Bring back Bertie?

[bboruimhe]

In my local newspaper, the Clonmel Nationalist, last week, it was reported that Bertie Ahern has been invited to Cashel by the local Chamber of Commerce, to speak at their annual dinner on the 7th of October, on the theme of "European Competitiveness". (€45 per head, 3 course meal)

So disgusted was I by this, I sent a statement to my local paper stating my utter disgust at this decision. I knew many people would agree with me, but in typical Irish fashion, would be polite and leave unsaid what they wanted to say.

However, since it was printed on Thursday, and after a radio interview to discuss it last Monday on Tipp Mid West radio, my phone has been absolutely hopping with people for saying in public about Ahern, what many many people in private are feeling. Ditto being stopped on the street and congratulated for saying it. Many many of these calls, have come from business people in the town, who were not at the meeting when it was revealed that Ahern has been asked, and who do not agree with him coming.

It also emerged on Tipp Fm radio when the dinner was mentioned, though I have yet to confirm this myself, that he is receiving a fee of €5,000 for the speech, which if true, I suppose makes a change from passing a bag around for donations after the dinner.

I am spending the weekend writing to the business people of the town asking for the invite to be revoked, and I have decided that if it is not, then I will stand outside the gates of the Cashel Palace Hotel on the 7th of October, alone if I have to, to protest against this man having the cheek to talk about helping businesses in this town, while many go to the wall because of the outcomes of policy in a Government which he lead.

I have a simple message for Bertie Ahern in relation to coming to Cashel

"Bertie Ahern, Pay your Taxes, then Come and Talk to Us"

I would hope other people would come to Cashel that evening, and join me in protest. It is about time people stood up and told people like him that we are not going to be polite anymore. It is time people who caused the mess this country are in, are made accountable, and took responsibility.

The statement to the paper read as follows:


Independent local election candidate Liam Browne this week expressed a huge degree of disappointment at the news that Cashel Chamber of Commerce has invited former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to speak about “European Competitiveness” at their annual dinner this year.

He said that “this is a decision that almost beggars belief. What could Bertie Ahern possibly tell the businesspeople of Cashel about competitiveness, apart perhaps from explaining how as Taoiseach he managed to turn a very competitive economy, into the basket case of Europe? Bertie Ahern, in ensuring political victory for himself at all costs, drove the cost of doing business in Ireland through the roof by allowing public expenditure to spiral completely out of control, to implement a benchmarking process which attained no appreciable increased productivity, and opened up tax break after tax break which along with a complete lack of any regulation, caused the property bubble which has now completely crippled the Irish economy. And, after he had created the mess, he walked away from it, to leave not only the political system, but generations of Irish taxpayers and their children and grandchildren to clean up after him”

Browne went on to say “that I know when he arrives he will be treated with politeness and respect, because that is what Irish people are famous for. But he shouldn’t be. Instead of polite applause he should be asked a number of hard questions, which the people of Cashel and the people of Ireland are entitled to answers for. Such as why, three years after being elected, he is still unable to provide a tax clearance certificate, to prove that he has properly paid the tax he owes to the Exchequer? Or why he is continuing to claim almost €2,500 Euro per month, in unvouched expenses, for travel costs, while he is being driven around free in a chauffeured State car? Or why he fought tooth and nail to keep almost €100,000 of a pension, on top of his Dail salary and expenses, while he was voting in the Dail to cut the salaries of ordinary public servants?

Bertie Ahern also still has questions to answer about so called evidence he gave to the Mahon Tribunal into corrupt payments paid to politicians. When unable to say how a payment of $45,000 dollars was made to him, he claimed that he had “won it on the horses”, an excuse previously used in an Irish Court by the well known criminal John Gilligan, the man behind Garda suspect was behind the killing of journalist Veronica Guerin. Bertie Ahern is the wrong choice to give anyone advice or lectures on anything to be quite frank.

The Chamber of Commerce in Cashel should reconsider their invitation and ask someone more appropriate, especially if they are paying a fee to a man who already is unable to prove that he is a tax compliant citizen of this State. And, if they do not, I will consider arranging a protest outside the dinner, to make my feelings known about a man who has done untold damage to the economic and social fabric of this country. It is only if people stand up and tell the likes of him that this is not the kind of political leadership we are willing to put up with, will people get better political leaders, and not ones whose only interest is in looking after their friends and a small circle of cronies who support them.

End.

A lot of respect for this stance. This is how to do your bit as a citizen.

[Christel]

John Drennan, in the Sindo today, has suggested that FF could reasonably use the many skills of Bertie about now.

John Drennan: He's heroic, smart and cunning, so why not bring back Bertie? - Analysis, Opinion - Independent.ie

I imagine that Mr. Drennan has his tongue firmly embedded in his cheek and he is well known for his sarcastic excoriations but amidst the facetiousness there could be a little wisdom in the lateral thinking.

Firstly, being given a choice of sauces to put on your sh!t sandwich is small comfort, but I have to admit I would prefer Bertie to Cowen right now. He is undeniably a communicator as opposed to Cowen. He is an eternal optimist while Cowen is patent depressive. He is synonymous with the Boom while Cowen is the totem for the Bust. He has undeniable organisational and negotiating skills, which seem to be all Arabic to Clowen.

But there's two further moral incentives to a Bertie return. First, it's his bloody mess. His profligacy in those benchmarking deals have us where we are with our current spending. So let him fix it. Haughey redeemed himself as a Taoiseach on his return after a disastrous first stint. Second, he was selected as Taoiseach by the electorate not Cowen. He has more right to the office than Cowen and there couldn't be the same level of objection to his return to that office by the opposition since it's his more than it's either of the Brians'.

So is the solution right under our noses? Is it time for Bertie 2.0? Are we ready to give the buco from Drumcondra a chance to redeem himself and save the country?

No.

But I'd liked to see him longer in office in hindsight. He managed to jump ship right before the burst of his bubble. In a way I'd loved to see him still in charge then and for quite some time longer, just that he couldn't have got off so easily. Now he's becoming a legend as it is. As is visible for example in your post.

[the_rebubblican]

A lot of respect for this stance. This is how to do your bit as a citizen.

+1

Fair play, real change in the quality of government has to start with courageous stances like that quoted.

[rockofcashel]

+1

Fair play, real change in the quality of government has to start with courageous stances like that quoted.

I got called over by another very prominent businessperson in town this evening, congratulating me for the statement I sent into the paper.

Asked me was there going to be a demonstration in town if he comes, that he wants to go to it, and he hopes its a massive one.

And he'd be FF to the core. Bertie is hated by a huge number of people.

There will definitely be a demonstration unless the invite is revoked. It's already been spoken about on the Premierview GAA site as well.

[yehbut_nobut]

I got called over by another very prominent businessperson in town this evening, congratulating me for the statement I sent into the paper.

Asked me was there going to be a demonstration in town if he comes, that he wants to go to it, and he hopes its a massive one.

And he'd be FF to the core. Bertie is hated by a huge number of people.

There will definitely be a demonstration unless the invite is revoked. It's already been spoken about on the Premierview GAA site as well.

Fair play rock. Please keep us posted on this - if the crook does turn up, I'm sure a few of us here will head over to Join the protest !