Yesterday two hundred economists met in Dublin to discuss the future of the nation.
I happened to find myself in Buswell’s Hotel, opposite Leinster House, when the economists retired for refreshments after their meeting.
The meeting was addressed by Colm McCarthy, the UCD economist heading An Bord Snip Nua.
It says something about our government’s fondness for quangos that it prefers to outsource decisions on something as fundamental as economic policy.
Or perhaps it’s just a symptom of the decidophobia that leads to the impression of being governed by a cabinet headed by a troika of headless chickens.
Colm McCarthy, who is close to becoming the unelected minister for finance, earlier called for a tax on residential property, and the sale of state assets including the ESB, Bord Gais, State lands and property.
And he called for income taxes on the lower paid and cuts in public sector pay.
The meeting took place a stone’s throw from the Mansion House, which next week will see celebrations of the ninetieth anniversary of the first meeting of Dáil Éireann.
It’s anyone’s guess what the first Dáil, with it’s commitments to social equality, would have made of the unelected shadow government of economists.
Let me get this straight; he thinks that they should tax the poor, and create a property tax, and sell off State assets where they will sell for a bargain price (instead of selling them when the economy was on a high-note). How about instead, government cut-backs, state control or partial ownership of banks that take Gov monies (like the Swedes did in the 1990’s). Then the Banks can sold off when they recapitalise at a profit.
Anyways, these are probably the same idiots who didn’t predict the current problems, and allowed the over-building and mindless waste of the past 10 odd years. I think their advise should be taken with a bucket of salt.