WHY WE NEED TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE AND NOT THE PAST

The new Govt., just like the last one, seems to reel like a boxer receiving a standing count, have you faith in our elected politicians  ? do they actually know how to get out of this economic cul-de-sac.

Whatever way we will get out of it, and there is nothing more sure, we WILL get out of it, there is nothing to be achieved by looking back at who is at fault, or what happened in the past - what needs to be done now, is that we all need to pull together, and all our politicans, on the govt benches and on the opposition benches, need to do the jobs for which they were elected and lead this country out of the desert. 

To put it simply, they to get off their collective arses, stop pointing the finger of blame at everyone but themsleves, and get on with the job, for which we elected them - run the bloody country !

The past will be dealt with by voters making their own feelings known at upcoming elections. How we got here is very regrettable and infuriating, but it will not help us get out of it - It is to the future we need to look, not the past.

In recent times we have seen signs of industrial unrest become more prominent – something we have not seen in this country for a decade or more. The country was wealthier then and everybody was happy - or happier perhaps, but to ask where all the money has gone, is a little naive.

People seem not to want to accept this, the money has gone back to the taxpayers ! You, me and everyone else !

It would however be ignorant to say there has not been a waste of taxpayer’s money along the way, and at times a profligate waste, to which no one has been made accountable, but vast amounts of capital have been given back to the taxpayer through a string of budgets, where every year the tax rates were lowered, the tax bands widened and the minimum wage increased. Where did all the money go ? Into your (and my) pockets !

It is for that reason that the Irish voters made their choice to return FF to power the last time – they were the govt that gave most money to the people – health, education, social welfare etc seemed not as important.

Now that more and more people are joining the dole queues, and the public sector have been asked to take a pay freeze or even a pay cut, the true reactions to the downturn are being heard.
 

We hear of teachers, Gardai, civil servants etc all singing the same song – ‘we all need to stand together to get out of this mess – tough decisions have to be made – some will have to cut back ...... eh... but not me ! it’s not my fault.....take some money from someone else......not me’

Do people working in the public sector not realise that people in the private one have lost their jobs – that is not a threat to have a cut back, or a pension levy, or a pay freeze – it is being made redundant ! Losing your job – having to sign on. A little realism needs to be thought of – and if you, as a civil servant are screaming madly at the words you are now reading, then back up the truck there a bit, and think what life would be like if YOU had no job. Yes, private sector gets better pay, but it is not as secure – so what you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts.

If there was one thing that this Celtic Tiger did for this country, (and don’t believe anybody who says it did nothing for them ) it made people more selfish.

However we have been here before - many believe it was worse in the past – we will get out of it – it’s just a matter of when, and the more realistic we are, the quicker that will be.