Sarah Carey - Today's IT

[Dunlin3]

I think Sarah hit the nail on the head today. The scandal that is the pension rates of "retired" politicians and senior civil servants. Let's hope Mr Lenihan has already taken note.

For all our sakes, let's get on with the surgery - The Irish Times - Wed, Dec 09, 2009

[DCon]

hard to argue with any of this:

the villain in this piece is none other than the retired secretary general whose current pension is now more than his final salary. He’s paid off his mortgage, educated his children and made a packet when he traded down the family home. Between the free travel pass and TV licence, so far he’s the only guy who hasn’t had to experience any of the pain. That is, unless he bought bank shares with the profit from the house. Still, he’s in demand as a board member so there’s still a little extra coming in. Unpaid leave hurts those depending on public services. Unpaid leave hurts the public servant, especially the lower paid, because their take-home pay is reduced. Unpaid leave is a once-off, unwieldy joke that will not make the savings we need. The only reason to suggest unpaid leave as a method of saving money is because by preserving on paper the final salary of a benchmarked position, the only person it doesn’t hurt is the retired public servant. It’s the same reason last year’s pay cut was called a pension levy.

Ictu’s policy is not to stand up and protect Laura’s public services, but Laura’s Daddy’s benchmarked pension. And they talk about fair? What’s fair about that?

And let’s be clear about this. John Bruton is a public service pensioner. Mary Robinson is a public service pensioner. The 52-year-old garda, fit, healthy and starting his second career, is a public service pensioner. So, too, is the revenue commissioner who just took early retirement to beat the contribution caps, but will get hired back as a consultant.

[Conor]

I suggest that public servants be euthanized ten years after retirement, for all our sakes. Look at TK Whitaker for God's sake, if there was any justice in the world he'd have died decades ago.

[DCon]

Early retirement should be allowed, but pensions should not be paid until the retiree reaches 65.

This should be for gardai, politicians, everyone.

[He3]

De Gaulle had made arrangements that insisted that his funeral would be held at Colombey, and that no presidents or ministers attend his funeral - only his Compagnons de la Libération.

[...]
When he retired, he did not accept the pensions to which he was entitled as a retired president and as a retired general. Instead, he only accepted a pension to which colonels are entitled.

Charles de Gaulle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[sauntersplash]

I think Sarah hit the nail on the head today. The scandal that is the pension rates of "retired" politicians and senior civil servants. Let's hope Mr Lenihan has already taken note.

For all our sakes, let's get on with the surgery - The Irish Times - Wed, Dec 09, 2009

I dislike her familiar, condescending tone, facetious attitude, implications of a possible swift resolution and pretense that the situation is in any way straightforward.

It's this kind of populist, superficial, "down to earth", excuse for a public discourse that has this country in the mess it's in.

[Conor]

Early retirement should be allowed, but pensions should not be paid until the retiree reaches 65.

That's just a resignation then, isn't it?

[DCon]

It's this kind of populist, superficial, "down to earth", excuse for a public discourse that has this country in the mess it's in.

No journalist or article is responsible for the State the country is in. Look to our banks (borrowing short money and funding long mortgages) and our government (taking in short-term tax increases through Stamp duty and awarding long-term salary and pension increases) if you want to see who the culprits are.

[de knowledge economy]

Yes they did very well , in fact they had a charmed existance.
They were the priveleged few who were educated, and so gained a secure job, 9-5,(overtime, weekend working whats that?) were able to set up home on one income, had a dedicated homemaker, no traffic, no commute,no childcare costs,children mostly educated for free, cheap medical insurance, crime free drug free society and retired as millionaires if u take the value of their pension coupled with increased life expectancy.
Time for them to give something back and help today's struggling young peole.

But then given the behaviour of the private sector FF banker builder speculator cabal how could we expect them to

[KingKane]

I suggest that public servants be euthanized ten years after retirement, for all our sakes. Look at TK Whitaker for God's sake, if there was any justice in the world he'd have died decades ago.

Surely, it would be better to place them in cryogenic stasis until they reach 65?