Book recommendations thread

Rubik.

Fintan O'Toole's petition calling for wide-ranging reform of our political system.

http://fintanotoole.ie/petition/

DrumSteve

does this have any association with the march planned by Sinn Fein the same day?

2nd Republic

DrumSteve wrote: »

does this have any association with the march planned by Sinn Fein the same day?

None. We are not associated with any political party, group, campaign or movement. We have grown organically from people who wish to see reform. We are inviting people of all backgrounds (political and social) to come together over this issue and to push for reform.

In part because we are cross-political, we do not, as a group, advocate any particular reforms. We believe that is a matter for the People to decide. We first want to push for a commitment for reform.

At present, our sole campaign is a planned "pledge" campaign in the coming election. That campaign will seek candidates and parties in the coming election to "pledge" to establishing a National Convent on reform. The meeting will focus on that: how to organise it and inviting help and comment on it.

All are welcome.

2nd Republic

DrumSteve wrote: »

If you dont as a group advocate any reform... then how can you get a commitment for reform?

We are coming from the perspective that there is a consensus that reform is needed. We are committed to seeing that consensus realised. In so doing, we seek a commitment that reform will:

- Be directed and "owned" by the people.
- Be radical enough to give a sense of a new beginning and fresh start.
- Address the failings of governance and institutions that underlie the current crisis.

However, we are not an advocacy group for any particular reform or set of reforms. We are about influencing the agenda but not imposing our own specific vision of Ireland. We want to push the reform agenda to the forefront of national debate but not influence the outcome of that debate beyond the three principles above.

imme

To form a completely new republic is a very French idea.

Do we need a new republic, which would be simply to change some rules or do we need a new mindset, new goals, a new direction.

I agree that some institutions of state, namely the Oireachtas and the legal system need amendment and modenisation.

Good Luck in your endeavours.

ISAW

kilns wrote: »

The whole system need an overhaul

We need experts running for specified positions, we cant have teachers in charge of investment or lawyers in charge of our economy

Not such a great idea. Managerialism is what got us into a mess with health managers and education managers etc.

We need people with proven pedigree in positions of power

again
so re elect FF then! Picking only since 2008 isn't dealing with the growth ( not objected to by the opposition some of whom's family made millions on property deals) from 1992 to 2008.
See saying "we need people with a track record" is like saying we should have a permanent party in government since the opposition have no experience of government.

We also need to create a federal type government and give more power to local authorities.

So you are in favour of more local tax? you want the local authority to charge you more? for you house? a property tax? If you live in a niver more sought after area you will pay more local tax.

Need to stop the likes of Jackie healy Rae holding the country to ransom cause he wants the potholes on a local road in Kerry filled in!

But he IS a local authority!

There are so many people in business or the academic world who would be involved but poltics is such a closed shop, how hard is it to come through the ranks of the main parties unless you have been there for years and years or a "celebrity" or worse still the son, daughter, brother or sister of a politcian!!

Maybe true or maybe george Lee didnt like the rough and tumble when he could get payed more without it and returned to his state job. Do ytou ever see the 230 k a year free house Provost of Trinity or President of UCD getting the sort of stick a Minister of Education gets? And when they retire after their ten years appointment they get a free professorship at 150k a year minimum plus pension etc. Why would they bother?

We need real people making real decisions now and who arent scared of the establishment

dont be silly. Fianna Fail have what? 70 TDs? FG even at their best will get what - 70 TDs?

There are over 1000 senior civil service and over 10,000 serior public servants. That ARE the establishment! and they HAVE PhDs , business experience etc!

Look here:
http://www.oic.gov.ie/en/PrescribedPublicBodies/

Take a small payer bord no gcon
http://www.igb.ie/upload/ANNUAL%20REPORT%202008.pdf

86 million in assets.
Turns over 60 to 70 million a year

The CEO gets 160k a year ( NB an increase in 2008 on the 120 k 2007 figure)
a minister can appoint a few pals at 100k a year
the auditor gets 85 k a year

450k a year into pensions.
3.5 - 4.5% salary increases

8 senior management
28 middle management
52 clerical
20 field staff
13 stewards
4 other
482 part time

8.5 million salaries
700k in pensions
another 500k in defined benefit scheme


Paid 7,293 in tax!

Now that is just an example. How do you suggest we dismantle such a thing. It seems to be working. The sport is regulated. 17 tracks are kept running. people get prizes. Who wants to piss off 482 workers? Yet it was still cut by 1.7 million in 2009.

this is the problem! What will a new government cut and what will they tax? WE just don't know. And how is paying "experts" going to solve anything?

Marcus de Brun

nesf wrote: »

Either respect the rules here or don't bother posting please.

Say what we want to hear or say nothing at all...

might sound more familliar if it is translated into Russian or German.??

Marcus de Brun

imme wrote: »

To form a completely new republic is a very French idea.

Do we need a new republic, which would be simply to change some rules or do we need a new mindset, new goals, a new direction.

I agree that some institutions of state, namely the Oireachtas and the legal system need amendment and modenisation.

Good Luck in your endeavours.

Be very careful here. The last time I suggested that we may need a new mindset.. my post was censored and removed.. and I was given a penalty point..

On boards.ie you can have any colour you like as long as its black... and any opinion as long as it is in keeping with the censors

Cheers to the old mindset!

Marcus

Liberalbrehon

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beep-against-the-Irish-Budget/122435477819641?ref=ts

On 5pm on Budget day beep your car horn in protest at the budget cuts and government in general.

pass the word

BENDYBINN

yea lets get a new government sure all our problems wll be solved!
Are we the stupidest race in the world?

Marcus de Brun

BENDYBINN wrote: »

yea lets get a new government sure all our problems wll be solved!
Are we the stupidest race in the world?

Where have all the stupid moderators gone?? Somebody just used the word stupid!!!

Marcus de Brun

nesf wrote: »

Either respect the rules here or don't bother posting please.

Vote Fianna Fail and protect the status quo.

Say no to change
and respect the rules...

thats what I say!!

nesf

The Economist best books of 2010: http://www.economist.com/node/17626972?story_id=17626972

Well worth a look through. Plenty of interesting looking books on everything from Politics to Green Issues to Economics to Science and more.

digme

We’ll be in Dublin on Saturday and Sunday, 12th and 13th; anyone want to be filmed for a special we are making?
It will be casual and talking about the impact of the financial crisis on daily lives.


I wonder will max get a slot on any of our channels?
God help rte if he was allowed on for 5 minutes lol.

Mick Regan

Hello all,

am aware i'm straying into the lions den here!

We're trying to guage the level of support (and garner that support) for a renewed debate on voting rights for Irish citizens abroad. I believe there is a case for revisiting this topic given that the last serious look at it was about 20 years ago.

To be up front I also believe there is a good argument for a scheme being implemented, but am also cognisant that it needs to be balanced and fair.

Irelands current policy is fairly unique, in that unlike approx 115 other countries we do not allow Irish citizens abroad any form of political representation.

If you agree with the principle (or not!) have a look at http://diaspora.ie/starship/2010/12/irish-emigrant-voting-rights/

Thanks,

Mick.

simonj

We're organising a meeting for the Dublin group this Wednesday afternoon or evening in a central location, probably Messrs Maguires in Burgh Quay.

The agenda for this meeting will be:

1. A brief introduction and general discussion.

2. To set up the Dublin regional group for Amhrán Nua.

3. To elect officers by show of hands for the regional group, these will be as follows:

- A Group co-ordinator and orientation officer.

- A Treasurer.

- A Secretary.

- A Chairperson to chair meetings.

- A Media and Communications Officer.

- Regional representatives who may stand for election, speak to the press directly, and engage with the public.

4. To agree on a schedule of events, activities and meetings over the coming weeks.

5. The transfer of flyers and other party material to the officers of the group.

6. Any Other Business.

If the time or location doesn't suit, send an email to ronan@amhrannua.com and we will be able to arrange a followup meeting at a later date to organise things further, or if nobody can make Wednesday we'll reschedule entirely.

Apologies for the short notice, but events are moving quickly now, and we must move at a similar pace.

chrispatt45

Hi All,
Please see the petition URL below, if you agree with the arguement, please sign and pass this onto anyone else you feel agrees.

Many Thanks

http://www.petitiononline.com/EFLOW911/petition.html

Frager

I would like recommendations on books that give an account of the collapse of the Irish economy. I would like this for a New Zealand relation of mine

Cavehill Red

Banksters - Devlin and Murphy. One a novelist, the other RTE's business correspondent. As good an account as you'll get - well informed and engagingly written.

Klingon Hamlet

Straight from the USFI page:

On Saturday 18th of December 2010, at 12 noon, the Unmarried and Separated Fathers of Ireland will hold the annual Sea of Santas peace protest in Dublin.

Hundreds of fathers, grandparents and extended family members will meet at Dolphin House, East Essex Street, Dublin all dressed in Santa costumes in a peaceful protest in support of Fathers' Rights.

Are you gonna come and see Santy on the 18th of December...?

I'll be there. Will you?

Frager

Thanks for your recommendation.

I bought a copy today

Sebzy

Join us and spread the word.

==============

Dublin: Saturday, December 18, 11:00am - 6:00pm
Location: Central Bank of Ireland, Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland
Directions: Outside the main gates.
Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151717948209518


"Legal experts say WikiLeaks has likely broken no laws. Yet top US politicians have called it a terrorist group and commentators have urged assassination of its staff."

"The massive extra-judicial intimidation of WikiLeaks is an attack on democracy. We urgently need a public outcry for freedom of the press and expression."

Our statement is such that we shall not stand for this hypocrisy. It is unacceptable that in a free society, those that endeavour to shine a harsh light on the deplorable actions made supposedly in our public interest, fear retribution and incrimination.


http://wlcentral.org/events-protests#ireland

LeixlipRed

Just gave you about 2000 invites from all the various activist type log ins I have. Good luck with it!

Sebzy

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Just gave you about 2000 invites from all the various activist type log ins I have. Good luck with it!

LeixlipRed I love ya.

jj1000

The politicians can only get into power if we vote them in, why not see what people are doing around the country. why not join and get involved. Deciding in 3 years time, after the government and IMF have taken every last euro off you will be too late.act now. all details on the about us page on powertopeople.ie thank you-please leave this available for all to read.

stephburnz

Hi everyone, I am a PhD student working with researchers at the University of Kent. We are looking for people in the UK/Ireland to participate in an online study about perceptions of the Saville report and the apology for Bloody Sunday given by the British government.

Please click this link to go to the study to participate: http://goo.gl/P4MD

You must be 18 years or older to participate and be a citizen of the UK or the Republic of Ireland. It will only take about 15-20 minutes to fill out the online survey and all your answers will be confidential.

If you take part, you have the option to enter your email into the prize drawing for a £20 Amazon.co.uk gift voucher at the end of the study. Thank you!

Selkies

I've started a petition http://www.petitiononline.com/DemoWiki/petition.html

I've started it because I've started to wonder who the leaders of Wikileaks are accountable to? Is Wikileaks all just Assanges pet? Should we let something which is undemocratic be our champion for democracy?

Having spoken with a few volunteers in Wikileaks it appears as though Julian Assange is accountable to no one, I may be wrong however I would like Wikileaks to publicly demonstrate that it is accountable as it is not just a transparency organisation but an example that will be copied by others.

zig

dont really understand the issue tbh, wikileaks isnt a government organisation. All it does is release documents, what should it be accountable for?
Heres your petition statement...
We the undersigned believe that while Wikileaks is a force for good in this world, we will not allow it to champion democracy without itself operating in the spirit of democracy. Wikileaks must demonstrate to the world that those who lead it are themselves accountable at some level to at the very least those who volunteer their time and money within the organisation.

What do you want them to do exactly? Show where all the donations are being spent or something?

Selkies

zig wrote: »

dont really understand the issue tbh, wikileaks isnt a government organisation. All it does is release documents, what should it be accountable for?
Heres your petition statement...
We the undersigned believe that while Wikileaks is a force for good in this world, we will not allow it to champion democracy without itself operating in the spirit of democracy. Wikileaks must demonstrate to the world that those who lead it are themselves accountable at some level to at the very least those who volunteer their time and money within the organisation.

What do you want them to do exactly? Show where all the donations are being spent or something?

I believe that the leaders of any organisation that is funded by public donations and all the work is done by volunteers should be accountable in some way. Currently he is not in any way.

zig

Selkies wrote: »

I believe that the leaders of any organisation that is funded by public donations and all the work is done by volunteers should be accountable in some way. Currently he is not in any way.

accountable for what? What exactly do you want them to do now that they are not doing? Im genuinely asking so I can have an actual reason for signing the petition.