Thats politics Kerry.Making the same mistake a dozen times over,but hoping for different results

Spending money you don’t have, can’t borrow, or won’t be able to pay back even if you can borrow doesn’t work either.

Again we´ll ask the key question: the Irish government is spending 10bn more on PS pay, SW and capital spending than it takes in in taxes. That´s all being covered by borrowing from the troika.

And you want us to increase that deficit?

Cutting taxes and increasing spending would be great. Not borrowing money from the troika or bond markets and thereby being subject to their whims would be great.

But where does the money come from then?

So the path we’re on is working? If you can see a light at the end of that tunnel please let us all know, because I can’t.
More austerity is not going to grow the economy, while our most talented are leaving in droves.

Well Rommel, many people have being saying for years that austerity would cause Ireland to go into a deflation death spiral. This clearly hasn’t happened. In fact, what is extraordinary is the general resilience of the economy to all the austerity that has been inflicted on it.

We are getting our finances in order and moving towards living within our means.

The most important thing about living within our means is that it will enable us to regain our economic sovereignty.

The only alternative to this austerity is that we unilaterally opt to default. This is such an unpalatable option that the Greeks are taking austerity way worse than ours to avoid it. Default would mean austerity like nothing we have seen or even contemplated before.

There are no other coherent alternatives.

@Rommel
Again, the question is where is the money coming from? The government is already borrowing heavily to fund the existing day to day expenditure on PS pay and SW. Where´s the extra money coming from to increase that expenditure even further?

Some will say the answer is to just print more money. But even if we could do that, then all you´re doing is decreasing the money to the PS and SW in a sly way. You´ll pay them the same rate, but it´ll be worth less. It´s still austerity.

Donal,
I’m afraid I can’t say I share your optimism that we are getting our finances in order and moving towards living within our means. I don’t think the people here will accept ongoing austerity measures while the elites here carry on as before.
The Greeks are not taking austerity over default, they haven’t been asked!
We are in a bailout spiral which will lead us nowhere but down the same road as Greece.

@Ann
Yeah we´re borrowing to pay the banks debts. But we´re borrowing more to pay for PS pay and SW. That´s a fact. You might not like to hear it but it´s the truth.

And I couldn´t give a damn if all the TDs were paid in chewing gum wrappers. But it´ll do nothing to help us with the fact that the government is spending up to 13bn more on PS pay, SW and capital spending than it gets in taxes. And that´s being handled with ever more borrowing. TDs pay is a tiny tiny fraction of expenditure.

Neil well I think a country that has to borrow money to pay for the financial mismanagement of a bank, that has helped bring this country to its knees ,should set an example by not paying wages that it cannot afford to those who tell us ‘ we are all in this together ‘ As I understand it all the income tax taken in a year is going to pay just the interest on the bailout . Yes I agree we shouldnt be spending more than we take in but without the huge debt the banks have caused this country we wouldnt be in such unsustainable debt.

Ann, we´re not paying off the interest on anything through income tax. As Ive already said, the taxes the government get in are not even enough to cover PS pay, SW and capital spending!!!
They´re 10bn plus short.

The shortfall is being paid for by borrowing money from the troika, as are the debt payments. And don´t think that all our debts are because of the banks. At the moment its something like 70bn bank debt, 110 bn government defict spending.

Sorry Neil but cant totally agree with you there. The amount taken in income tax in a year is the amount paid on the interest of the bailout as I understand it . And we cannot keep borrowing to pay of debt. Yes the public spending needs to cut but it needs to start at the top and work down not the other way round. I happen to think this country has a lot going for it and just needs the right people running it But I suppose you could say that about a lot of EU countries at the moment.

@Neil – you keep referring to PS pay as a problem. I think you might be on to something….

Being given loans (“bailouts”) so we can pay back debts so we can borrow again so we can get another loan to pay back debts? And we’re called stupid??? LMHO ;)

On a lighter note, does anyone else think your man in the picture is the head off John Prescott? ;)

Have also noticed Micheal there are dozens of new road number signs on back roads being put in recently. Even roads that are mostly potholes ! So they have money to let you know what road you are on when your tracking is thrown out yet again !

Seeing as you like cheeky questions Mark: Where do you get yours? How much? How much in the bank? How do you spend it? Do you drink or smoke? Answer those and I’ll have some more…

I work for Mine Reada and we live within our means.

Me too Donal. And Ireland can too.

I think the only inane people dying to borrow more is your lot Mark. That’s what it’s all about. We’ll pay these debts so we can borrow more. But I agree with you. Government policies are inane.

How is it damaging to the National Interest? People are entitled to their opinions even if you don’t agree with them.

Rommel. People can believe in the tooth fairy if they want, that doesn’t effect me or the country. The problem with ill-informed opinions in the political arena is… A. You make bad decisions B. You can convince other people to make bad decisions. You guys are repeatedly asked how we’d run the country if you follow through on what you suggest and you can’t give even a half assed sensible answer. You and your twitter chums are more dangerous to this country than any bondholders.

More dangerous than bondholders? Did that 1.25 billion, paid out a couple of weeks ago pass you by Gary?
I suppose selling off our state assets is another good idea, now that we can reinvest the proceeds here?
If you’re looking for threats to this Country you need to look beyond the pages of an opinion website and look at the bad decisions already made and likely to be repeated.

I tell you what Mr Rommel Burke (if that is indeed your real name) if go into the Politics forum on Boards.ie (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=99) where everyone has to prove what they say with evidence I’ll discuss this with you. Otherwise I’ll just assume you’re full of it and you can’t prove it.

I have lost a lot of money too Mark and I couldn’t care less. I have great faith in the future and refuse to worry. I see money as a symbol of energy and therefore I suppose it should not be accumulated or stored. It should move freely among all of us.

I have a job as does my husband and we earn our money. I love paying taxes and I’ve often stated I’m happy to contribute to my country. Not to bail out banks tho.

Over to you Mark.

Mark, Not that it’s any of your business I work for my money. Nothing wrong with my memory Mark, I remember the “not another cent” pledges given before the last election.
What I said was that austerity measures do not affect Enda Kenny and I suspect he knows that these measures will not work, unless he has his head totally in the sand that is.

Mark I don’t think I know better than anyone, but that doesn’t mean I have to blindly accept the rubbish we are being fed on a daily basis about how we are all in this together etc.
As for slander, if saying Enda Kenny isn’t acting in best interests of all the people of this country, then I’m guilty as charged.