Alan Ahearne sends email asking colleagues for NAMA support

[draiocht23]

According to Dr Constantin Gurdgiev's blog, government advisor Alan Ahearne sent an email to his economist colleagues asking them not to sign an email that was critical of NAMA until they had read an article, written by him, in the Sunday Business Post.

The hilarity of a personal Ministerial Adviser sending an article defending his masters' views to a Sunday newspaper was not enough for Alan Ahearne...Alan actually had to send out an e-alert [well, of some 979 words that is] to a list of his "colleagues".

The email implored them not to sign up to an article critical of NAMA until they read his own article published in the Sunday B-Post. Given the fact that the said article had no useful information content regarding any potential or alleged NAMA problems, it is hard to imagine why Alan would actually publicise his own "efforts" with Irish academics. Then again, he might be simply keen on publicising his own efforts full stop.

Dr Gurdgiev goes on to say that the people Ahearne emailed are not critical of NAMA and says he fails to address any of the concerns about NAMA in his article.

He also criticises Ahearne for opening his email with "dear colleagues" and says that as he is now paid by the Minister he is no longer an academic (ouch!)

Is this the kind of stupid posturing that's going on behind the scenes with even the government's economic advisor trying to shore up whatever scant support there is?

As an aside, the next big economic conference sounds like it's going to be lots of fun!

True Economics: Economics 24/08/2009: Alan ''Please read me!!!' Ahearne

Here's the Ahearne article -

Sunday Business Post | Irish Business News

[Nipper]

Interesting how ahearne changes the term "Real" economic value in the commissions guidelines to "Long Term" economic value.

Real value sounds a lot closer to what would usually be referred to as Net Realisable Value, ie market value less cost of disposal.

[BodyofEvidence]

As far as I understand the email was in response to a follow up piece along the lines of the "20 economists" oped in the times back in april. Said piece will be in the papers i understand tomorrow or the next day.

[draiocht23]

As far as I understand the email was in response to a follow up piece along the lines of the "20 economists" oped in the times back in april. Said piece will be in the papers i understand tomorrow or the next day.

Yeah, but directly contacting people and asking them not to sign it smacks of...what's the word? Oh yes, desperation.

[X-ray]

What are these guys at, why did they not get the economists in the room before they decided what to do?

[SamVimesBoots]

Poor Alan, a bad case of "from hero to zero".

Was the example of the PDs and Greens not enough for him? FF are toxic and anyone who associates with these gangsters ends up in the dustbin of history.

[draiocht23]

What are these guys at, why did they not get the economists in the room before they decided what to do?

It's economists at dawn...but, the only blood that will be spilled is the taxpayers - if the voodoo economists have their way, that is.

[SamVimesBoots]

What are these guys at, why did they not get the economists in the room before they decided what to do?

Because whether it made sense from the point of view of economic principles, the People's wallets, or the effective and efficient functioning of the financial system or the property market was never anywhere on their list of priorities.

The only thing FF were concerned about was bailing out their builder buddies in the simplest way they thought they could get away with. FF==criminal conspiracy that has hijacked the State, end of story.

[Digout]

Brian Lucey will have an anti SCAMA letter signed by 45 economists in tomorrow's Times?

[draiocht23]

Brian Lucey will have an anti SCAMA letter signed by 45 economists in tomorrow's Times?

Sounds like one's in the offing but I don't know who is going to write it or where it will appear.