Sacrifices needed for recovery,says Cowen

mathie

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0205/1224263813648.html

TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen last night invoked the centenary of the Easter Rising in five years’ time as he made a “rallying cry” urging people to make short-term sacrifices to allow a return to prosperity by 2016.

Mr Cowen invoked the symbolically important commemoration several times during his speech to the agm dinner of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce last night, saying that this generation of Irish people should be prepared to “look beyond our self-interest” so as not to fail the next generation.

For the second year running, Mr Cowen’s speech of 20 minutes to the audience of almost 500 was unscripted, rhetorical in nature and impassioned in places.

At the conclusion, he emphasised the need to have the country on the best possible economic footing so as not to fail those whose sacrifice led to the foundation of the State.

“Yes, we were a generation that lived at a time and place of prosperity, but when challenged we looked to the future and looked beyond our own self-interest and said that, yes, this is a country that is worth working for and building.

“Yes, we can say in 2016 when we get to O’Connell Street and look up at those men and women of idealism that gave us the chance to be the country we are that: ‘Yes, we did not fail our children, but we did not fail our country either,’” he said.

But I thought Brian Lenihan said we were past the worst during his budget speech?
:rolleyes:

ei.sdraob

can we "sacrifice" himself ?

gandalf

LOL thats exactly what came to my mind when I read the thread title, "INCA STYLE"

BroomBurner

Sacrifices for everyone except the higher grades in the public sector, is it Cowen?

gurramok

Hold on, i've just splurged on my credit card, i've done my sacrifice!

Ask not what Cowen will do for you but what you will do for Cowen!

Arnold Layne

BroomBurner wrote: »

Sacrifices for everyone except the higher grades in the public sector, is it Cowen?

And of course his salary and that of ministers & TDs. Lest we forgst all the QUANGOs as well. I'd be happy to sacrifice this and An Seanad

WalterMitty

Arnold Layne wrote: »

And of course his salary and that of ministers & TDs. Lest we forgst all the QUANGOs as well. I'd be happy to sacrifice this and An Seanad

Prime minister of Norways get a 100k a year. Even after his cuts Cowen is on around 230k plus all the perks and Norway are much more advanced and richer country than Ireland. Senior civil servants pay is linked to ministers and so too should be judges. Then reduce all pay for politicians down to levels in likes of Norway. We thought we were rich and able to afford such high public sector pay but we werent rich and we cant keep paying these salaries.

woodseb

Arnold Layne wrote: »

And of course his salary and that of ministers & TDs. Lest we forgst all the QUANGOs as well. I'd be happy to sacrifice this and An Seanad

how much have TDs taken in pay cuts?

WalterMitty

PS Cowen should sacrifice a few ministerial lunches and the merc and lose some of that lard that is slowing down his response to the crisis.

Arnold Layne

woodseb wrote: »

how much have TDs taken in pay cuts?

Is it not 10% of theior salary, but they still have unvouched expenses, travel expenses, etc. Sacrifices must start at the top, not at the bottom, especially when our "taoiseach" invokes them

paddykell

Maybe Cowen should consider cutting some of the T.Ds ridiculous expenses, or even better, sacrifice his position as taoiseach and stop annoying us all with his empty speeches that are supposed to "encourage" us. Everyone has taken HUGE sacrifices, except himself and his little friends.

Sand

ei.sdraob wrote: »

can we "sacrifice" himself ?

Hmm, an excellent summarisation of our current woes - the taxpayer getting his heart ripped out by a cabal of politicians, bankers, developers, trade unionists and various insiders. All for the good of the state and society of course.

The more things change....

bryaner

WalterMitty wrote: »

Prime minister of Norways get a 100k a year. Even after his cuts Cowen is on around 230k plus all the perks and Norway are much more advanced and richer country than Ireland. Senior civil servants pay is linked to ministers and so too should be judges. Then reduce all pay for politicians down to levels in likes of Norway. We thought we were rich and able to afford such high public sector pay but we werent rich and we cant keep paying these salaries.

Norway the 3rd richest country in the world, and their prime minster

gets paid at least half of ours, this shop is so wrong but yet we do nothing

apart from give out over a pint!!!

SkepticOne

mathie wrote: »

But I thought Brian Lenihan said we were past the worst during his budget speech?:rolleyes:

I think he said "we've turned a corner". Of course he failed to say what was around that courner i.e more of the same.

bryaner

paddykell wrote: »

Maybe Cowen should consider cutting some of the T.Ds ridiculous expenses, or even better, sacrifice his position as taoiseach and stop annoying us all with his empty speeches that are supposed to "encourage" us. Everyone has taken HUGE sacrifices, except himself and his little friends.

Little friends? All i see is very FAT friends

stepbar

WalterMitty wrote: »

PS Cowen should sacrifice a few ministerial lunches and the merc and lose some of that lard that is slowing down his response to the crisis.

Unless they're spending on gold plated mercs and cavier; I doubt that will plug the 20 odd billion hole in the government finances.

stepbar

Sand wrote: »

Hmm, an excellent summarisation of our current woes - the taxpayer getting his heart ripped out by a cabal of politicians, bankers, developers, trade unionists and various insiders. All for the good of the state and society of course.

The more things change....

Ah, but hold on.

Did people not buy those thing called "overpriced" houses? Did they not?

I note you forgot joe soap in that list. Joe Soap spent money they didn't have and when their own bank said stop, they went back for more from another "willing :rolleyes:" institution. You can't legislate for that sort of madness. Now come on, did people think money grew on trees?

thetonynator

caviar wouldn't surprise me, and if mercs came gold plated, you can be guaranteed fas and the central bank would have had them . . .

we need to see that they are feeling the pain as well as the rest of us.

if sacrifice could include sacrificing long service payments and expenses accounts . . .

sceptre

This isn't a discussion. We don't do ranty baloney threads here folks and it's been quite a few posts in this thread since anything was posted that was up to reasonable Politics forum standards.