What's the First Move?

[5intheface]

On this forum, the Government has come in for a mountain of criticism and deservedly so.

I wouldn't dream of defending their and their predecessors handling of the economy but my challenge to posters here is to make valuable suggestions as to where we go from here. I know questions like this have been asked before but every week we reach a new low.

I'm not naive enough to think there is a simple solution or indeed any solution at all but leaving aside the unlikely event of a mass revolution of the people, is there anything that can be done.

I don't care how far to the right or left your suggestion is or how many more moves have to be made afterwards, I simply want you to tell me, what is the first step?

Put your reputation on the line.

[Christine Murray]

generally when one engages the first step is a formal bow... that, unfortunately denotes acknowledgent and or respect. difficult l would imagine in the circumstances.

[Dios]

Reposted from another thread...

The plan is simple. In a nutshell, we need domestic export based industries, so:

• Cut costs to attempt to balance the books
• Increase taxes to pay for:
• Infrastructure and public works up to 21st century levels
• Educational institutions to churn out top of the line graduates in certain industries
• Government investment in those industries to actually get them started

As simple a plan as it is, I can't see any of the current crop of politicians looking at it without racking their besotted brains for ways to skim cream off the top and generally bollocks it up in ways that make it counterproductive to the nation as a whole.

You'd almost think they were trying to ruin the country on purpose.

[He3]

A government can only govern if there is a minimum level of trust in it. This government has lost that trust. They should resign and allow us to elect new representatives.

Instead of shouldering their responsibility, apologising and handing back the keys to Government Buildings they are trying to face us down.

If they continue to cling to power they deserve everything that is thrown at them.

[wombat]

[*]Cut costs to attempt to balance the books[*]Increase taxes to pay for:[*]Infrastructure and public works up to 21st century levels[*]Educational institutions to churn out top of the line graduates in certain industries[*]Government investment in those industries to actually get them started[/LIST]

I would disagree with 2 of your points - increase spending on infrastructure - the govt. is broke, they're already borrowing for current spending quite simply we can't afford grandiose airports or Metros.
Our educational problems start at primary and secondary levels where our standard of maths is too low, without maths you may as well study basket weaving.

[Question R24U]

10 first steps:
1) Cabinet reshuffle. Lenny out. Dermot Ahern in.
2) Dump social partnership for good.
3) Consult regularily with Bruton and Kenny. Get cover for tough actions.
4) Tell the people the truth as to how bad it really is (very, very).
5) Outline in detail but in simple language that taxes will rise, social welfare will be cut, public services will be slashed and an ecomomic stimulus plan will be brought forward.
6) Have a new early budget to implement it all.
7) Have a clear out of officials, regulators, over-seeers, qungoes and all who have failed.
8) ditto the banks.
9) Hire new people, inlcluding outside advisors to Dept of Finance who can make an accuarte predictions.
10) Pray it works.

[Dios]

I would disagree with 2 of your points - increase spending on infrastructure - the govt. is broke, they're already borrowing for current spending quite simply we can't afford grandiose airports or Metros.

That would be dealt with by point 1 and partly point 2.

Our educational problems start at primary and secondary levels where our standard of maths is too low, without maths you may as well study basket weaving.

Have you got a source for this claim of lower mathematics standards in Ireland? Even if it is true, its a relatively simple matter to resolve.

[ManOfReason]

Step 1: Tell everyone the truth about what is going on in the banks. We have already lost the confidence of international markets so their are no business reasons to hide the truth. Lenihan needs to stand up in the Dail and tell us all the bad sh** that the bankers have been up to. Then, and only then, we can start to mover forward.

[wombat]

Even if it is true, its a relatively simple matter to resolve.

Its not simple to correct. The points race encourages kids to pick easier subjects and maths and physics are not easy. It will take at least 5 years to increase the number of kids getting honours maths in their Leaving cert and that is a minimum requirement to study engineering. Although not a formal requirement for science, it is a practical necessity. Now it is hard to convince kids that they should study science when they see fortunes being made by lawyers and bankers. When was the last time you heard an engineer interviewed on RTE about energy? they would rather ask Bono to talk through his a..s

[toxic avenger]

I think, first, action needs to be seen to be taken against those who created and sustained the pyramid scheme that has got us here, while lining their own pockets, destroying our reputation, and enslaving our young to debt for the rest of their lives...


Then we must tackle the overpaid quangocracy, stuffed with people who rarely turn up, get paid fortunes, do very little, and are only there because they are mates/benefactors/sexual partners of those in power:


Then we enforce cuts on the most over-paid and over-pampered sections of the public sector, and not on the ordinary, over-stretched workers in the public sector, who seem to get the sh1t end of the stick compared to the absurd, bloated fat cats:


It's not much, but it'd be a start....