CJ Haughey - the legacy will live forever

[toxic avenger]

I've acknowledged that was a bad government and specifically referred to his 1987 one. The country is lucky he was there (yes, I know he was a crook). He did a great job matched only by Lemass.

I am a big fan of MacSharry and have no idea why the current government don't point out how his short term pain resulted in long term gain.

I also agree Dukes did a really patriotic thing in constructive opposition.

All the budget reforms in the world couldn't compensate for the damage that corrupt thieving scumbag did to the political culture of this country.

[Toland]

Don't you wish you believed in hell?...

Not really. I'm just glad he's gone, and at the same time I wish his legacy would go. Whether to hell or anywhere else is not of much interest to me. Though now that I think of it, I quite like the image of him eternally bored holding a harp recalcitrantly while sitting on a cloud.

[Toland]

We're well off topic. Back to his son-in-law and settling up bills with the tax office.

What do they do to defaulters?

Simply make 'em pay up and that's it? What are the penalties?

[needle_too]

Haughey got the unions and government and employers together at a time of high strikes, inflation, unemployement and debt. He got a deal together, he was also behind the IFSC and Temple Bar. The country got its act together under him and manufacturing companies set up here creating work for ordinary people.

FG/Lab doubled the national debt.

They had to, to make the interest payments after the previous FF govt tripled the national debt.


But you conveniently excluded that part......

[Tomas Mor]

His predecessors were a disaster. FG/lab were dreadful (even Dukes the then minister of Finance admitted they dragged out the recession by not taking the tough decisions due to Labour's cosy relationship with the unions). Other predecessors including Haughey's earlier reigns were also terrible. Practically ever government (bar Lemass) mismanaged the government.

Haughey stopped the slide.

Thanks a million Big Fella. FF under Haughey started corruption in this state (even if Dev stole from Irish Press funds) but it was the mohair suited brigade and builders with likes of crooked FF politicians who began the rot here. It will never be cleaned up now, gone too far.

[darkhorse]

Charles Haugheys acceptance of tax free gifts was childs play compared to what has happened since - like for example Sean Fitzpatricks hidden loans of €70m - among so many others. Time has a way of putting past petty crimes into perspective.

[cyberianpan]

<MOD>
Can people please remain civil and on topic
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[just4ever]

Another good display of why the head shops need to be regulated!

My original response to this was entirely rude and unjustified so i deleted it, so for those who saw it, I apologise to you and to FV. But do you really think that this adds any valid contribution to this discussion?

[Congalltee]

Thanks a million Big Fella. FF under Haughey started corruption in this state (even if Dev stole from Irish Press funds) but it was the mohair suited brigade and builders with likes of crooked FF politicians who began the rot here. It will never be cleaned up now, gone too far.

You are talking about Lynch. The man who oversaw TACA, the man who stood over a deficit of over 17%, the traitor who once again sold out Irish people living north of the border. Lynch was far worst than Ahern.
Haughey is a man of great achievement by comparison; eg succession act, artists exemption, programme for national recovery and sociak partnership, IFSC, holding eu presidency to forge through German re-unity, restoration of goverment buildings, elevating importance of national monuments, temple bar, making first links to the provos and the establishment of the NTMA

Would an honest and humble Haughey have achieved so much?

[toughbutfair]

can anybody disagree that he left behind a stronger economy than the one he had in 1987, that with the sole exception of Lemass he was a success economically (obviously MacSharry deserves credit too)