How would you fix the country?? (For the Layman)

Sparks

eob,

- Illegal for the Legal Community to assist a client in a fraudulent insurance claim, on penalty of being barred from practising.

At the present time, that is the current situation, AFAIK, and not just for fraudulent insurance claims, but for any fraudulent case.

- Immediate firing of anyone in RTE over 50. Gaybo, Marian, the lot.

Like F**k! We'd lose Questions and Answers, Morning Ireland, Prime Time, and a few other shows that are actually worth watching or listening to.
Just fire the dopy ones

- Nationwide ban on the Honda Civic.

NO!
Look, you can't buy Citroen ZXs anymore, and the C3s aren't exactly jumping onto the second-hand market yet, so the Civic is the only small car left I can get my rifle case into for going to competitions without sawing the barrel in half!

eob

Referring to the honourable TD on my right, I'd like to withdraw the suggestion to fire everyone in RTE over 50. Let's not be ageist here.. let's fire everyone in RTE. Or otherwise, enroll them all in a reality TV show where they have to go on a schooner around Ireland and we vote them off one by one? I mean, what could go wrong?

If they want to do reality TV it would probably be best to follow Sharon Ni Bao..Foa.., the blonde who reads the news on N2 around with a camera crew. Forever. Please.

Ignoring my obvious ramblings, there's some bloody good suggestions in this thread. Do any of you ever get the feeling that in 5/10 years time we'll be looking at a tribunal which will be probing the links between todays insurance companies and todays FF party?

Surely, no industry could recieve such profits without the aid or at least ignorance of the govt at large?

PS. If you're extremely crafty, PSA produced a France-only 3dr Citreon ZX which came with the now legendary 1.9Mi16 engine. It's quite rare, and better still, is rumoured to blow ze socks off the 306GTi-6 in handling/braking/general performance motoring. Still a bit of an ugly cu...

Sparks

If you're extremely crafty, PSA produced a France-only 3dr Citreon ZX which came with the now legendary 1.9Mi16 engine. It's quite rare, and better still, is rumoured to blow ze socks off the 306GTi-6 in handling/braking/general performance motoring. Still a bit of an ugly cu...

Ah yes, the ZX 16v Volcane and wasn't there a Furio as well?
I've been stuck behind a Volcane in traffic once... for all of about 2.4 seconds. Remarkable, how nippy a ZX with a 2 litre fuel-injected engine can be... :rolleyes:
(And I think they look a damn sight better than some of the cars out there, like the Ka, the Yaris, The 207cc, the new Megane...)

Oddly enough, not only was the diesel the best diesel car in the world in it's day, but the ZX is still the most popular car on the Isle of Man.
(You'd never guess I like my little ZX, would you? )

article6

Democracy is good. A State Legislation Commission would be better.

At election time, it would publish the manifesto of each party so as not to let the rich parties get the best presentation.

At the same time, it would publish the manifesto, possibly in summarised form, of every party running which ran in the last election. (so we can see the 2,000 new guards, taxi compensation, etc.)

Thirdly, a summary of legislation passed in the lifetime of this government.

One three-minute Party Political Broadcast after the nine o'clock news on RTÉ and one full-page newspaper advertisement (any newspaper) for each party. Yes, each party. No more national advertising/promotion/misinformation after those two ads.


Right then, that's Fianna Fáil taken out of the race

(it gets a little speculative here)

For everyone else, elections take place every two and a half years at the longest.

Electronic voting of some sort (perhaps that fibre optic stuff, if all of us can afford it) - perfectly accurate results in twelve hours, rather than dodgy two-week long re-recounts.

Party leaders get two weeks to work out ministers, coalitions, front bench etc.

Dail and Seanad sit for thirty hours each week during Monday to Friday. They can decide which hours themselves.

TDs and Senators clock in and out like any other citizen and are paid wages per the time they spend in Dáil/offices.

Maximum pay of €70,000 if they spend all the necessary time in the House.

As a Minister/Junior Minister etc. there would be of course a constant salary in addition to the wage because of the additional work in the executive branch of government, as well as in the legislative branch. Plus it'll encourage able TDs to get up off their backsides


If that all fails, get the U.N. in


well... they were just ideas...

vasch_ro

I think I would start with a back to basic's approach
so I would concentrate on quality of life issue's

The Health service: I agree with the idea's expressed here streamline it make it accountable, only as much mangement as actually needed , in order words model it on an efficent corporate entity
with regard to the administration,
get rid of the two tier system of health care and intoduce the principle of greatest need , gets greatest priority rather than greatest wallet gets greatest priority

Crime : everyone in this country is affected by it , I would apply the broken windows theory here , in others words
deal with the small stuff, the car crime , criminal damage, public order offences, deal with all the small stuff that teenagers start out on to provide a deterrent before they graduate to more serious crime , provide a national junvenile detention centre so that juveniles can be remanded in custody and actually be held some where in a secure enviroment ,
I would review prison sentances and try and improve the rehabilitation element of prison, make a ten year sentance a ten yr sentance a life sentance a life sentance etc etc
End tempoary release system in Prisons (ie letting prisoners out for Christmas and the like it happens all the time and its madness!!!)
I think the three strikes and your out principle may have merits
I also think there should be a zero alcohol limit for drunk drivers
also confidence needs to be restored in our national police force

Public Transport, look to the long term , I know its expensive but an underground in Dublin and Cork possibly Limerick should seriously be examined
they are all going to grow and grow over the next 100 yrs lets plan for future Irish people
lets provide proper park and ride facilities for Bus's , Trains etc
Make the Greystones Bray railwaytrack a two way track

I think a good reform of the taxi systen would be to provide time limited PSV licences where people can only operate at certain times so that , the max amount of licences would be granted for the peak times

Inflation and the cost of living , price of insurance, entertainment etc I do not have the economic know how to explain what I would do to bring all these down but I know it needs to be done and they all need to be looked at , I think this country is a rip off , lets be Tourist friendly lets encourage people to come to our country

House prices and rent , where are people going to live house prices have just gotten stupid , they need to be controlled and reduced quickly
and lastly I would always encourage people to have pride in our country , its us the people that makes this country great not the Political parties
somebody on the boards has a signature
"the great appear great because we are on our knee's , arise"
I think Jim larkin said that , but it is something we should all bear in mind

eob

Sparks,

Check out http://forums.eamonnobrien.com, it's run by.. erm.. a really good friend of mine who loves his French cars If you think the ZX Volcane is good, you should check out the BX GTi 1.9 4x4. The most technologically advanced road car ever. Ride height adjustable AWD for gods sake!! A friend of mine has one. You can literally drive it down a back road and annihilate anything in range, and then jack up the suspension to annihilate most soft-roaders too!

bonkey

Originally posted by Jimi-Spandex
Firstly, I would be of the opinion that counties are far too small for there to be a point in issuing local taxation.

Over here in Swizzville, my taxes are based on a national (federal) taxation, and a local one.

The area that the local one is applied to is the "townland". I live in a townland which is effectively a suburb of a town about the size of Limerick. We dont pay to the town...we pay to our townland.

Counties are not too small....you just need the right system.

jc

Cork

I would not increase personal taxation.

But I would make anybody who made gains in Ireland pay Irish tax. If is too easy to become a tax exile to get out of paying tax.

It may be legal but I would change if immediately.


I would also bring in property tax. The Middle Classes would probably revolt again. But I think if tax is levied on work - if should be levied on property.

bringitdown

Originally posted by Cork
I would also bring in property tax. The Middle Classes would probably revolt again. But I think if tax is levied on work - if should be levied on property.

Property taxation exists in a form in terms of water rates, waste disposal charges etc. etc. so maybe a better way as suggested previously is to allow a local taxation regime and use the proceed to fund local utilities, roads, lollipop persons etc.

Is there a nation that can balance success, prosperity, money etc. with the environment, the general happiness of the citizens, is free of corruption, lobby groups etc. ???

bonkey

Originally posted by bringitdown
Is there a nation that can balance success, prosperity, money etc. with the environment, the general happiness of the citizens, is free of corruption, lobby groups etc. ???

Only in our dreams. Or maybe on a different planet.

jc