Author: Anthony

A rotten system populated by greedy and unaccountable politicians

One of the symptoms of a corrupt political system is the absolute refusal of politicians to accept facts that are right before their eyes.

Fact: Irish politicians are grotesquely overpaid. Even if they were competent and had the interests of the people at heart they would still be grotesquely overpaid.

Fact: Irish politicians have devised and defend to the last a system of expenses that is cynical, amoral and adds significantly to their already bloated salaries.

Fact: A high percentage, if not a majority, of Irish politicians are thieves who rob millions from Irish citizens every year through a system of well established scams.

Fact: The international financial crisis which resulted in the collapse of the mafia type financial system in Ireland has also exposed the rotten political system for all to see.

Fact: Irish politicians are so deeply embedded in the rotten system that they know no other reality and so continue to increase the anger of citizens by regularly defending the indefensible.

Independent senator Joe O’Toole is one such politician. He was on Newstalk 106 last week spewing waffle with, apparently, no awareness whatsoever that ordinary people have come to see him and his fellow politicians as contemptuous.

Like most politicians he dishonestly blamed the media for misreporting on political matters.

Like most politicians he adopted a fake anger as he outlined what he thinks should be done to reform the system.

Like most politicians he seems completely oblivious to the fact that politicians have been waffling on about reform for decades but never actually do anything.

Like most politicians he seems to be completely unaware of the absolute contempt in which the he and his fellow greedy and unaccountable politicians are held in by the general public.

Copy to:

Senator O’Toole

I don't believe a word they say

Brian Cowen responded as follows when challenged on the Late Late Show regarding banks sharing the pain of recovery.

We guarantee that NAMA will not be in a position where it has a deficit and if that deficit emerges we will make sure that a levy system will ensure that the money comes back from the banking system.

Brian Lenihan and the Greens have also sought to reassure taxpayers that the banks will be hit with a levy or extra taxes to make sure they take their share of the pain.

The problem with all these assurances is that they are only promises. To my knowledge there’s nothing in the NAMA legislation that will force the banks to pay their share.

We are being asked to trust politicians who, for decades, have worked very hard to protect the interests of bankers at the expense of consumers.

I don’t believe a word they say.

Bertie Ahern – Still a hero

The Cowen interview on the Late Late Show was further evidence that Ireland is a nation in denial.

Tubridy asked Cowen did he envy Bertie Ahern’s extraordinary foresight in resigning before the economy collapsed. The audience reacted with loud applause obviously agreeing with Tubridy that Ahern was a great leader who had done all he could for his country before deciding, without pressure, to gracefully retire.

The fact that Bertie Ahern was forced to leave office in disgrace has been completely forgotten by most Irish citizens and media.

Indeed, the very moment he announced his resignation almost the entire nation went into denial and acclaimed him as a great Irish statesman when they should have been making room for him in Mountjoy.

New Late Late Show – Could do better

It was only last night, as I watched Ryan Tubridy’s first Late Late Show; that the full extent of the financial disaster facing the country was brought home to me.

I mean, where did they get that set – was it rented from a 1970s second hand furniture warehouse?

And that microphone cable carelessly strewn across the floor and up the leg of Tubridy’s table? For feck sake, it was a black cable on a black table leg crudely secured with white tape.

Throughout the show Tubridy’s head was silhouetted on the set – very shoddy lighting, very unprofessional.

Overall, the show was more like an amateur reproduction of Tubridy’s previous Saturday night gig rather than the latest version of RTEs flagship show.

Verdict: Could/must do better.

McDaid – John O'Donoghue is a very, very decent fellow

Yet another Fianna Fail politician, Jim McDaid, has strongly defended the excesses of John O’Donoghue (Newstalk 106).

On John O’Donoghue:

I know him, he’s a very, very decent fellow, he’s a workaholic. This whole affair is very unfair on him.

On who’s guilty:

Civil servants make all those arrangements, politicians have no choice but to accept arrangements that are made on their behalf. Politicians have no involvement whatsoever.

On who’s to blame for the negative (false?) public perception of the affair:

The media have vilified John O’Donoghue, they have massively exaggerated the affair; people get angry because the matter is not portrayed in the proper fashion.

On the misuse of a state car:

Sure I’ve often given a lift to people in a state car going to a race meeting or a match in Dublin.

Senator Boyle, bankers and the ODCE safe house

A recent article in the Financial Times analysing Ireland’s economic woes quoted Green Party chairman Dan Boyle on the question of making bankers accountable.

I have strong hopes that the ongoing investigations of the director of corporate enforcement and others will lead to the prosecution of those in the banking system who broke the law. But as yet, there is no opportunity for the senior bankers – some of the best-paid people in our society – to account for the catastrophic failures in their organisations, for which we will all have to pay.

It’s difficult to tell whether Boyle’s integrity has been seriously damaged by his association with Fianna Fail politicians or if he’s genuinely naïve in thinking that bankers will actually be brought to account.

I know I’ve said it before but it really does need to be repeated – No banker will be brought to account unless there’s a virtual revolution in the way the corrupt Irish state deals with white collar crime.

Boyle is a fool if he genuinely believes that the Office of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) has the power or resources to make bankers accountable – it does not.

The ODCE deals with small time infringements by small time business people but, in effect, it also acts as a safe house for those who have committed or are under suspicion of major white collar crime.

The idea is simple but very effective – when suspicions of or actual white collar crime is uncovered the cases are transferred to ODCE where they stagnate for years until they are forgotten.

The guilty have nothing to fear from ODCE as its powers are pathetic, usually involving nothing more than a ban of a couple of years from acting as a company director.

The following is a list of those currently enjoying the safe haven that is the ODCE.

The Bailey brothers – Engaged in long-term tax evasion (made a €22 million settlement with Revenue), bribed public officials, gave false evidence under oath and obstructed a public inquiry.

National Irish Bank officials – In charge when millions were robbed from customers and the State.

Jim Flavin of DCC – Found by the Supreme Court to have defrauded the Irish Stock Market of €83 million.

None of these people will suffer any loss whatsoever as a result of their activities. They, and the bankers who have recently joined them in the ODCE safe house, will continue to enjoy the effective protection of the ODCE for so long as politicians like Dan Boyle remain ignorant of what’s really going on in this country.

Copy to:

Senator Boyle
ODCE

Judge Clarke – Working hard for the Government

The Government and Liam Carroll have one single aim – to keep ACC Bank at bay until Carroll’s financial problems can be safely brought under the generous wing of the Irish taxpayer via NAMA.

They will be much relieved therefore to see that the judge dealing with the case, who also works for the Government, has decided to make a long deferment, until September 14th , before making a decision on the issue.

Referendum Commission launches Yes to Lisbon campaign

Judge Frank Clarke, chairman of the Referendum Commission and deciding judge in the ACC/Liam Carroll property controversy, launched his Yes to Lisbon campaign today (News at One, 2nd report, 1st item).

The Referendum Commission was set up in 1998 and initially had the role of setting out the arguments for and against referendum proposals.

This role of explaining both sides of the argument was withdrawn in 2001 restricting the Commission to simply explaining the subject matter of referendum proposals.

This invariably means the promotion of the Government’s view and criticism of the anti-government side as was clearly evident when the previous Commissioner, Mr. Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill, launched his Lisbon I campaign and was again evident as Judge Clarke launched his Lisbon II campaign today.

Public Inquiry will be keeping a close eye on the Referendum Commission for the duration of the campaign for any sign of a neutral or, Zeus forbid, a criticism of the Government side.