1000 senior civil service and over 10,000 serior public servants. That ARE the establishment! and they HAVE PhDs , business experience etc!

Look here:
http://www.oic.gov.ie/en/PrescribedPublicBodies/

Take a small payer bord no gcon
http://www.igb.ie/upload/ANNUAL%20REPORT%202008.pdf

86 million in assets.
Turns over 60 to 70 million a year

The CEO gets 160k a year ( NB an increase in 2008 on the 120 k 2007 figure)
a minister can appoint a few pals at 100k a year
the auditor gets 85 k a year

450k a year into pensions.
3.5 - 4.5% salary increases

8 senior management
28 middle management
52 clerical
20 field staff
13 stewards
4 other
482 part time

8.5 million salaries
700k in pensions
another 500k in defined benefit scheme


Paid 7,293 in tax!

Now that is just an example. How do you suggest we dismantle such a thing. It seems to be working. The sport is regulated. 17 tracks are kept running. people get prizes. Who wants to piss off 482 workers? Yet it was still cut by 1.7 million in 2009.

this is the problem! What will a new government cut and what will they tax? WE just don't know. And how is paying "experts" going to solve anything?

wes wrote: »

I don't see the point here. Surely, you can just set up your own wikileaks type organization if you don't like how it is being run. I think some people have already done exactly that, but I forget the name.

Or Gauker sometimes.
I'm sure there are others.

The decision making power was taken from councillors in 2002 (I think). After that the unelected county manager called the shots and allowed planning decisions to be made without consultation with local communities. Local Agenda 21 is the blueprint created at Rio to implement Sustainable Development from the ground up by empowering local communities, it is a toolbox and framework for people to interact with their governments and take responsibility for their own environment and sustainable development of same themselves. The Rio declaration and the forest principles with Agenda 21 is all on the Woodlandleague webiste www.woodlandleague.org, in papers or documents section.